I’m taking two friends on their first backpacking trip next weekend, and we’ll be doing Sespe Hot Springs for our trip. I decided to do the route as a 32 mile day run today to check how the conditions are this year. It was absolutely lovely. Even though this was just a day run, I did it with my full backpack with tent and sleeping bag because I’d like to do more run-packing and thought this would be good for acclimating to running with a rucksack.
Running actually works pretty well with my rucksack; it straps down pretty close to my body, so even with 20lbs or so of gear it isn’t terribly unwieldy. I stopped for a soak at Willet Hot Springs at mile 10, and at Sespe Hot Springs at mile 16.
The Sespe is a magical place. It feels very full of history. Some of the rock formations have little raised alcoves in them, and they still have flat rocks left over from the Chumash storing their food there. There are some little green, stagnant springs that never seem to run dry even in the heat of August, and you just know that people have been relying on them for water for thousands of years.
The spot on my shin where I got kicked by a horse 15 months ago felt a bit painful on this run, and became slightly swollen, which was concerning. I’m scheduled to have another MRI next month, so hopefully I’ll get it sorted. I think I need to buy a soccer shin guard to wear while hiking, because my left shin is very sensitive, even to light touch. Even little bits of grass touching it is painful. I used to be able to just tromp through underbrush but with it being so sensitive, I’ve become quite ginger and careful. Having some sort of barrier like a shin guard would help, I think.