Written Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Today was an extremely difficulty day, divided into two difficult parts.

I slept well last night. The stars were bright, and the half moon didn't rise until the early morning hours.

Just at dark last night, a pair of hikers showed up. They were trying to get to the next water source, but with the sun already behind the mountains decided that it would be better to stop. Good Things and I moved our stuff to make room. So we ended up with 4 campers on this tiny, hilltop campsite meant for one. You can do anything if you want to badly enough.

BTW, both of those girls snored like freight trains.

Even though I am awake and packing by 0430, I don't want to wake everyone with my noisy ground sheet, so I don't get done and moving until first light.

At least the first couple miles are are fairly easy,--mostly downhill, but not too steeply. The desert really is a beautiful place at dawn.

The Trail in winds almost all of yesterday's late-Jan climbing as it descends into the Mission Creek canyon. Mission Creek is the water source all the hikers were headed to last night. I walk past many hikers in various stages of morning preparation from "still fast asleep" to "almost ready to go."

From the first crossing of Mission Creek, the Trail turns to follow the water up into the canyon for the next 12 miles, rising along with the canyon floor and snaking back and forth across the flowing creek. Sometimes the Trail will stray from the creek by as much as a quarter mile but then turns back toward the water to cross again.

In the immediate vicinity of the creek itself, the path is strewn with rocks and debris carried downstream during high water periods, and tall, heavy brush obscures the pathway. There's an almost complete lack of signage too. Over the rocks, there's no discernable foot path. Not a very good navigator in my best day, I spend a fair amount of time off Trail looking for how to get back on.

Since I retired from the Air Force, 5 1/2 years and, I have tried consciously to swear less, but I have to tell you, this navigational ordeal really forced the "f---s" to fly. In fact, I'm sure at one point, my hike was fueled by "f---s." And, by the end of the creek section, I was really all out of "f---s" to give.

The only good aspect of the morning was that, with 15-20 creek crossings, we didn't need to be worried about water. I spent most of the morning with half a liter in one bottle.

Just as the Trail and creek start to diverge (about 14.5 miles into the day), I sit down for some lunch and drink water in the shade of a fallen tree. I also load Ed up a couple of liters to tide me over to the next water source.

Unfortunately, that next water source is almost straight up. At the end of the canyon, the Trail rises sharply, switching back endlessly as it carries us up over the rim. Every time I think we are close to a the top, we tirn a corner, only to see a taller wall that needs to be climbed.

Finally, after what seems like hours of a glute-shredding climb (and a few more "f---s" to be honest), the incline moderates and eventually we get to Mission Camp, a spot big area where there are a couple dozen camp sites and accommodations for horses.

Tucked way in the back of the area is a small grotto with water dripping into a collection trough. Good Things and I arrive at just about the same time and take turns filling bottles for a long, upcoming waterless stretch.

Several other hikers join us as we fill, including Jack who is ahead of his buddy, Peanut Butter, and Martin who is ahead of his wife, Caroline. Martin ass us if we have seen her, and I mention that she was packing up camp as I crossed Mission Creek the first time this morning. He seems to be relieved hear she's probably not too far away.

Good Things tries to talk me into hiking all the way to Coon Creek Cabin, a few miles ahead. I tell him I plan to stop a couple miles short of there.

As we head back onto the Trail, he's ahead of me and soon out of sight.

Some thin, late afternoon clouds have rolled in and, combined what the altitude, the afternoon has cooled significantly. Plus, although I had barely noticed the transition, we're back in a tall forest of pines and redwoods (I think). We're still climbing but not nearly as steeply. The hard hiking earlier in the day turns into a very pleasant walk in the woods.

Pretty soon, I get to my planned stopping point, but I still have good light and I figure I'll just press on to Coon Creek Cabin and camp there. It will set me up to get to the town of Big Bear tomorrow.

I make pretty good time and find the cabin but no Good Things. He has probably pressed on further.

There are just a couple of other campers in this large area. As I make my dinner, we chat, and White Rabbit arrives. I have no idea how or where I passed him. He is just stopping to make dinner, and he too plans to move on a few more miles to make the trip into town faster.

The other two hikers are staying in their own tents so I am setting up alone in the cabin, a large brick-floored enclosure with a tin roof and no windows in the window frames and a large fireplace. A little spooky, but it will do for the night.

I'm safe, dry and warm in a cabin (back at almost 8,500 feet!).

Night, all.

Oh, and happy Cinci de Mayo!

Miles hiked today: 23.0 Total miles hiked: 246.5

Sea Otter Fact of the Day: In order to enable grooming of every square inch of it's protective fur coat, the sea otter had evolved a skin that is only loosely attached to its body, more like a drape.