Day 16-crushed some miles

Day 16

Mission creek to tent site

23 miles

For all the exhaustion and demoralizing heat of yesterday, today was pretty good!

The first three miles had a pretty steep climb that made my legs feel like jello and as if they had not recovered from yesterday’s sand hiking and elevation. But once we got to our first water source we met up with our friends we have been hiking with for a few days. We hiked together most of the day with fun conversations and it made the miles fly by. We stopped for lunch with other hikers who helped Kevin fix his phone. Then we pushed the last seven miles and got to camp around 5pm. We were super pumped to get to camp the earliest we have yet on the trip so far! The cooler weather up here (around 7000 ft) made the day feel better to hike all day instead of having to take a siesta.

After dinner we played euchre (a card game) with the hikers we met from the Midwest. We love euchre and you can’t always find people who know how to play!

I am excited for town tomorrow to go to a full grocery store and hopefully find food I can actually eat. The gas station resupply in Cabazon didn’t have much so I have been eating oatmeal for dinner and a granola bar for breakfast. I definitely need more calories.

I am not excited for getting service and finding out that someone we used to work with passed away and that there was yet another shooting. Sometimes being out on the trail feels like a reminder that there are good people and good times still in the world but then immediately after turning on the phone service finding out these things feels like a slap in the face. The both/and philosophy is helpful here. Yes the trail is good, and it is not an escape from life. Yes, there is hurting all over in the world and it is okay to heal and rest on the trail. This will allow me to be a better support to all those around me and be a better counselor when these difficult things continually arise.

Meeting people

Day 11

16.6 miles plus 2 miles off trail to collect water.

Hwy 74 (Idyllwild) to Spitler trail turn off

This morning began with a ride to the trail from a kind friend. Then we started hiking around 8:15. It was rolling hills at the beginning but quickly became more aggressively uphill.

Kevin and I had some good talks as we started uphill and it made the first miles fly by. I am always super grateful for our conversations and time together out here on the trail. I really love it and know this time together will be a treasure for the rest of our lives.

After a bit, we met and learned the names of a group of three guys that we had seen a few times on trail. I called them the three stooges, which Kevin later informed me could be found rude. I don’t know if I have ever seen the show so I thought it was just three funny guys and not three guys acting stupid. Well, sorry guys!

Then we caught up to another couple on trail whom we had met a few times. We then spent the rest of the day hiking with them and talking about life. This included a mile off trail to get water at a spring. I really enjoyed their company and conversation and it made the miles fly by.

Our campsite is perched just over the ridge of a saddle with good wind protection and an awesome view of the desert off in the distance. Tomorrow’s first climb is looming in the forefront of our northern view. We will climb up 5,000 feet of elevation tomorrow so I’m off to get some rest to prepare.

Our first “zero” day

Day 10- zero day

Zero trail miles because we rested in town!

Miles walking to the ice cream store: .4

We began the morning with friends in a home eating a home cooked breakfast! What a treat and luxury on the trail! Then we headed into town to finish our errands and got to see people we had started the trail with come into town. I had to find some dinner food at the grocery store and was super excited to find a new type of dinner. I got instant rice, a tofu soup mix, and dehydrated veggies. I will then add a protein packet I get sent to me in my boxes. Hopefully this will be a great new recipe for trail meals. Since gluten has been contributing to my eczema, I have been trying to find gluten free, dairy free meals to cold soak. Literally just put in my plastic jar with water, wait like an hour, then eat. So far it has been going well, just requiring creativity!

The rest of our day included shaved ice, (ice cream for Kevin), a nap, a long sit at the coffee shop, planning our trail miles, resting our feet, and eating dinner with a new trail friend!

The trail has a unique culture where you can walk into a trail town or watering hole on the trail and immediately have something in common with those around you. It isn’t weird to walk up and start conversation with people you just saw or sit with new people at a restaurant. A spirit of welcome could absolutely benefit the rest of our culture too!

Idyllwild, CA

Day 9,-

Nero into Paradise Valley Cafe

2.9 miles plus a mile road walk to the cafe.

A “Nero” is a hiker term used to describe a day where the amount of miles feels like a rest day. Usually at the beginning of the trail less than ten feels like a rest day. Further along the trail, if the terrain is not too aggressive then that number can change.

We intentionally hiked further yesterday to make today’s hike less. The three miles took about an hour in the early morning sunrise. The temperature felt great with the sun gently rising over the mountains. We caught up to a few fellow hikers we had met over the past few days and did the road walk to the cafe.

Paradise Valley Cafe is well known to hikers and was definitely worth the mile walk off trail. The waitress basically constructed a breakfast plate that catered to my aggressively needy eating habits which was wildly kind of her!

Kevin and I ate with some other hikers who had also done other trails we have and we had a good time discussing various events and landmarks.

The cafe is a common spot for hikers to hitchhike or get a shuttle into Idyllwild, CA. The four of us at the cafe called one of the trail angels aptly named Grumpy who arrived and gave us a ride into town complete with a rendition of his political, ecological, and educational views. It made the 17 mile drive up the mountain go by faster!

Once in town, we got into our resupply mode, picked up our box from the PO (thanks dad K), and I got my prescription for my face rash from the pharmacy. (My face believes it is intolerant to sunscreen).

Then we got connected to some friends’ family who offered their home, showers, and laundry to us! What a huge relief and blessing. Often each place in town charges five or ten dollars for laundry or showers which can add up after awhile. We stayed with them for a day and greatly appreciate their hospitality! One of our favorite things about traveling and hiking is connecting with friends and meeting friends’ family who host us! The people make the hike what it is!