SKIT Day 7: Parker Canyon Lake & Canelo Hills

Daily Miles: 18.5, Total Miles: 94.5

I had to put my earplugs in last night, the wind was a bit too much. I woke up during the night to a mysterious light and first thought it to be a bobbing headlamp. But it wasn’t in the direction of the trail. In fact, the light seemed to be in the air off the mountain crest. No noise so not a helicopter, maybe a Border Patrol drone?

The morning was cool at this elevation so waited for some sun on the ridge before dropping down Sunnyside Canyon, the site of my first camp while on the AZT. Filled my water bottles from the trickling stream, spooking a whitetail deer.

Crossed over into Scotia Canyon which took me down to Parker Canyon Lake. I met a SOBO AZT hiker very close to finishing his hike. He says there are plenty of hikers still on the AZT, in perhaps a record year in terms of numbers. I saw only three other thru-hikers on my 2012 AZT hike.

Got water at Parker Canyon at a stream and continued north into the Canelo Hills reaching a 6,000 ft pass. I needed my headlamp for the last few miles. Hey, I got to watch the 2nd-half of Monday night football. A little spotty with one bar of service but still a treat.