Without cell phone access I find that the days are just going by so quickly. Oh, one thing to note, I have selected the trail name “Tartan”. Since I’m solo I’m alone most of the time. So I don’t have a crowd to give me a name. Therefore after three weeks on the trail I chose my own. It has a Scottish feeling to it that I like. And I’m carrying a sample of my Scottish Tartan to show people what it looks like.

Leaving Cahon Pass I had to hike up and up. Here is what the trail looks like in this section. It’s not sandy dunes, but instead it’s dry sandy soil with many plants.

In the pictures below can you find Interstate 15 curving off into the distance. Way way down next to I-15 is where I started.

Even farther up…

Each day as I go along I stare down at the foot prints of the hikers before me on the trail. Some have interesting footprints and I’ve come to recognize my shoe brand because a lot of people wear it too. Today I saw this print on the trail. I’ve heard of bare foot running, but bare foot hiking is a new one – that’s got to be tough on the feet.

There is a MacDonalds at Cajon Pass that was calling to me so I pushed to get there today. As always I was up high and the geological formations were amazing.

Early morning somewhere near mile 303, a picture of Deep Creek. I enjoy hiking and following and listening to a creek, stream or river.

I carry two things on the strap of my backpack. The first is a piece of ribbon of my Buchanan Scottish tartan (of which Watt is a sub-clan) to remind me of my father and all he did for me. It reminds me of my past. The second is a small sterling silver compass from my sweetheart Kathy to remind me of home and her and never getting lost and always finding my way home to her no matter how far apart we are. It reminds me of my present and my future.

Update: I later switched both of them from my pack to my shirt so they would always be with me even when I had taken off my pack.

Just for the record here is a selfie at mile 298. The beard keeps growing and without a mirror it gets all messy. There are times when I meet other hikers where I worry that I might have old food and other stuff on my face, beard or lips that were leftover from a few days ago. How nice not to worry about one’s appearance (not that I ever did) due to no mirrors being readily available.