October 18

The three of us left camp this morning and started our 28 mile day across the dry, sandy high desert. The vegetation is all Joshua Trees and other spiky plants at this point. Thankfully, water caches are being maintained by local trail angels and we don't have to carry more than a couple liters at a time. It is also helpful that the wind blows steadily during the day, bringing relief from the intense sun. The extra weight of water is still worth it for the warmth we get from being out of the high elevation. For the first time in a long time, I am cowboy camping. Tom and I opted for the no tent strategy because with the mild night temperature there is no need for a tent to trap the heat. Louis is loving being warm so much that he still set up his tent and there is a full moon that might make sleeping without a tent difficult. It's a beautiful cloudless night and we have a full water cache to provide us with water for breakfast in the morning.