I had a bit of a problem finding the Barrel Springs trailhead and didn't get there till 8. The meet-up group was milling around waiting for their shuttles out at Warner Springs to be set up. They were going to hike north on the PCT to Eagle Rock. I was going south. I noticed Scowling Red Lipstick Lady staring me down as usual. I've been on a few meet-up hikes with her and she always gives me the evil eye. I've tried smiling, saying hello and good morning, and I get nothing but dirty looks back. It's weird. She also wears red lipstick to hike. Who does that? Anyhow, I ignore her and get on the trail and start walking. I noticed a backpacker still sleeping in his tent a little ways in and I was so into scoping out his tent set-up and that I missed the trail and ended up on a goat path instead. I climbed up the side of a hill on what I thought was the PCT, only to run out of trail at the top. Oops. I guessed I better go back down and start over. The backpacker was making his breakfast when I walked back by him. I scoped out his stove set-up and saw that it was an alcohol stove.
Finally I got on the right track and immediately walked through a giant crap ton of poison oak. ARGH! Oh well, just kept walking. The terrain on the south portion of Barrel Springs is very uninspiring. The trail winds back and forth like a snake, along one ridge after another. Going south is mostly uphill although at a gentle grade. At 5 miles I took a break to eat my PB&J and then headed on back. It got pretty warm but there was a nice breeze throughout. Lots of grasshoppers and butterflies out and about. I was so tired and the terrain so boring that I busted out my sansa music player for the first time ever hiking. I listened with just one ear bud in so I could still hear my surroundings. I haven't listened to this thing in forever so the music on there was pretty amusing. I went from Eminem to Kid Rock to Black Eyed Peas to Madonna to Kool and the Gang etc. The transition that made me laugh out loud was Dolly Parton's "Love is Like a Butterfly" to Lady Sovereign's "Love Me or Hate Me." I was cracking up at the vast difference:
So back through the field o' poison oak I went and then investigated the "water source." Not sure if this is actually a "spring" and hence the name Barrel Springs. The water had tadpoles swimming around and yellow jackets swarming. It actually looked pretty decent though and I would totally drink it after filtering. Especially if desperate.
Made it back to the trailhead in 5 hours flat. I washed my poison oak legs off with some water I had in the car and then lathered my legs up with hand sanitizer. Hopefully that will mitigate any devastating poison oak effects- fingers crossed!
It was a chilly 47 degrees when I started and 81 when I finished. Then what?! Slurpee time!
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