Wrightwood, Day 23, Mile 369.6

Greetings from Wrightwood!

I am finally now able to sit down at a computer (in the Wrightwood library) and type out a longer post. The past 370 odd miles have been an experience full of adventure, ups, downs, excitment, and fatigue. I've hiked with many great people, and those who have a similar pace as I, I've gotten to know more about. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly) many hikers are from Portland and San Diego. I've hiked with Kiwis, English, German, Japanese, Southern, and Mid-Western folks. All are interesting in their own way, and all have a story to tell. That's one of the things I love about this trail is the opportunity to meet people and know their stories. The world seems small as well, because a few hikers that I've met know friends of mine from around the world, however, it's probably not that big of a coincednce because similar adventures attracts like people.

Hiking out of Big Bear towards El Cajon Pass

*Roughly (for it's hard to recall every day of hiking), after hiking past the Anza Borrego Desert, we've traveled up desert mountain ranges (e.g. San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, San Gabriel, etc.) and down to desert floors (e.g. through White Water, and now heading into the Mojave Desert). At lower elevations, the temperatures are HOT, water can be scarce, and the hiking isn't as enjoyable, in my opinion. I enjoy climing uphill, and at higher elevations, we get to experience alpine trees (Pines and Redwoods), cooler temperatures, a little bit of snow, and amazing views. I started off trying to maintain a 20 mile day average, but now I'm going to try and step it up to a 25 mile/day average. Doing so will allow me to take longer breaks in trail towns, and allows me to save a little bit of money for the long term. Trail towns are a great way to reunite with fellow hikers that you haven't seen for some time, let your feet heal, and get some tasty food. They're also a way to empty your wallet, which is why I've only taken 1 official 'zero' day (day without hiking any miles) so far. I've seen a few rattle snakes, many lizzards, plenty of song birds, and even naked people (at the Deep Creek Hot Springs). Days where we hike by potential swimming grounds, such as Deep Creek Hot Springs often end up with us staying at the water hole for 6-9 hours without a care in the world. As a result, we end up night hiking in the dark until we find a place to camp or right before our feet are about to fall off.

Deep Creek Hot Springs (got this pic w/out any naked people)

Camping has been great. Some say 'the best part of hiking is not hiking' and there definitely is some truth to that. I love taking breaks, or at the end of the day, cooking a warm meal and climbing into my sleeping bag, looking up to the starts. I rarely have set up my tent in this Southern California section (only on very windy days or spots of potential morning dew). Usually, we just lay out our groundsheets and sleep under the stars. In Big Bear Lake, I picked up a book about the 15 greatest theorists (e.g. Copernicus to Einstein). It weighs about 1.5 lbs, but it's very interesting to read when I can find time, and it's also nice to be learning on the trail.

My health is good. The dry air seems to make my throat and nose perma-dry, but that I can deal with. I have blisters on my feet that go numb after 10 minutes of hiking, but they are annoying and I'd rather not baby them as much as I have been. I'm still trying to figure out the best system regarding shoes/socks/liners/blister protection, etc.

Fellow hiker Ben on a typical desert hillside

Anyways, I am 1/2 way through the desert and Southern California. I am enjoying this hike greatly, but it seems as if this desert will never end! I can not wait to get into the mountains of the High Sierra and not have to worry about water sources, caches, or extreme heat. I've got a long way to go, but my moralle is high. I hope to write longer post (such as this) with details about random adventures in the near future, but it's hard to update using my smart-phone, and hard to find time in general when all you want to do in town is eat, drink, and sleep haha. Right now, I'm located in Wrightwood, somwhere ourside of Los Angeles. Next step is to hitch back up to the trail head, and continue on!

To be continued!