D17-D20 Swimming, a snake, and McDonald's 游泳、一條蛇、一間麥當勞

Days 17-20:

Fresh off a zero, I was eager to get back on the trail. Some others from the hostel and I got a ride out to the trailhead in an old station wagon. I think Clément and I got the best seats in the car:

休息了一整天已經很期待回步道。有人開幾十年前很流行的旅行車載我們到登山口，我跟Clément坐到最好的位子：

We had to leave the trail for a short while due to a fire closure. The alternate road took us through the burn area still, where nothing had grown back yet:

很快又遇到步道因為森林火災而封閉的一段路，馬路沒有封所以我們改走這一條。這是去年的火災所以植物還沒有開始長出來：

Pretty soon I had walked around Big Bear Lake and got a view of the town on the opposite side where I had taken a zero:

不久後已經走到展望處，看得到湖也還有對面我們剛住的城鎮：

I stopped earlier this day (about 2 hours before sunset), and was able to take my time setting up camp and making supper during daylight hours. I really enjoyed getting all this done before it got dark and will have to try stopping earlier more often in the future. I was camped beside Jazz Hands tonight and we had time to just sit and chat until the sky was dark.

我今天比較早結束，在夕陽兩小時前就找到地方紥營，這樣我就可以在天黑前慢慢搭帳篷慢慢吃晚餐。我發現這樣的作息真的比較享受，以後我要記得不要給自己時間或距離上的壓力，早一點停下來多享受大自然的平靜。今天Jazz Hands在同一個營地過夜，我們吃完飯還沒有天黑所以就在那裡坐著聊天等天黑。

Jazz Hands taught me an easy new meal to make. Last time I had the wrong flavour of ramen and tuna, but this time I got it right. Shrimp ramen, Thai style tuna and peanut butter... mix these three ingredients together and voilà: Trail Pad Thai!

他還教我一個在步道上容易做的一道菜，我上次因為食料買錯口味而做失敗，但及天做成功：蝦子味泡麵、泰式鮪魚、花生醬，全部加起來就變成好吃的泰式花生炒麵。

The next day I walked by one of the best streams I've seen on the trail so far. This was a perfect spot to get some shade and collect some cool, clear water. It's one of the rare spots on the trail that doesn't remind you you're in the middle of a desert.

隔天經過一個很棒的水源，經過這種小溪的時侯幾乎忘記了自己還在沙漠中，在這裡取的水很乾淨又冰。

One of the common lizards on trail happened to catch a worm right beside me today and I snapped a quick picture of it:

今天在我旁邊有一隻蜥蜴抓到蟲：

Around noon, I came to a bridge over a creek. There were sandy beaches below and local people who had driven out for the today having a beach party. It was strange to see non-hikers and hear loud music right on the trail after so much solitude.

中午的時侯我走到橫跨溪流的一座橋，下面在溪邊有沙灘，沙灘上有當地人出來過一個下午玩水。突然間在步道上聽到大聲的音樂、看到非登山客的人有點怪。

Originally I stopped to wait out some of the midday heat, along with about 20 others. After the others left, though, I couldn't tear myself away from this nice spot so I decided to stay and spend the rest of the day swimming and relaxing here. I only walked 10 miles today, but that's OK. I still have lots of time to get to Canada.

我本來跟其他登山客一樣只要停留一兩個小時多中午的熱順便吃午餐，可是大家走了之後我還是捨不得離開這麼棒的地方，決定留下來過整個下午泡水、曬太陽、放鬆。今天只走16公里但要走到加拿大還剩很多時間，不用急。

The next day ended up being only another 10 miles as well! In the afternoon, I arrived at Deep Creek Hot Springs. This place is very popular with local people, including some nudists (see photos). It's one of the nicest settings for a wild hot springs I've ever seen, tucked in among rocks and trees beside a cool river.

隔天也一樣只走了16公里。我下午走到深溪溫泉區，這裡也是很多當地人會來玩的地方，其中有不少人會裸體下水。這種泡湯環境是很理想的，在溪流旁邊的石頭上有很多不同溫度的水池。

It was a Sunday, so when I arrived the place was very busy but by evening almost everyone had left. Before going to bed at night, I had a nice long soak in my favourite pool, under the moonlight.

今天是星期天所以我剛到的時侯人很多但到了傍晚的時侯幾乎沒有人，變得很安靜。睡前我去這個水池泡，在月光下享受野外溫泉我又感到很幸福：

The next day I left this mountain range and came to a strange dam. It appears to be doing nothing now, and it's hard to picture how it ever held back a large amount of water here.

隔天我走出山脈時抵達一個很怪的水壩，看起來目前沒什麼功能，看附近的地形也很難想像這裡以前會積水。

On the other side of the dam, I passed through yet another burn area. Evidence for fires is easily visible even 10 years later, so every single day, and maybe every single hour, there is some burn damage near the trail visible.

水壩過了之後又是森林火災的痕跡，走PCT的時候每天都看得到類似的畫面。

The final destination today was a picnic area near Silverwood Lake. This lake was created by damming part of a river and gives trail walkers great views of the big blue expanse of the lake as we walk around it. So much water on the ground is a bit of a shock to see in the middle of the desert.

今天的目的地是一個湖邊的野餐區，此湖是水壩上流積的水，PCT在繞湖的時侯景色很漂亮，在沙漠中看到這麼大一片藍很奇妙。

When I arrived at the picnic area, I was delighted to find quite a few people I knew already there, and a trail angel who had brought out cold and hot drinks, as well as fresh fruit in a cooler.

