Day 3 started off about as crappy as day 2. Only this time we learned that if you hike in the middle of the day you die. Sooo today we got up around 5:45 but found that packing up camp and eating a meal in the morning is taking too long. Weren't on the trail till 6:45 to my dismay knowing we had an uphill hike ahead of us. Nonetheless, a better start than the day before. We also found what we thought was a nice stream and shady makeshift campground to rest while the sun was high. Yet again, we learned another lesson today. And that was with shade, water, and two stinky hikers it attracts every fly, mosquito, and bee in the general area. Our "mid day nap" was brett and I hot boxing my 1.5 person tent to avoid the alternative of braving the blood thirsty mosquito hoard outside.

But I've always been a believer in that fortune favors the strong so once again when the mid day heat started to subside we set out to make the last 9 miles to Mount Laguna, an improved campground atop a 6,000 foot peak. It held the promises of a clean water spigot, showers, real toilets, cooler air, less bugs, and soft flat tent sites. Hiker heaven! But what awaited us there far exceeded the expectations we were conjuring up in our half baked heads.

The goal was to make it to Burnt Rancheria campground and make camp before dark. Always a big morale boost to make camp before you lose light! This however, was becoming less of a possibility as Brett's heavy pack was weighing him down and his spirits were at the lowest I've ever seen them.. he looked more than defeated and told me several times he was done with this hike. As the last bits of sunlight disappeared over the peak we came stumbling into camp to find a near deserted 80 site campground. Being Memorial Day and everyone heading back to town there were only three groups still there. My maps told me there was a designated PCT site (most campgrounds along the trail have free or reduced rates for thru hikers). As it was now dark I ran up to the only group that still had people around a fire. To my astonishment the gentlemen that stood up to talk to me was wearing Sigma Chi letters (the fraternity brett and I both belong too...) I about cried as they offered us a spot for our tent, cold beer, and double bacon havarti cheese burgers topped with a fried egg. The best part tho.. was when they asked us if we wanted seconds