After leaving the hot springs, Paul and Kyle took Jean Luc and I to the grocery store where we picked up steak, beer, potatoes, salad, and Margueritta Mix. We then went to Pauls house where we started up a marinade for the steak. While the steak was getting ready we drank beer, showered, played pool, and just relaxed. After dinner we went to Yodelers (a bar in Wrightwood) to have a few more drinks. Tired, drunk, and ready for bed we came home, only to stay up late having more to drink.
Around 3am I crawled into bed and woke at 7am to the sound of a neighbor doing yardwork. With an atrocious headache I finally crawled out of bed at 9. Shortly after that we went out to get a good heavy greasy spoon breakfast (hangover food).
We had a breakfast at the sort of diner that hangs christmas lights and flags everywhere. With signs on the wall saying cute phrases about home sweet home and silly quips like "It's better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." The patrons were as spread as the 70 year old church couple which has been coming every sunday for decades and the large Harley rider, and the occassional thru-hiker. There were tin advertisements for Winchester Rifles and a sign that says "Fairy Tales Do Come True." All in all, an entire short story could be written about the diner.
May 22 Evening
After breakfast, we went back to Paul's place where we relaxed a bit before going back to the trail.
Around 1pm Paul and Kyle took Jean Luc and I back to the trail where we were supposed to meet up with Debi and Jon (Thanks guys, it was fun "Trail Magic"). Still feeling subpar we started hiking in the heat of the afternoon. About one hour in, we bumped into Bill and Kay who told us that Jon was ahead 30 minutes and that Debi hitched into Wrightwood because her feet were having some problems.
Jean Luc and I gunned it to try to catch up with Jon, but the beers in our packs weighed too much, and the heat of the day called us to the lake. So we went down to the lake and found some people who were nice enough to barbeque some hotdogs for us. So....we gave them beer. After a little rest we pushed on thinking Jon was still ahead, maybe waiting for us at the entrance road. Not seeing him we decided we would eventually catch up to him.
As the hours passed we were hiking into the sunset, not seeing him. As we crested a hill I heard a barking sound so I looked back expecting to see Bill and his dog Buddy. Instead we saw Jon a mile behind us. Apparantly he decided to soak in the lake too. Jean Luc and I put our packs down waiting for Jon to show up.
He arrived at the perfect moment. The three of us sat there drinking the Guinness I had packed. The sun was setting to our left, and the full moon was rising to our right. The distant mountains held a mysterious blue color as we looked out over the hills freckeled with chamise.
After the beer we decided we would push on, hopefully to I-15. With the light of the full moon and our headlamps on we hiked another 7 miles. We stopped shy of the interstate to avoid the cost of staying at the hotel we knew we would want to stay at.
Sadly I could tell we walked over some beautiful terrain and landforms that were lost in the dark. That is one of the problems with night hiking. The miles come easy if the tread is nice, but you miss out on some of the scenery. Laying here ready to sleep two more hikers pulled in. Now the five of us will go to sleep to wake in the morning and finish Section C of the trail. Maybe we will treat ourselves to a giant coke and milkshake at the McDonalds just off the trail on I-15.
May 23rd Morning
I awoke early this morning to an am azing view of Mt. Baden Powell, and the hike to come over the next couple of days. Then I hiked 1.5 miles down to I-15. Time for a McDonalds meal, before we try for 22 miles today uphill.
Happy Trails, Inner Peace, & Harmony
Guinness Anyone? "Zing" and "Slash" Enjoy the fruits of my labor, don't worry I am having one too.
And this is the view we enjoy with our Guinness
GOOD Morning
McDonalds Anyone?