And The Beat Goes on

Yesterday we got a ride to Campo, CA, the southern terminus of The Pacific Crest Trail. We were supposed to walk away from there, but heeding everyone's advise and fanning the flames of sensibility for our mother's sakes, our great friend James drove us 32 miles in to avoid the border jumpers/drug mules that come over in droves.
We immediately had to climb 2,000 feet in in the SoCal sun on a breeze-less side of the mountain. We walked 6 miles in to find a site on the top. We were completely alone, except for the Google Star Map, showing the way to gemini and leo (our signs straight above), the little and big dippers that hang out around MI and Venus (that was almost as bright as a full moon). Our first night out was peaceful; but freezing: 6,000 ft up on a ridge in the desert was not good sleeping. But we went to bed with the sun (just after, at 9:00) so we rose with it too to break down camp and start walking our first real day's hike.
Today we covered 12 miles across desert scrub and lots of little rocks to twist an ankle on to a tiny campground with an itty-bitty lake (pond). We crossed some terrain today that looked more like upper (lower penninsula) MI than where it is: situated right next to the Mojave desert. It was nice to pass through some pine tree forests and smell the cool rich earth instead of sweltering desert.
We watched the fog roll in as it cooled off and the sun sank behind the horizon. We set up camp for the night among some fellow hikers and that is where I sit writing this. Brian is tending to the fire and re-hydrating our dinner while two birds fight noisily overhead and the frogs in the pond sing out in unison.