April 24, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 276.6) to Bench Trail Camp (mile 294.7)

Miles: 18.1

We woke up to the sounds of woodpeckers knocking on the trees around us. Andy thinks that noise would make a great alarm clock tone.

The songs of other small birds joined in and a symphony filled the air.

Andy shuffled around organizing his belongings while Laurie relished the extra 15 minutes in her sleeping bag.

We packed up and were on the trail just before 7am. There was a chill in the air so we hiked quickly to get warm. The sun kissed our backs as we hiked high above Big Bear Lake, warming us once again. The lake is the lowest Andy’s ever seen. The drought is still going…

The last few days we have been proudly enjoying the fact that this is the longest either one of us has hiked continously. And, if we hike according to plan, we should reach and surpass the 300 mile mark tomorrow!

This momentous occasion could have given us plenty to talk about, but we didn’t talk much in the morning. And when we did, we were short and snappy with one another.

Andy thinks it’s because sometimes we don’t communicate what we want the other person to do. Instead we expect them to be mind readers and already know what it is that we want. This can lead to frustration (sometimes silent frustration) and cause a rift.

But by 3pm, we were ok again. We talked, expressed our feelings and moved on.

We walked through a large burn area and had to seek inspiration and beauty from the passing clouds, blooming flowers, their scents, rock formations in the distance and – if you’re Laurie – an audiobook.

At one point Laurie was hiking very quickly. So quickly in fact that Andy was caught off guard and had trouble keeping pace. Laurie is listening to Boys In The Boat, and got caught up in the excitement and suspense of a regatta.

Holcomb Creek was our companion today. We crossed it 3 times. Oh how wonderful it is to see running water in a creek!

Just before we got to one of two back to back river crossings, a dog ran toward us growling and barking.

“It’s ok boy, you’re ok” Laurie said to the dog with a very calm voice. (Laurie likes to hike in front and this is what scares Andy most – unexpected encounters with unfriendly pets or wild animals.)

A few seconds later man’s voice commanded his dog to relax and be quiet. It worked for a millisecond, then the dog started barking, growling and fake charging us again. Finally the owner came up to the dog, picked it up and walked by us. Another man carrying a heavy, large backpack walked passed, followed by a woman carrying a shotgun. They left their cooler in the middle of the trail for us to walk around.

Sunday in the mountains…

So far we’ve seen three shiny party balloons caught in trees. Unfortunately forests are where many of these balloons settle once released – intentionally or otherwise.

We reached camp just before 4pm. We hiked 18 miles on 9 hours, including breaks! We’re happy with that.

As far as we know based on our maps, app and word of mouth, this is the last tenting spot for at least 20 miles. So this became home for the evening.

About 6 people were already set up. Andy went over to the guys and was chattin with em while Laurie cleaned up and started “making home.”

We have a nice routine and division of labor- we put up the tent together then Laurie crawls inside to inflate the pads and unpack the sleeping bags while Andy gets water and makes dinner.

Andy’s left foot was bothering him today and at camp he found the source of the problem. Under the ball of his foot was a blister. He later noticed another one on his right big toe.

He’s not sure why he’s having these issues. He suspects it must be his new socks. They are the same brand but new and must be causing extra friction. He’s not happy and will wear his old socks tomorrow.

On a happier note, Laurie is finally over her cold. She continues to have blisters between her toes but they are slowly turning into calluses. It is nice to see her feet hardening.

We decided to eat in our tents tonight since the wind picked up and the temperature dropped.

Outside, the guys sounded like they were havin a good time. Then they all started caughing. Lots of people smoke on the trail. It’s a thing. The coughing outside the tent was met with coughing in our tent as sugar went down the wrong pipe while Laurie was eating candy ☺

It’s now 9:15 and Laurie is sound asleep, as are most of the guys here. Andy’s up though, listening to gunshots in the distance.

Sunday in the mountains…

Tonight we are grateful for bug and mosquito free hiking and our warm tent sheltering us from the wind.

April 23, 2016

Highway 18 (mile 266.1) to bushcamp (mile 276.6)

Miles: 10.5

We woke up snuggled in cotton sheets. It was refreshing to doze knowing that we had nowhere to be and nothing that had to be done. Well, not immediately.

