Travel day/zero day I feel like I’ve been a planet orbiting around Ziggy and The Bear’s for the past few days, but now this celestial body is breaking free and rocketing off down trail.  I take a shuttle to San Bernadino, and then public transit to Big Bear City, which is a ski town.  As … More May 18 (Day 17)

Trail closure back to Ziggy & the Bear’s (235.5 to 236.5 back to 210.8) Daily miles: 26.7 A marathon hiking day.  Walked everything is reverse so that it seemed like a different trail.  Another rattlesnake was waiting to greet me near Mission Creek, but this one gave me a warning well before I almost stepped … More May 17 (Day 16)

ggy & Bear to Lake Fire Closure (210.8 to 235.5) Daily miles: 24.7 Intended to take a shuttle around the fire closure (the fire isn’t active, but did enough damage last year to warrant a continued closure), but I was feeling antsy about skipping 25 miles of open trail that lead up to the closure, … More May 16 (Day 15)

Fuller Ridge to Ziggy and the Bear’s (290.5 to 210.8) Daily miles: 20.3 Slept hard and woke at half past 5.  Hiking by 6 and trying to get miles before the sun gets too hot.  I have to go all day without a water source so I’m trying to conserve.  I eat some poptarts and … More May 15 (Day 14)

State Campground in Idyllwild to Fuller Ridge TH campground (179.4 to 190.5 + 11 miles alternates – 4.5 PCT miles) Daily miles: 17.6 Wake up early and walk the deserted streets.  Change your name/forget your face.  Roam the hillsides and head to the mountain.  Pass the people walking slow and don’t stop.  Go up 1, … More May 14 (Day 13)

Zero Day Idyllwild is a resorty touristy place with friendly people.  I do my laundry and the lady who owns the place gives me free detergent and some loaner clothes to wear while I wash my dirty ones so I don’t scandalized the townsfolk.  Coffee house, library, pharmacy for an Ace bandage (foot’s swollen and … More May 13 (Day 12)

Ridge site to Idyllwild (miles 161.9 to 162.7 + 20 mile fire alternate) Daily miles: around 20.8 Today’s the big fire alternate day.  I hike 1 mile down the PCT and reach the trail closure.  Once there, it’s the Cedar Springs Trail all the way down off the ridge and then road walking for the … More May 12 (Day 11)

Boulder Field to Ridge Site (miles 144 to 161.9) Daily miles: 17.9 Morning’s nice and cool and I coast the 7 miles to highway 74.  I stick my thumb out for a ride down to the cafe where I can get a hamburger and some water but can’t get a ride.  I’m not very confident … More May 11 (Day 10)

Trail Angel Mike’s to Boulder Field Site (miles 127.3 to 144) Daily miles: 16.7 Way up there’s the ridge and you were just on the ridge half an hour ago.  Human are moving up there, little dots.  Sometimes they look to go invisible.  I hear their voices loud and bright but can’t make out what … More May 10 (Day 9)

Warner Springs to Trail Angel Mike’s (mile 109.5 to 127.3) Daily miles: 17.8 Last night looked like hobo city in the field of the city park.  There must have been 30 tents spread out.  We would be a sight to behold if this wasn’t an annual occurrence around these parts. I walk to the post … More May 9 (Day 8)