Darkness sets in as I arrive at the summit of Kelbaker Road at 3700 feet, ready for the 12-mile descent to Kelso in the dark
It's chilly up here, so I stop to put on my outer shell and warmer gloves for the long downhill ahead, which is a lot of fun. I'm a bit cold when I reach the bottom.
I arrive at Kelso Depot visitor centre at 18h, an hour after closing, hoping that they've left the garden hose outside (but they didn't). However, staff is still on-site and offers to fill my water bottles so I don't have to fuss around with the small sinks in the 24-hour washrooms in the parking lot. A huge thank-you for that!
I'm invigorated by the long downhill ride, but still rather pooped from all the hike-a-biking earlier today. After Kelso Depot, I ride and walk the bike almost two miles up the fan on Cornfield Spring Road and set up camp at a spot where I camped a few months ago.
I was hoping to set up camp a mile or two closer to Cornfield Spring in preparation for tomorrow's hike, but this will do just fine. I'm hungry and can't wait to eat supper, which is 800-calorie Mountain House Chicken and Rice: very soothing.
The cold that I caught last night is still with me. I can't tell if my aches are from the day's exercise or not. It's a tad colder here than it was at Devil's Playground, so more layers of clothing go on as the evening progresses. I fall asleep easily, but don't sleep all that well.
Recorded temperatures at Baker, CA today are a high of 63F and a low of 32F.
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