Day 171, September 21, 2012

I woke up hearing a truck running not too far from me. When I looked up it was a big rig sitting on the on ramp of the freeway idling. It was maybe 100 yards from me. 
I rubbed my eyes and sat up. I looked around and it was still early. The sun was shining and the air was still in its morning crisp form. I was feeling pretty bogged down and tired. I sat there a few minutes trying to wake up before starting the day.

I finally was up and packed now. Looking at my GPS I realized now that the walking path from here took me down a dirt road that ran parallel to the freeway. It worried me a little and I was really hoping not to hit a gate. There was nothing around this area besides mountains and freeway. But I didn't have much of a choice. So I just started trekking down the dirt path and hoped it would punch through at some point.
It was rocky and rigid. The road seemed to get more rough the further I went. I walked down the path for a few miles when it looked like there were a couple houses ahead. I wasn't sure if they were abandoned or what, but they looked like they weren't around anything else.
Right before I approached the houses there was a drop and the road went downhill. As I came over the peak and went down there, I could see a big canal. I didn't see a bridge or anything and I then had a knot in my stomach. Oh no! It was a really big canal like a delta Mendota sized canal. I kept walking towards it and still saw no water. Then as I came close to the edge I was really relieved. It was bone dry! Not only that, but I really lucked out as there were two ramps to roll down and into it. They must have been for cars to cross. So I walked down the ramp and into the bottom of the dry canal. It was maybe 15 ft down. I walked across and then went up the other side. I was glad I made it across. But I was still wondering where this dirt road was taking me...
Just then my tire suddenly gasped out. The air came rushing out and I had a flat down to the rim! I kneeled down and did my normal tire routine. I took the valve stem off, put slime in, spun the tire, and pumped it back up. It held air and I was good to go again.
The road was very dry and dusty and my legs were caked by now with a layer. It wound a couple times and them went by the houses. Then just past the houses I could see that it turned to pavement!! Whew! I walked by the houses and saw now that they were occupied. Just a little run down though.
I hit the pavement and saw more houses ahead. Now I felt much better and hoped the rest of the day was paved. I walked up ahead another couple miles when I had to make a right turn. After that the GPS showed a left turn. The problem was that the location of the left turn was another dirt road! And this one had a gate. Great.
After standing there a few minutes to see if I could find an alternate route, I saw that it was either this, or go back the way I came. I thought about it, and then just decided I would go for it! I walked under the gate. It was a single pole gate that left me just enough room for me and my cart to creep under. I felt a little weird now knowing I'm on private land. But I was upset that the gps took me here and hoped it wasn't too long of a walk until I was out of it.
I walked through the property and saw tons of rabbits running around suddenly. I was on this dirt path now for maybe a mile and a half before I came to another gate. The gate was the same and I was able to get through beneath it. I got out of the property and then a few hundred feet later the dirt road connected to another paved way. Thank god.
Now I saw ahead that there was a small town. It wasnt far and I was ready to take a break. I still felt very tired and wanted a rest. I made my way along the paved frontage road and finally came to the town of Cabazon. It was an interesting place where there were giant fake dinosaurs all around. It was weird but interesting. I went into a burger king there and ordered some food.
I sat there a while when someone came in to see me. It was the same guy who had come out to find me in the desert. He was the 4th person who found me (black truck). He brought his wife and kids this time and wanted me to meet them. Such a nice family and they checked to make sure I was ok. It was pretty awesome!
I sat in there a while after they left and a guy who had been in there all day came up and asked me what I was doing? He noticed my cart and visitors and was curious. He sat next to me and we ended up talking for a while. He was a nice dude who actually was living in his motor home down the street. He had been staying in LA but kept getting bothered. So he drove out here a few days earlier and had nowhere else to really go and park it.
I had two more visitors come in a bit later and it was 2 girls from Murrietta CA. One of them married a guy who is a pro motocross racer who I grew up near. So that was cool that we had that connection. I always looked up to him growing up. Her and her friend brought me a bag full of food and supplies. They stayed and hung out with me and the guy who I was talking to. We hung out and talked for maybe an hour just about our experience with homeless people. They are both nurses and have dealt with homeless off and on.
They took off and me and the dude hungout after that and talked. I decided I was gonna stay around there for the night and get some rest. Burger king was closing and the guy was headed back to his rig. I took a few things from the care package that the girls brought me and then gave the rest of the food to him. He was a really nice dude and seemed to be struggling a bit. He honestly had no idea where he would be in a week and was low on funds. He was pretty pumped with the stuff I have him and said I had no idea how much that would help him... I thought to myself, I think I have some idea.
I left there and went across the parking lot to an abandoned Resturant. I went up to where there was a walkway with a railing around the back of it. It was pretty well out of sight and not busy at all. I made my bed up there and luckily found some cardboard to sleep on also. Any extra padding helps a lot. I closed my eyes and went to sleep there at about 11:30.