If you look closely at the first picture you will see a snowy Mt Gorgonio. The snow arrived with the rain that fell on us last nite. The rain on my tent this morning had partially turned to ice. Brrrr. Thankfully I stayed warm and slept well. It was a chilly start to the day.
Next to the trail around mile 250 is a private zoo where they keep and train large animals for movies. The tiger was laying down when we passed, but the grizzlies were up and moving around. The cages were small and offered no protection from the elements. The bears didn't acknowledge us in any way. They will be the only grizzlies I encounter on the PCT--at least that's what they tell me!
There were two surprise Trail Magic events on the trail. I've included a picture of one. Because of the rain last nite, I had packed up some wet gear. I took advantage of the chairs and food that were part of the trail magic and laid out my wet stuff to dry. It didn't take long and I was back on the trail.
I could see the town of Big Bear from way up high a long time before getting to highway 18. I called the hostel, where many hikers stay, to inquire about space for the night and the offered free ride from the trail. Got the answering machine. A lady had pulled over and ended up offering me a ride. She got me to one end of Big Bear Lake and I needed to be at the other. I started walking but the sidewalk felt very hard under my tired, tender feet. I stopped at a 7-11 for a drink (and some powdered sugar donuts--a perk of thru-hiking) and just asked the people in line if anyone was going in the direction of the post office. A guy offered me a ride right to the hostel. Ahhhh, I needed that! I'm optimistic they will have room for me. If not, I'll move on to Plan B. No one is here now to ask. They have my resupply box, so I needed to stop here anyway.
The hostel has washers/dryers, bathrooms, wifi, and power for my phone. Luxury!
On the map, the town of Big Bear Lake looks absolutely idyllic...hope you were able to get into the hostel. Already past 250 miles?!? Keep going, keep writing and posting the pictures...Love it all!
ReplyDeleteThe animal cages are odd to see on the trail isn't it? It's a shame the animals are not protected from the elements. You have more odd sites coming up in Section E with Hikertown. It's a very strange place but they cook a great meal for $10.
ReplyDeleteTake Care,
Drake