attack of the poodle dog

Day 25 ~ miles 418.8 to 440ish

The day started with a possible detour to avoid Poodle Dog Bush (or Turricula).  It's a plant that causes skin irritation, similar to Poison Oak or Ivy, but apparently 10x worse.  The detour was a 9 mile road walk that we were not thrilled about.  We decided to take the PCT rather than the detour....we figured the PDB couldn't be that bad, especially since we're wearing long sleeves and pants.

Not taking the detour was a bad decision.  We felt like we were trapped in a video game with so many obstacles.  Poodle dog was not the only thing we had to avoid, but Poison Oak also, and so many huge downed trees that we had to maneuver over and around, and the trail was conpletely overgrown in places.  It was so difficult and exhausting having to concentrate on the trail every second, as to not brush by a Poodle Dog Bush.

The route took FOREVER.  By the time we arrived to where the detour linked back up to the trail, everyone from camp last night (they all took the detour) had passed us.  We're usually the first out of camp, and tend to think that the early bird gets the worm, not today though. 

It was a really hot day.  We've been so fortunate, as we've had mostly pleasant and unseasonably cool days on the trail.  We made it 17 miles to our next water source and hiked on a little further to an unestablished campsite in the bottom of a dry canyon.  We are cowboy camping (sleeping out in the open, not in a tent), as we have been doing the past few nights.  Bats are going nuts and swooping REALLY close to us, yikes.  Tent may have been a good call. 

Town tomorrow, to Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce.