This is Hauser Canyon, which is about midway through the day's ride from the terminus to Boulder Oaks. My mother made a bumpy trip along a rutted dirt road in order to leave us a cache of water to help the horses make the journey on this warm and sunny afternoon. But without the help of some friendly local residents, who pointed out a way around a locked gate, and the assistance of a utility maintenance crew and their archeological monitor with a four-wheel drive vehicle who gave her a lift, she probably wouldn't have made it! Once again, as in 2014, we are struck by the essential goodness of the people that we meet along the trail. Everyone goes out of their way to be kind and seems genuinely eager to lend a hand. Considering how often one hears nothing but negative news in the world--tragedy and terror and anger and outrage--it is easy to forget that most of humanity is good at heart. Being out here on the trail I am reminded over and over again how just plain nice the vast majority of people are. It feels wonderful to be surrounded by so much goodness; it restores one's faith in the human species.

#2016PCT