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Here is a story from the LA Times about two southbounders arriving in
Julian and finding a ghost town. They might have a hard time finishing
as news reports state that the Harris Fire appears to be heading toward
Campo.<br>
<br>
Tom Griffin<br>
Seattle<br>
<br>
<h1>No respite in Julian</h1>
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<div class="storysubhead"
style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51) ! important;">Hikers
leave the trail in search of food and find a ghost town.</div>
</div>
<div class="storybyline"
style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; color: rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important;"><font
color="#000000">By Joe Mozingo, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer <br>
7:14 PM PDT, October 24, 2007</font> </div>
<div class="storybody">On their last leg of the 2,650-mile Pacific
Crest Trail Wednesday, the two brothers thumbed a ride into Julian to
eat a gloriously greasy meal, have a beer and load up on provisions.<br>
<br>
But the historic town, with its wood-porch storefronts and wagon wheel
decor, was a veritable ghost town, with no power, no phones, no water,
few people. Having receiving only snippets of news during the
Canada-to-Mexico trek, they were flabbergasted -- and crestfallen.<br>
<br>
"We knew there were fires, but we didn't think all of San Diego was on
fire," Luke Larson said.<br>
<br>
On Monday night, Luke, 26, and his brother Andrew, 22, saw the sky
light up like a jack o' lantern from their campsite near Warner
Springs. But they had seen fires earlier on their trek and didn't find
it extraordinary.<br>
<br>
Tuesday, an awe-inspiring column of black smoke rose off Mt. Palomar,
more than 15 miles to the west. "The wind would back off and it would
blow up like an atom bomb," Andrew said. "Then the wind would come and
just cut it off."<br>
<br>
They were not daunted by the spectacle. Andrew said he just finished
four tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq with the infantry. Luke is a
U.S. Forest Service Ranger in Aspen, Colo.<br>
<br>
Both are lean and wiry from the trail. They are packing light: no tent;
just tarps, sleeping bags and minimal clothes, to keep a pace of more
than 20 miles per day.<br>
<br>
In Julian, they finally found an open liquor store and loaded up on
junk food: Salsitos, Zebra Cakes. But it wasn't what they had been
dreaming of on that dust-bitten trail: meat and more meat.<br>
<br>
With no hot meal in sight, they hitched a ride back to the trail. They
still had 15 miles to cover that day.<br>
<br>
And packages waiting at the post office in Mount Laguna.<br>
<br>
Um.<br>
<br>
"Really, you think the Post Office is closed?" Andrew asked.<br>
<br>
They planned meet their parents Saturday at the Mexican border. Near
the Harris fire.<br>
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