April 23, 2007

I began my morning hiking down Fuller's Ridge, switchback after switchback.  It was this section of the trail where I was airlifted out of a rattlesnake den last year.  A fire swept across this section in October so I was convincing myself any and all rattlesnakes had burned to death.  This descent was emotion-filled as I looked for the boulder where I called 911.

I never found it and I was just beginning to inwardly celebrate a personal challenge when a wasp stung me first on the shoulder and then on my hand.  I was doing an ungraceful dance on Fuller's Ridge trying to escape the wasp who then caused havoc for Ed.  I hiked down to the drinking fountain where Ed and I enjoyed a very long lunch break.  We each re-hydrated and loaded up our water bottles for the trip ahead through the dessert.

As we approached the I-10 underpass, Ed noticed a truck parked under the highway and a naked man.  The naked man appeared to be coupling  with his truck's gas tank.  Ed cupped his knife and I followed his lead by cupping my new switchblade that I had purchased in Julian.  I puffed out my chest and hiked on as Ed peered over his shoulder until the naked man was out of range.  We then hiked upon a junkyard.  I staged a pose atop a wrecked car and Ed staged an accident scene.  We camped about a mile from the Mesa Wind Farm.