Day 31-33 Miles 418.6-451.8

Day 31 start: 418.6 end: 440.2 total: 21.6

What a magical day! And the mark of my one month on trail! I awoke in the morning and struggled to get myself up once again, but I was unsure if I was actually allowed to sleep at the fire station so I wanted to be up and packed before anyone arrived. I got up and stuffed my things away and decided to not rush out, but have a slower morning and warm up water for coffee and oatmeal. I went to use the nearby bathroom and saw a truck rolling in when I went. 

I went back to my stuff and Jeremy from the day before popped out and asked how my night was and said that was a big push to get there. I said I slept great and it was a big day, my first marathon! But the last 6 miles was mostly downhill so that helped. He asked if I needed anything and I half jokingly asked whacha got!? He smiled and said water, and a volunteer dropped off some cookies.” I’d love a cookie!” Jeremy comes back with a bag full of cookies, two cliff bars, some beef jerky and an energy drink! He tells me someone was doing trail magic there the day before but I got in too late and missed it. I told him that he was my trail angel and thanked him for all the goodies! We chatted for a little bit longer than he went on his pre work trail run and I finished packing my things and was off, around 7:30!

Heading out of the canyon the sun was allready showing its intensity. It was so hot and I felt the sun burning the sides of my face. I have been using a bandana to block the sun but I lost it the other day. But I have a pack towel that does the trick although it’s a bit heavier than preferred. I slung that over my head and capped it with my hat and felt much more protected. 

In hindsight I wish I had either brought a wide brimmed hat or my sun hoodie. I also wish I would’ve brought my lighter pair of pants as the pants that I have now are too thick to hike comfortably in in the heat. And my legs get tore up by the thorn bushes in my shorts. I’ll try to get them sent out to me soon but I’ll have to deal with it for the time being. 

After I got up and over the first ridge I was protected from the sun by the mountain. I followed along the contours of the slope and enjoyed being in the shaded parts. I steadily rose up and then came back down and crossed a road and met three retired gentlemen with their clippers and shovels getting ready to head south to do some trail maintence. I thanked them for their work and went off in the direction they had just been working. The trail was much nicer there but after a couple miles you could clearly tell where they turned around as the bushes quickly became overgrown and I was fighting to get through them. 

I took a break around 10:30, ate some cookies and had a snack. I put in some Spanish toons to get me up and over the next 3 mile climb. It was steady going up and I was enjoying listening to some music. I was rewarded with beautiful views at the top and quickly began zig zagging back down. The trail was very overgrown with the mountain thorn bushes and my legs got destroyed, they struck blood even a couple times. The only words I had said that day since talking to Jeremy were “ARGHH, AHH, OWWWW”

I got to a spot called messenger flats campground and it was a beautiful view overlooking the valley. I checked my phone and got confirmation that my friend would be picking me up to go highlining tomorrow! I was ecstatic that things were working out and that I didn’t do a marathon day just for the fun of it. I continued on down in a great mood before arriving at the designated stream I was to have lunch at, 14 miles in for the day around 1 pm. 

I got there and there was an older gentlemen there as well filling up his water, enjoying the shade and eating lunch. He introduced himself as Kevin. Kevin said he started in Big Bear and was going to Acton then he’d see how he felt and if he wanted to keep going. He said this is his fourth attempt on the trail. The first time he slipped and slid down a snowy slope 30 feet before his backpack hit a rock, catching him. That shook him pretty bad and scrapped his knee up so he got off trail. The second and third time he was having some trouble with his knees and coordination. He had started at Campo all three times and this time decided to start at Big Bear. Kevin made his living in Silicon Valley doing some sort of coding or programing and now is enjoying his retirement. 

He asked what I planned on doing after the trail and I mentioned my boyfriend and I wanted to do some traveling internationally together. “That’s funny”, Kevin says, “I met a guy up in big Bear who said his girlfriend was hiking the trail.” I remembered that Nick , before heading back to Utah, had stopped in Big Bear to do some biking and had mentioned that he met a hiker there and talked to him for a bit.  “No way!”I exclaimed what did he look like? Kevin didn’t remember, “maybe he had a beard?” He replied. 

“Did he have a bike? “

“yeah”

“Was he handsome?”

“Oh sure”

“That could’ve been him!”

“He said his girlfriends trail name was … Lioness? Or something like that”

“That’s me!!”

What a small world connection! We chatted for a bit longer than Kevin headed back on trail. I started doing some writing and moments later the most glorious sun kissed woman walked in from the North with a beautiful blue necklace, a beaming smile and obviously many miles under her belt. She introduced herself as King Size.  

