Ridge to Agua Dulce/ The Saufleys, around 5 miles
Walking through the amazingly beautiful Vasques Rocks, which look as if they have been pushed out of the earth sideways, we ran into Quervo. Quervo travels with his donkeys, a dog and the cutest puppy around. He says it's a wolf-sledgedog mixture. Well, Dingo sure lookes like it. Quervo himself is a UNIKUM, has come over from Arizona and has lived outdoors basically for the last 5 years. Earns his living with tourists who let their childres sit on his donkey and probably end taking HIS picture! He might have stepped out of one of those Western Movies... He knows the Saufleys and he stays here every now and then. Their house and property is open to passersby, they don't judge. And Quervo for sure is special.
The Saufleys are special!! We met Jeff in front of the supermarket, I recognized him right away because I had remembered him from the DVDs "Walk" and "Still Walk". So he told us where the other hikers were having breakfast and that's were we went. Giddy-up, Heike and Walmart Joe were there and a lot of new hikers. We received a warm wellcome :-)
The Saufleys have two trailers in their garden of which one is really big with a kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. So that's where we went equipped with towels and exchange clothes (!) since everything a hiker arrives with is filthy and stinks.
That shower does transform you, believe me, but it does so every time.
After that all the hikers around and there were a couple (still are, there is a constant comming and going- and more staying than going!), we put up three more tents. So now there are 5 tents and probably around 30 hikers. Some have left today, as write this on May 21st and others have arrived.
After that we joined 8 others for a ride to the REI and the grocery store with the Saufley's truck. Someone said it felt like Spring Break. It sure was fun!
So time flew by again. At night around the fire stories were told so I stayed up a little and was surprised to find Carsten already in his sleeping bag. Oh, I asked Jeff how they started all this - I'm probably the 1000st person to ask this question...-but Donna was on her way back from No Way Ray's Memorial and they have to tell it togehter so I am looking forward to that.