Day 9

Today was really hard on the body. We made the sudden decision to hike into Paradise Cafe one mile off trail for a big breakfast along with 50 other hikers before making our way further into the heat and up the climbs of the day.

Breakfast was amazing, but meant that we didn’t really hit trail until 10 am. I unfortunately forgot my poles in Paradise (ha) and had to jog back to grab them, adding two additional miles on my legs.

Today’s hike was nothing like the rest as we climbed into incredible Mountain View’s and forested peaks. I provided today’s trial profile for reference. The last two miles were pure descent which sounds great but is terrible on the knees after 20 miles of hiking.

Tomorrow we plan to take a well-earned “zero” in Idyllwild, a very popular trial town that likely celebrates Cinco De Mayo. Our legs will thank us! We cannot wait for a hot shower, laundry, and a bed to sleep in (in that order).