我到野餐的時候很開心，很多我認識的人早就到了，還有一位trail angel帶了冷熱飲跟水果。

On top of that, there was apparently a town nearby that had a pizza restaurant that would deliver to this picnic area. I arrived just in time to put in an order with everyone else and pretty soon we were enjoying a feast here!

我們的導航軟體說附近的小鎮有家披薩店會外送到我們現在這個位置，我到的時侯其他人剛好正要打電話訂，所以我就跟他們一起訂了大披薩，不久後我們都大吃了一頓。

But it gets better... the trail angel told me there was a path down to the lake from here. I went down and found it to be sheltered from the cold wind, so I was able to jump in and have a great swim! There's nothing better than washing off all the sweat and dust from the trail in the water and drying off in the warm sun. What a fantastic end to the day!

已經很滿足了但還有一件事讓今天更完美，trail angel跟我說從這裡有個小徑可以通到湖邊，而我下去看的時侯發現剛好那裡可以避開今天的冷風所以決定下去游泳。身上累積的汗、沙子、灰塵都沖掉後在熱太陽下曬乾是今天超級舒服的結尾。

The next morning I was in great spirits as today was the day we would get to.... the McDonald's.

隔天早上心情很好，這是因為今天我們會走到...麥當勞！

After leaving Silverwood Lake, the trail goes up over the next mountain pass and down to the floor of the next valley, where an interstate highway runs. On this interstate, there is a rest area that has a hotel, a Del Taco, a Subway, and, closest to the PCT, a McDonald's. Nearly everyone looks forward to a stop here to sit in the air conditioning, fill their bottles with drinkable water, and load up on calories before continuing on. Even the vegans I know stopped here. Some people do the "McDonald's Challenge" and pack out enough McDonald's to get them through the next 30 miles to the next town. To motorists, it's just another McDonald's; to PCT hikers, this place has near legendary status.

離開湖邊後要翻越一個按部再下到山谷下，那裡有一條高速公路和休息區，有飯店、墨西哥速食餐廳、Subway還有離步道最近的麥當勞。幾乎每一位走PCT的人都很期待走到這間麥當勞，可以吹冷氣，把水壺全部灌滿不用再過濾的水，吃大量的高熱量又好吃的東西再出發。有的人甚至創了「PCT麥當勞挑戰」，就是從這間麥當勞到48公里遠的下一個小鎮只吃麥當勞，吃的在這裡買一買裝背包，接下都靠這些熱量。對開車經過的人來說只是很普通的一間麥當勞，但在PCT是一個很重要的地標，連我認識的兩個吃蛋奶素的人也來這裡吃。

Nearing the top of the mountains before descending to Interstate 15:

快要翻越按部下切到高速公路的時侯：

Watch out for rattlesnakes! I almost stepped onto this one. It appeared dead to me as insects were crawling on it and rocks thrown at it prompted no response at all. Every snake I had seen before this immediately shook its rattle and hurried off trail when it sensed me coming, but this one was silent. Finally I noticed it flick its tongue once and knew it was in fact alive. I ended up reaching out with my pole and flicking its head off to the side. After this it finally decided to leave the trail and I was able to walk on.

小心毒蛇！這條蛇我差點踩上去，我接近的時侯牠都沒有反應，有小蟲爬在牠身上也沒反應，我向牠丟石頭也沒有反應。我以前遇到的響尾蛇都是一感覺到我走過來馬上遙著尾巴避開我，所以我懷疑這條是不是死了？終於看到牠的舌頭伸出來才確定牠還活著，而我不能隨便走過。我最後用登山杖把牠的頭往旁邊扔，蛇才終於自己離開步道讓我能夠繼續前進。

Yes, the McDonald's is even on the official PCT sign. I guess if you don't stop in, you can't really say you've finished the PCT!

PCT的官方路標竟然有麥當勞，沒有進去好像等於沒有完成PCT喔！

After weeks spent mostly in the quiet of the mountains and only seeing people on foot, it's quite a shock to suddenly hear the roar of an interstate highway in the middle of the desert:

這幾個禮拜都在山上，唯一看到的行動模式是走路，在突然看到穿過沙漠的高速公路，聽到引擎的聲音很驚人：

Not wanting to eat all of my 4000 calories at McDonald's, I hit up Del Taco first!

要吃四千大卡最好不要全部在麥當勞吃，所以我先去買墨西哥速食。

No, I didn't eat all that hot sauce. I grabbed extra packets to take on the trail with me and spice up my trail meals.

辣醬我沒有馬上全部吃下去，我拿這麼多是因為要放背包裡，等著回到步道上後再拿來調味。

And then... McDonald's. Hikers had taken over half the seating area by this point.

吃完墨西哥速食，去麥當勞的時間終於到了，我進去的時侯已經有一半的座位被登山客佔用了。

More calories, mwahahaha!

要吃更多大卡嘍！

One guy I know actually ate 4500 calories in one afternoon here! 

有一個人甚至在這個下午就吃了超過4500大卡！

Free drinkable water comes out of the fountain drink dispenser here so everyone filled up their water bags and water bottles of course!

汽水供應機器也可以裝飲用水，不用再過濾，所以離開前我們會拿水瓶和水袋都裝滿。

It was hard to leave this little oasis, but there was still a day and a half to go until the next town. 

離開沙漠中的這個綠洲很難，不過要到下一個小鎮還要走一天半，還是要早一點出發。