Mile 256 to 265 (Big Bear) a Day Zero, to Mile 285
Even though we got up early, we were still the last ones out of camp, and the realization we still had almost 10 miles to get to Big Bear set in quickly. The last few miles dragged, especially because of some unanticipated climbs. When we were about .25 mi from the trailhead, we saw a big truck with hikers milling around, and veritably sprinted to the road in hopes of a ride to town. Sadly, it was a group of hikers being dropped at the trail from a car headed on in the wrong direction, but still, I think it's the fastest I've moved in a few weeks. So, for the first time in my life, I stood on the side of the road and stuck my thumb up in hopes of a ride to town. Such a weird feeling! I felt so drifting/wandering/homeless. A number of cars passed right by and it actually really did hurt my feelings - like for some reason they assumed I was up to no good. But then I had to remind myself that if I was driving, I probably wouldn't have picked me up either! Finally, got a ride from a sweet lady who dropped us off at Vons in Interlocken, close to where we needed to be. There was a shuttle just in front that was on its way out, but we chased it down and he waited for us and dropped us off right at the hostel, which is run by an ex-marine named Sarge.
All I wanted was a salad, and first order of business was to head next door where I got the most amazing wedge salad of my life...followed by a burger and fries and beer. Heaven. The Giants game was on TV too! Sat around for a few hours and made friends with a few others who offered to let us stay at their home nearby - too bad we'd already paid for the hostel! Went back to the hostel and spent the evening with other hikers which was so fun - we all went to dinner at the pizza place and then we met Ingrid and Tracy for a beer at the pub where they had dinner. After dinner, spent a few hours outside with Gummy Bear, No Mile and a few others - Brett's trail name was upgraded to Dr. Slosh - quite appropriate!
The rest of Big Bear was fairly uneventful. Spent the entire day zero with doing chores, and arranged for an early ride to the trailhead the following morning. Leaving wasn't as difficult as it was to leave Idyllwild, thank goodness! (Maybe I'm getting more accustomed to trail life?) Not that I was excited about going back to the trail, but I didn't dread it! Again - small improvements!
Somehow managed to sneak in 20 miles on Monday and had a nice long lunch with Ben (a long-lost friend from high school - how awesome is that?!), his girlfriend Thyra, and their friend Angela. They are really fun and we wound up at the same campsite with them as well. Cowboy camped for the first time, and I enjoyed watching the stars from my sleeping bag. Even caught a handful of shooting stars. Moments like that are what I love most so far.
Showing posts with label Big Bear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Bear. Show all posts
Monday, May 13, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Day 23, May 9 Inching Toward Big Bear
Mile 218.6, Whitewater Preserve to Side of the Mountain at Mile 236.5
As much as I hated to leave the Whitewater Preserve, I didn't have much of an alternative. Boo! Even with a relatively early, we were still almost the last ones out of camp. The first 8 miles were fairly pleasant, and we hiked up the mountain with 3 Cats, a new friend from Maine. He's a neat guy who's lived all over the place and works in land preservation. It was SO hot, so my "sun-brella" made it's first dorky appearance in the heat. It definitely kept me cool. (Side note: so many dorky hiker clothes and accessories actually do prove to be quite useful!) At mile 226, we hit Mission Creek - another oasis in the desert! There was shade and a bubbling creek to soak our feet in before eating a leisurely lunch.
After hitting Mission Creek, the trail heads up a long canyon along Mission Creek to Big Bear. The guide book warned that this section is particularly tough, but it didn't seem too bad to us, which was a nice surprise. Throughout the afternoon, a few thunderstorms blew through dropping quite a bit of rain to cool us off, as well as a decent amount of hail - sunbrellas used as umbrellas ftw!
Pushed on past a campsite that looked pretty welcoming at mile 235, but the trail started going straight up. It was getting late and another storm started raining on us again. Found a great spot right under an oak tree off the side of the trail to camp at and cozied in for the night. The goal was to make it to mile 240, but I just couldn't keep hiking. But, there's less than 30 miles to Big Bear now-so close I can taste it! I already feel the need for some rest and time off for the old feet. After chores, I think we'll probably need to wind up taking a full day zero, though that wasn't in the initial plans. We met someone who hiked last year who remarked that hiking the PCT is as much about what you do when you're NOT hiking as what you do when you are hiking, and I'm inclined to agree - the time off the feet for repair is important! As for now, I'm generally feeling a little better both physically and mentally. Improvements are slow, but improvements nonetheless!
As much as I hated to leave the Whitewater Preserve, I didn't have much of an alternative. Boo! Even with a relatively early, we were still almost the last ones out of camp. The first 8 miles were fairly pleasant, and we hiked up the mountain with 3 Cats, a new friend from Maine. He's a neat guy who's lived all over the place and works in land preservation. It was SO hot, so my "sun-brella" made it's first dorky appearance in the heat. It definitely kept me cool. (Side note: so many dorky hiker clothes and accessories actually do prove to be quite useful!) At mile 226, we hit Mission Creek - another oasis in the desert! There was shade and a bubbling creek to soak our feet in before eating a leisurely lunch.
After hitting Mission Creek, the trail heads up a long canyon along Mission Creek to Big Bear. The guide book warned that this section is particularly tough, but it didn't seem too bad to us, which was a nice surprise. Throughout the afternoon, a few thunderstorms blew through dropping quite a bit of rain to cool us off, as well as a decent amount of hail - sunbrellas used as umbrellas ftw!
Pushed on past a campsite that looked pretty welcoming at mile 235, but the trail started going straight up. It was getting late and another storm started raining on us again. Found a great spot right under an oak tree off the side of the trail to camp at and cozied in for the night. The goal was to make it to mile 240, but I just couldn't keep hiking. But, there's less than 30 miles to Big Bear now-so close I can taste it! I already feel the need for some rest and time off for the old feet. After chores, I think we'll probably need to wind up taking a full day zero, though that wasn't in the initial plans. We met someone who hiked last year who remarked that hiking the PCT is as much about what you do when you're NOT hiking as what you do when you are hiking, and I'm inclined to agree - the time off the feet for repair is important! As for now, I'm generally feeling a little better both physically and mentally. Improvements are slow, but improvements nonetheless!
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