Wish I took more photos of this day but the reality is that is was a very hard day and it was just extra effort to pull my camera out.
Woke up at sunrise, laid on my pad for another hour, dealing with my thighs spazing and hurting.
I watched the millipedes crawl through our camp, leaving little trails in the sand. I consulted the map and packed my bag.
We set off at about 730am, too late.
The trail follows a river, Whitewater. In a normal year this would have been a complete path.
This wasnt a normal year…
There has been a massive amount of water dumped on all of Southern California. We have had tons of storms and water is at record highs. This river comes down a very long channel, about 15 miles.
It starts close to the top of the Gorgonio range, exactly where we are hiking to.
The river was totally washed out. The trail was missing for a majority of this section.
Bushwacking was in order.
Our speed dropped significantly. We were constantly crossing the river. Our shoes were always wet and full of sand.
We had to climb over fallen logs, dirt embankments and plenty of other obstacles. After a few hours of dealing with the ruff terrain and still trying to recover from yesterday we stop for a break. Right next to an undercut where the river has turned into a small waterfall.
Filled water, ate lunch and slept for about two hours in the midday sun.
After our break we kept trying to make it to a campsite a few miles ahead.
Trail is always heading up here…
Still dealing with pain and feeling horrible from the heat and still lack of calories, every step was tiring.
About a mile from our rest spot, one of my tramly members almost steps on a huge Diamond Back Rattlesnake.
The snake was politely moved off trail.
The trail just keeps getting harder. We’ve managed to make it plus 5000 ft just in a couple days. I am struggling hard here. I know I can’t make it the miles that we talked about.
Eventually we get to a marked campsite that is a couple miles short of what we wanted to make it to.
I can’t go much further.. I need to stop
Pitched my tent, laid down, ate dinner and crashed out.
So far I hate this section and its one hundred percent the hardest thing Ive ever done.
oversized-outdoors.com 
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