Trailer Park makes sure we’re awake (not intentionally) when he leaves the room and the sun bounces off the wall and into our eyes. Trailer Park and Rachel will both get a chance to talk with the couple from yesterday who were so excited to meet hikers as the husband wanted to attempt the trail and the wife was hoping to lose him out there. We empty the hotel’s coffee pot, make what’s in the room, and return to the lobby for more.

Caleb calls to let me know that the sidewall on the front driver side blew out, in two spots, so it’s very unfixable. It’s also Sunday so I wasn’t sure when we’d get a replacement; turns out tomorrow morning. We check out at 11a, our latest ever, and spend the afternoon at Walmart, Grocery Outlet, and Marshall’s before going to see the longest movie the theater had playing. We were going to choose between some animated films, but F1 at 2.5 hours won.

We got there early, sneaking in meals and snacks, and still ordering from the counter as hikers do, expecting a half hour of previews. They don’t mess around here, there’s one and then it’s on with the show. I found myself rooting for the racers, easier to do when you don’t have to watch every loud and repetitive lap. The count varies and all but one race (Monaco GP) has to cover a minimum distance of 190 miles.

We arrive at Walker Pass and there are Forest Service firefighters at the table next to ours, so of course I ask what brings them here. They are orienting themselves with the areas they will have to navigate in less fire-free conditions and name Death Valley as one of the places on their list. Homeless walks out from under the tree he’s been living under for days to steal the conversation and ask if they have a special phone that gets signal here.

Once they drive off, to escape him, he meanders over to our table. He asks Rachel if she’s hiking in thongs, and she’d never heard that as a flip-flop synonym, so she’s shocked that he would ask that until he points to her sandals. He tells her his boots cost him $500 (only $180 for the rest of us) so he didn’t get a good deal. He also shares that he’s suffering from altitude sickness at 7000 ft. when we’re only at 5200 ft.

Eventually, our silence sends him on his way and we can watch Trailer Park and Rachel begin the last 50 miles that will take them into Kennedy Meadows, the 700-mile marker of the PCT, which signifies the end of the desert and over a quarter of the hike complete. We will drive to Victorville tonight so that we’re an hour closer to the tire shop in the morning.