We woke up this morning and it was already getting warm. The sun was bright and we knew we were in for a hot day. We packed up camp and got on the trail by 7:30 am. Today was a town day and everyone was keen to get to the trailhead early.

We traveled along the ridge for about 2 hours before reaching the next water source. Here we set up water filters and I boiled a pot of water to make breakfast; coffee and three packets of oatmeal. The water source was located at the top of a long descent into the dry valley below. It was already hot up top, and we knew that it would be even hotter down below.

As we descend the mountainside, the vegetation became more sparse and hardy. Cactus plants appeared more frequently along the trail, and sometimes were hiding in bushes next to the trail. For the first time on this trip, I used my sun umbrella to help reflect the heat. The shade was a lifesaver.

We found shade under large rocks, and stopped to take off packs, drink water, and eat snacks. After a couple of hours descent, we were on the valley floor. As we crossed the valley, clouds passed overhead, giving respite from the sun. In the distance I could see rain falling from one cloud, but the water wasn’t making it to the ground.

The valley floor was flat and smooth with a wide path, we made it to the roadside in no time. Before even crossing the fence to the road, a passing car had spotted us and stopped to give us a ride into Julian. I’d heard that hitching here would be easy, but didn’t expect this.

Once we got into Julian, we went to Mom’s Pie House, where we were treated to a free slice of pie, a scoop of ice cream and a cold drink. This shop is famous for giving pie to PCT hikers, and the stop in Julian is essential for all.

After the pie, we visited the brewery, Julian Beer Co. They had an NZ IPA on tap which was a perfect match for the IPA we had at home back in around 2018. I’m continuously impressed by the quality of brewing here. The brewery also makes an awesome pizza which definitely needs to be split by two people, even hungry hikers. After the brewery, we headed to the American Legion who kindly allow up to 10 hikers to sleep out the back on their porch for $10 each, folding cot beds provided.