May 6. Day 18.

Arrastre Trail Camp to Big Bear Lake (exit PCT mile 275).

Miles hiked: 18.8 on PCT, plus 2.8 on road.

Brrrr. Last night was the coldest yet, right around freezing. I didn't set up my shelter and just had my light base layers on, and was just a bit too cold to really sleep starting around 2 this morning. I dozed and did sit-ups until 4:30, when I had set my alarm. Made coffee and stuffed all my things in my pack, staying in my sleeping bag until the last moment then jumping up, tying shoes on, stuffing the bag in the top of my pack, and starting walking. I started slow, letting the legs warm up, feeling my way along the trail in that pale light between the soft yellow of the setting moon and the cold glow of the growing dawn. As you'll recall, the  early start was in order to make it the 9.9 miles to the highway 18 crossing (PCT mile 265-ish) by 9 this morning to get a ride in the Big Bear Hostel shuttle.

A little after sunrise I was off trail a bit checking out what turned out to be a Chukar, and looked back at the trail and saw You Again and Angie go cruising by. My long lost buddies! I got back to the trail and caught them when they stopped to adjust clothing. We caught up on everything that happened yesterday, determining that they were just ahead of me all day, then they mentioned that they were going all the way to mile 275, where there is another road to access town. They said the hitch is supposed to be easy there, and also said they had some extra snacks I could have since I was down to just a bit of granola. I thought about this for a moment, then decided to go for it.

They handed over some bars and meat sticks then we set out. We wanted to get to town with enough time to take care of resupply chores this afternoon then try to get back on the trail tomorrow morning, so we kept up a pretty good pace. The trail was great for quick walking: gentle ups and downs through the cool morning, passing by junipers and Pinyons and occasional Joshua Trees, along a ridge with a long view east and north out over the desert below. Black-chinned Sparrows and Green-tailed Towhees were the birds of the morning.

I stopped to change clothes and they continued ahead, and for the next several miles they were just a few trail bends ahead of me. I crossed hwy 18 at 8:30 and kept going. I got a bit of water at the Doble Spring camp, then passed Y.A. and Angie while they took a break. The trail made a gentle climb up into to mixed juniper/Pinyon/Jeffrey pine/oak forest, crossing a few rocky talus slopes with scrub and California Thrashers singing. I passed day hikers, my new thru-hiking legs feeling strong under an empty pack. Then You Again passed me, and a bit later Angie too. I got some new birds for the trip: Chipping Sparrow and what I'm pretty sure was Cassin's Vireo, then right before me 175 some Red-breasted Sapsuckers. On the last mile or so I chatted and walked with a nice couple about birds and trees. I got to mile 275 just after noon, having covered almost 19 miles by lunch time. It was pretty fun to push like that and see what I could do. I don't want every morning on the trail to be like that, but now and then it's pretty fun.

I walked another 2.8 miles down to the highway into Big Bear Lake, and quickly got a ride to the hostel. The front desk person, "Sarge" wasn't there, but another staff person told me hat a couple had just arrived and were next door at the Mexican food place. I assumed this was You Again and Angie, but it turned out to be Sweetums and he who is now Skua ( he actually spent the last 2 years at McMurdo Station, where my Antarctic work was based out of). I got some fish tacos because I thought they were going to be only a dollar, but they weren't. You Again and Angie showed up about the time we were done, then we all reconvened back at the hostel to get checked in by Sarge around 2:30 or 3.

Got the rooms, took a shower, did laundry, and bought a few supplies. In the evening we went out to Himalyan food (just like Indian), then got a few beers and watched the first half of Top Gun; what a classic!

Birds:

Western Bluebird 

Mountain Chickadee 

Oregon Junco

Olive-sided Flycatcher 

Spotted Towhee

Black-chinned Sparrow

Chukar

Green-tailed Towhee

Wilson's Warbler 

Ash-throated Flycatcher 

Bewick's Wren 

Yellow-rumped Warbler 

House Finch

California Thrasher

Chipping Sparrow*

Mourning Dove

Clark's Nutcracker 

Violet-green Swallow

Cassin's Vireo*

Red-breasted Sapsucker*

Black-headed Grosbeak