DAY 23: MAD DASH TO BIG BEAR

miles: 10.8ish

Ben and I froze all night long, and I was appreciative when it was actually time to rise. Alarm: 5:00am. I was up, standing, pack packed, at 5:15. Not a mummy bag was stirring in the camp, where everyone was spread out on their mats, cowboy camping.

Condensation had accumulated on my sleeping bag and it was sufficiently damp when I stuffed it into it's too-small-stuff-sack.

I was ready to get the hell out of there and into town as soon as possible. There were only 10.8ish miles miles to the Hwy where we would hitch into Big Bear Lake for the night. I was ready for some down time, even though I was physically feeling fantastic (feet aside) I was mentally drained. I needed a reboot.

Our plan: a Nero in Big Bear (meaning, we stay overnight and do a full day the next day). Just enough time to take a shower, refill our food, and lay in a real bed for 8 hours. I was slightly upset that we were not takinga  proper zero day, but knew that it was for the best - we had to stay in front of the pack that was right on our heels.

As Ben and I were heading out of camp, we stopped next to Carrot and Angela who were soundly sleeping. We debated as to whether or not it would be wise to wake them, but decided (since NO ONE was awake) that we had better leave them alone. They will be right behind us...

This was a VERY rough morning for me. Near tears, for no reason. Possibly because I was starving? I had food (LOTS OF FOOD) but all of it made me want to vomit just thinking about it and my brain actually thought it was a better idea to walk 10 miles straight without eating, than to consume the many bars I had left. I couldn't do it. I have not been this repulsed by my food yet.

When you are famished, it is hard to keep emotions together.

10 before 10 (ten miles before 10am) and we were stumbling on the Hwy, Ben in a good mood, me: bad mood.

Then there is Adam aka Aloha in his Trail Angel glory waiting to take hikers into Big Bear. Immediately I am relieved that we do not have to spend hours with our thumb out on the road. He even had cold gatorade in the back of his car! Aloha is absolutely amazing. He is supporting his wife as she hikes the entire trail this year, and rather than hiking with her, he is the shuttle-er, bringing her to and from the trial, into towns, and supporting her in every way AND in the mean time, helping all the hikers that happen to be lucky enough to be around while he is angeling! What a treat. Seriously.

Ben, Gangster, Beads and I smashed into his car, packs on our laps, and were driven to the Big Bear Hostel in no time at all.

Hastily decided upon the hostel as our sleeping accomadations of the night, left our packs there, and walked along a busy road to the Grizzly Manor Cafe where Beads, Ben and I gorged on greasy breakfast foods. H-E-A-V-E-N. pancakes featured at the top of the page.

Carrot and Angela arrived at the hostel a few hours later and we were all reunited.

The Big Bear Hostel in Big Bear Lake - too much to tell. It was sort of like a frat house gone hippie wild? Mayhem, to say the least. Welcome mayhem. Sarge, the guy who runs the place was hospitable, friendly and accomodating. Carrot, Angela, Ben and I reserved a room in the basement for the 4 of us: 2 bunk beds!

Hiker boxes overflowing chaotically
Full kitchen stocked with olive oil, pancake mix, and other dried goods.
Carlo Rossi mimosas being enjoyed at 11am on ice by other hikers
porches with sagging couches
computer with internet access
a living room area with television
daytime television playing in the upstairs area
"rec room" outside of our room complete with foosball
fire pits
picnic tables
someone grilling onions and meats
free for all
laundry machines! we did laundry!

Above: The hiker boxes

Hostel activity.

Ben in his loaner clothes provided by the hostel, looking good.

How would tonight be? We were exhausted and looking to hide out, unfortunately, at this point and that is basically what we did after completing our grocery chores.

Aloha spent the day shuttling people to and from Von's (the local supermarket aka Safeway). I was overwhelmed by the the lights, the A/C, and the daunting task of resupplying with a shopping cart. Shopped as fast as possible. Not sure how much I am going to like "buy as you go" method... It's so taxing! 

What our lives look like in town. Surrounded by ziplocks, plastic bags, food, junk.

Angela, Carrot and Ben made a salad with their hands on the carpeted floor of our hostel room tonight.

I have trouble sleeping in town, I've realized, which is weird because I am so unbelievably exhausted and thrilled to have a bed, that one would think I'd sleep like a baby. I lie awake at night, listening to the gentle coziness of the my snoring neighbors.

P.S. have I mentioned our trail names?

Ben received the trail name Rocky at Kick Off by our friend Patrick (The Manchurian) and it is because Ben was talking about how all he would need is a wing suit in order to fly up the mountain (because he is so thin and lightweight and the wind is so ferocious). Red Squirrel was offered, but was not perfect, so they went with Rocky (as in Rocky and Bullwinkle the flying squirrel). It's perfect.

Angela is Chick Chak (pronounced Chick Chock), also received at Kick Off, although we would not start calling her by it until much later. Our friend Giddeon (WHERE ARE YOU GIDDEON??) who is behind us somewhere, is from Isreal. In Isreal (Hebrew?) Chick Chak translates to "in no time at all". She had misplaced her wallet at Kick Off and Giddeon offered to help her find it. They searched all over, and managed to find it within a matter of minutes, which is when he exclaimed, "we found it Chick Chak!". It's a great name.

I walked up to Carrot and Ben having a snack, arms in my backpacks thumb-holes (there are these FABULOUS STRAPS for slipping your thumbs into so that, while you hike, your hands have a place to be and the blood is not rushing to them, like it would if you were to walk with your hands by your sides).

I use the straps as slings for my arms, placing my wrists in them, letting my hands flop about, and it feels... really good. Carrot, when she saw me, immediately yelled, "T-REX!" and laughed. It was just known, at that point, that this would now be my name. (It really does make me look like a T-Rex). Also - it's easy because my name starts with T... and I am used to be calling T - something...

P.S. #2 - I must mention again: I am still taking photos with my iPhone AND my DSLR and will be uploading the higher quality photos within a few weeks. I am super excited about this because it kills me to be using these low quality "stand in" photos. I plan to do a batch of nice photos per section, so Southern California mile 0-400 will probably all be in one post. Look for it soon!