May 4th

205.7-209.5

3.8 miles

We make a quick few, windy miles to interstate 10, a freeway that runs from LA to Phoenix.

Along the way we nearly stumble into a rattlesnake. It is the 10th we have seen a long the trip ,but the first we were able to grab a good picture of.

We make it to the freeway underpass, and see a sign where all the 2024 hikers have signed. We have heard there is a massive norovirus outbreak in the area, so we elect to not sign the sign. Some nice folks left coca cola and Gatorade, so we grab one and continue on.

We need to resupply so we head to the closest town of Cabazon, California. It is a casino town that is bustling with tourists. Everyone thinks we are homeless. A man offered to buy me something to eat as we were sitting outside of a Starbucks drinking coffee. We are walking around a palm tree desert with ice axes attached to our packs. We look insane. The role reversal from our normal lives back home is an interesting part of a trip like this. It makes me feel guilty when I judge those I see on the streets in our home life.

We enjoy a meal at In-N-Out and read that there is a weather advisory notic d has been put out for the area we are hiking through- rain and 60 mph winds. 2 feet of snow is predicted to fall in the Sierra Nevada, which makes us sad to hear knowing we will be hiking through it soon. We make a spur of the moment decision to stay the night in a hotel and avoid being out in the storm.

We busy ourselves with town chores- resupply, bathtub laundry, showering, and watching the NBA playoffs.

Our hotel is next to a Sizzler restaurant. We both have not gone to one of those since our childhoods.

The pricing model is kind of crazy. You pay for an entree-some combination of steak shrimp and a side, and then you can add the unlimited soup and salad and hot bar to the entree for a discounted rate. The entree is over priced. The salad bar is over priced if you order it alone. The value lies in adding the all you can eat option to your entree.

We decide to only eat enough of the entree to be respectful, and then fill up on the buffet so we can take our main meal leftovers home. We do all we can do to maximize calories while on the trail. I eat 4 plates. Amber eats 3. I hope we do not put this beautiful restaurant out of business. Back to trail tomorrow.