Mile 392.0 - 412.1

Another beautiful day on the PCT. Today was different because there were a few clouds in the sky. 

I'm still amazed at the desert wild flowers and how they can bloom in such a harsh environment.

Mid-day hot and tired.

Thistle bloom.

Take a close look at the plant in the foreground. It's called Poodle Dog Bush. It may sound cute and harmless but it's far from that. This plant is 10 times worse than  poison ivy and poison oak. It was everywhere on today's hike. Many times right on the trail. Every hiker is scared to death of this stuff. If you come in contact with this, there is a good chance you will be going to see a doctor and getting off trail. We have been told that hikers in the past had to quit the hike due to this plant. The bad news is that we still have another 30-40 miles to hike in the Poodle Dog Bush. Not looking forward to that.

We are camping just past this point. We are at 6,500 feet. It's going to be a cold night sleeping. We just got through a really bad section with Poodle Dog Bush everywhere. We set up camp fast, cooked dinner and are neck deep in our sleeping bags.