There is nothing I would like better than to go to the sink and drink some water; or, perhaps even venture down to am/pm for a Super-Tanker tm.

Today was exceedingly difficult for me. Strange too. We got the package from Warner Springs. There was a care package from Siri which we split for breakfast. At a fire station where the trail crosses the highway, a mile from town, we each drank one and one-half liters of water. The next twenty minutes were filled with edgy concentration. Trying to keep all that stuff down. Too much for shrunken stomachs. By lunch, however, I had to curtail my enjoyment of our new trail mix flavor so as to have the option of lunch tomorrow. Orange smoke Dyl noticed brimming a northward ridge turned to an all encompassing haze at our final crossing of Agua Caliente creek. The first of an endless series of helicopters began to pass over headed north east toward a presumably large fire. Our guide book confirmed the suspicion that north east was to be our predominant direction for the day. Partly up the same canyon as the helicopter flight path. Fire never showed itself to us. Lots of smoke. It was unnerving, regardless, as we constantly eyed out escape routes either back down to the creek or up and over the ridge.

About 95% climbing today, gained about 3000 ft. elevation, with the heaviest packs so far. Ten days worth of food. Twenty-eight miles no water. One liter for every two hours walking is recommended. We plan to cover about twenty miles in a twelve to thirteen hour day. In addition water is needed to cook dinner with. Weighed against this, literally, is the consideration of each additional liter adding two and a half pounds to the load. We made a conservative estimate of our consumption and set out with four liters each. Now we are on the verge of passing out lying dry and painfully thirsty six miles short of Tule Springs.