5/5/2022: Day 11 was exciting because I was approaching Mt. San Jacinto (10,833 ft). The first real mountain of the trail. I dry camped so I needed water. A few miles up the trail was a spur to water.
At the spring was a big tub with water and a green mossy growth inside it. Sitting at that tub was a guy with a weird accent, Toby, from Denmark. He was talking to me, talking to Andrew, talking to the water and tress around him. Friendly fellow. Andrew was from Connecticut. Hell yes, a New Englander. They were nice enough, I thought, “man I could have a beer with those guys.”
The trail inclined along a ridge. It soon opened up to reveal Palm Desert to the East of the ridge we were climbing. The expansive, flat desert in the valley laid in contrast with the steep mountains behind it.
Toby caught me as I gazed at a lookout. “You know just a week ago I was down there at Coachella having a hell of a different time than I am now!” He informed me.
“A few months ago I was in Joshua Tree staring at this ridge and mountain.” I informed him. Joshua Tree National Park is nestled behind the ridge in the distance.

The terrain increased in intensity. I was in the mountains and out of the desert, for now. Trees grew, grasses grew, flowers grew. I heard a bird that wasn’t a vulture. Inspired, I continued to walk and chose to ignore the heat coming from my feet. With the excitement of being in mountains I pushed faster. I walked beyond my usual lunch time. Shouldn’t have done that. When I did finally stop for a lunch (of 2 tortillas, 2 packs of tuna, some salt and vinegar chips thrown in there.) I took my feet out of my shoes and socks to let them breathe. Oh shit, multiple blisters were forming in their baby stage. I popped them and wrapped them. I rested in the shade of the tree, smiling and greeting fellow hikers.

The final push of the day was traversing a steep hillside with dozens of fallen and burnt pine trees. The trees were from a fire a few years ago and had finally fallen, the nice ones tumbled far below, the mean ones settled directly over the trail. The dead burnt tree left my hands, legs and ass all sooty. (idk if that’s really a word but I’m really gonna use it.)
The climb along that ridge was pure magic. I popped in my headphones and dancewalked the final miles into camp.

At camp I found a marvelous spot, tucked in behind a large boulder the wind fully blocked in one direction. Stacked limbs and twigs surrounded the 3 other sides to make a perfect sleeping rectangle for me to cowboy camp in.

As I prepared dinner Toby, Andrew and his buddy Steve (Also from Connecticut and thus a New Englander and thus my friend) arrived and were gonna camp.
We ate, We had laughs when Andrew gave me a towel that expanded when water was placed on it, Steve gave me extra mashed potatoes. I ventured up the nearby rockpile to take in the view of the desert.
I went to bed smiling.