I knew I had to stay and chat with her. she said she had been section hiking the PCT for 13 years and was heading down to Cajon Pass to finish up the last section! She’s done trekking in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and many other places in that region. She’s thru hiked the Greater Himalayan Trail which is one of the hardest thru hikes out there logistically and physically, spanning the length of Nepal. She made her living in editing and lives comfortably with her husband in Idaho.

I so enjoyed talking with King Size, hearing her stories and sharing some of my own. I asked her for her advice but she told me she thought I was already doing it all perfectly. She did tell me to cook when there is water, as she was eating her miso soup and mash potatoes for lunch. That is a new one, makes sense in hindsight but I have just been carrying more water to cook later. She also told me to expect the unexpected which is always wise.

I left that shady steam spot around 3pm, I was so energized by my conversations, I felt like I was on drugs. Then I remembered, I was, 200 mg of caffeine, the energy drink I was given that morning. I drank it during my extended lunch period. It was a cruisey, beautiful and scenic 4 miles downhill to the ranger station. 

I got there and sat in the shade and Kevin was there as well. The ranger offered us a coke or a beer and we both happily accepted a beer. It was a Voodoo Ranger 9%. Kevin was planning on going further but had chugged that beer and said he might just stay there. I offered up the trail name Voodoo and he seemed to like that. 

We chatted with a couple hikers going south for a bit, one was a teacher and he was piecing together the trail on weekends and summers and the other was his partner who tagged along when she could. They headed out and I chatted with Kevin a bit longer before heading out as well. 

It was a beautiful section, the sun was setting and it was a rolling 4 miles downhill with amazing views. It went by quickly and I was in such a good mood from such a wonderful day. The trail was visibly in better shape and i heard there was a trail crew camped where I was going. I made it into camp just around sunset and thanked them for all their hard work. I had dinner with them, we talked for a bit and then I went back to my little spot to journal and go to bed. 

Day 32

Start: 440.2 end 444.3 Total 4 miles

I awoke to my sleeping bag being completely soaked. I planned on having a relaxed morning but i wanted to give it time to dry so I packed up and left pretty quickly in the morning. 

I made a quick 4 miles to the parking lot where my friend Amanda would pick me up. I met Amanda at a women’s highline gathering the year before. She’s one of the best freestylers in the country and also just such a wholesome, authentic, caring and badass lady. We shared locations a while ago and when I was in LA a couple days ago I noticed she was in the area. I hit her up and she planned out a day to get some homies together, pick me up and for us to rig a highline!!

She got to me a bit after 9:30 and we were on our way to meet up with the others. She caught me up on her current situation and her travels with her partner Greg in South America and Europe. 

We got to the highlines and I Met Greg, Jim and another highliner and we set off to hike a steeper road for about 30 minutes before getting to where we would set up the lines. It took a couple hours but we got two 70 meter lines up. A few other people I had met at previous highline gatherings also showed up and we all had a great day out on the lines. 

After we got everything torn down, Amanda offered for me to come back to her and Greg’s house for dinner, drinks, laundry and a shower. We stopped at Trader Joe’s and I bought some goodies. We had apps and drinks and then they made hamburgers and tots and I followed it up with some ice cream! We watched a movie on the Barkley marathon and before I knew it it was midnight and time for bed. 

Day 33

Start: 444.3 End : 451.8 Total 7.7

It was a relaxed morning and I ate a ton of food and called some people. I had a pastry I bought at Trader Joe’s, avocado toast, a breakfast burrito and then a quesadilla, and then more ice cream. 

Amanda helped me badazzle my hat then gave me a ride back out to the trail. I was back on trail around 3 pm. It was a slow going walk with a fully loaded pack. I took a break every hour and worked on my blog amd had a snack. Amanda packed me out two sandwiches so I munched on those as well. It was a pretty walk and I went up and down and around the mountains heading towards a busy expressway. 

I was wondering how I would cross it but the trail eventually lead to along dark tunnel underneath the interstation. It was creepy in the middle bc you really couldn’t see anything. 

After the tunnel you pop out in Vasquez rocks, a famous spot for many movies.

There was only 3 miles to go to serenitys oasis where I would have a package waiting for me. My original plan was to get there get my stuff and head out for the big climb at night. I checked the weather and it wasn’t suppose to be super hot in the coming days. It was 6 pm and I just didn’t want to do that anymore. So I walked a bit further and found a cool spot under a rock formation to lay down for the night. I decided I would go to the oasis in the morning , charge my stuff, do some other tasks then just do the big climb during the day and deal with it.