We organized our backpacks and figured out the mileage for our next section. If we want to get to Islip Saddle by Friday evening we need to average 19.6 miles a day. That sounds a little intimidating so we came up with a backup plan of 15.6 miles a day and an exit point of Wrightwood. We will let our bodies (especially our feet) decide.

Andy’s family picked us up around 10 and we drove around Big Bear Lake looking for a place to picnic. Thanks again to Ed and Jeanie for hosting us!

We settled at the interpretive trail parking lot and sat down to feast. Laurie showed more self control than last week and didn’t eat herself sick. The food was yummy and we packed up leftovers to carry with us for dinner, and breakfast the next morning.

Then we sorted through our resupply boxes and planned our next 6 days worth of food.

With 2 liters of water each and 6 days of food our packs were heavy!

We got dropped off at highway 18 where one day prior Ed picked us up. Twenty four hours off trail and we were ready to start walking again!

Our plan was to hike 2.5 miles to a trail camp but we got there in just over an hour and felt good. Fueled by home cooked food and still full bellies we powered on another 8 miles.

We climbed up 1000 ft, dropped down to a creek and climbed some more. Most of the trail was bordered by pine trees. We walked through a boulder field, over soft dirt and rocky trail. It felt good to be moving again.

We reached camp around 7:15, set up our tent and promptly climbed in. We ate leftovers curled up in our sleeping bags.

It’s going to be a cold night – we’re camped at 7,717 feet – so Andy put up the fly for additional warmth.

Lastly, we’d like to thank you to everyone who has contributed to our town fund. We really appreciate your generosity and support. We continue to feel so lucky to have people cheering us on from across the country.

Tonight we are grateful for our community and full bellies.

April 22, 2016

Arrastre Trail Camp (mile 256.2) to Highway 18 (mile 266.1)

Miles: 9.9

At midnight, Andy whispered, “Laurie, Laurie!”

“What?” Responded a wide-eyed, still half asleep Laurie.

“I think I need to throw up. Can you please grab me a ziplock bag just in case? I don’t know if I’ll make it out of the tent”

Andy ran out of the tent, making sure to get far away from camp to not disturb the others nearby.

A few moments later, he returned to the tent and fell asleep.

The temperature dropped into the 30s as the bright moon illuminated the dark forest. Andy’s feet were cold all night. He might need his down booties! Laurie though, she’s a very hot sleeper, so she was warm and toasty all night.

We enjoyed a lazy morning filled with friendly banter, lots of laughter and hot food. We were in no rush because we only had 10 miles to hike to the road. And our ride was coming at 2:30.

Laurie ate banana nut oatmeal while Andy drank DoMatcha tea.

Dave was the first to break camp and start walking, followed by Florent. We’re not sure if we’ll see Florent again. He’s not stopping in Big Bear. And he hikes fast.

Around 8:30am we finally started walking. All the stretching and massaging must have helped because Andy’s foot didn’t bother him the first few miles.

We enjoyed cool temps and blue skies as we walked. There wasn’t much elevation gain today but the trail meandered quite a bit, offering views on both sides of the mountain.

We hiked fast and relatively pain free. The bottoms of Laurie’s feet hurt due to all the rocks on the trail, but for the most part, it was easy going.

The wind picked up and the clouds warned of a low pressure system arriving in two days or so. The weather is calling for rain Sunday night and Monday morning.

At 12:40pm we reached the highway. We sat in the shade, made phone calls, caught up on emails and our blog, posted on instagram and chatted with other hikers.

Ed pulled up as promised around 2:30. He drove us to his home where we chit chatted about all things hiking and backpacking with him and his wife Jeanie.

We showered, did laundry and went to dinner around 6.

We are enjoying our time with Ed and Jeanie and very appreciative for staying in their home. It’s really nice to be out of the cold, blustery wind.

Oh, and did we mention we get to sleep in a bed?

Tomorrow, Andy’s parents are coming to Big Bear with food(!!!) and our resupply packages for the next section. We are hoping the wind dies down so we can enjoy being outside.

And we plan to hike out tomorrow, but only for a few miles. The low mile days will hopefully provide much needed rest for our feet.

Tonight we are grateful for hot showers and cotton sheets.