Miles hiked: 6 (exited PCT at me 224)
Fresh snow up toward Wrightwood.
My check-in paper work at the hotel.
There is a clean, sharp line on the horizon to the east. Below it, in various shades of black, are distant hills and mountains layered one after the other, just becoming discernible in the growing light. Above it, radiating out from the point where the sun will rise in 10 or 20 minutes, is a subtle band of soft oranges and pinks, fading upwards into the cool steel of the dawn sky. This simple scene has perhaps been my favorite part of these early desert mornings. No clouds to busy up the sky. No forested ridges to soften the horizon line. Just that clean, distinct line between earth and sky.
I had packed up and started walking early, knowing I wanted to go slow to avoid aggravating my quad muscle. I was the first one out hiking, and as I slowly walked along enjoying the morning over the next few hours, the people I had camped near passed me in o we, twos and threes. After a few hours I made a wrong turn up a steep road and had to backtrack back down to the trail. I was frustrated with this mistake and went a bit faster than I should have, which ended up not being a good idea. My leg started feeling pretty bad again, and when I got back to the trail I had to sit down to stretch and rest it.
I walked another mile or so, but was limping along not really having a very good time. A couple from Colorado I've been leapfrogging with since Warner Springs passed, and pointed out that it might be a good idea for me to just catch a ride on the nearby road to take a rest in town. I thought about this a while, actually walking back and forth along the trail, not able to make up my mind. I wanted to keep walking, but I didn't want to risk making my leg worse. Eventually I decided to go to the hotel, which it turned out was just 10 miles up the road.
I tried hitch hiking for an hour and a half, but the only people on the road seemed to be folks out for a nice Saturday drive, and 4-wheelers looking for just the right dirt road. No one seemed interested in picking me up. I called the hotel to see if they had any ideas for arranging a ride, got a taxi company phone number, called and found out how much it works cost, tried hitching for another half hour, spilled a couple handfuls of crumbled Pringles in my pack, then called the taxi guy back to set up the ride. While waiting I took advantage of 3G network and looked for new shoes that might work better than the current ones. 20-30 minutes later an old minivan came screeching to a halt and I jumped up to get inside. The 15 minute ride was fairly exciting, the driver doing just a semi-decent job of keeping it in the appropriate lane. We were sort of like a bowling ball, going down the lane with those big inflatable tubes in the gutter. As we went through a particular set of tight turns, he told me about an accident he'd been in there one time. Good times.
When we got to Cajon Pass, I had to go to the ATM in a gas station to get cash to pay for the ride. When I got in there I realized I didn't have my wallet. I went back to the car and searched through my backpack. Not there. Check all my pockets again. Not there. Check the backpack again. Not there. I thought back to when he taxi arrived. I was trying to order shoes online. Was my wallet just sitting on my lap? I didn't remember grabbing it or putting it somewhere. I think the most likely thing that happened was that I had it on my lap, and when I jumped up I must have dropped it there.
Sheepishly I tell the driver we need to go back and look for it. So, back in the van, covertly gripping he door handle. I adjusted my phone in my shirt pocket so it's not under my seat belt. If we crash and I'm still conscious, I want to make sure my phone isn't broken I two or imbedded in my chest so I can call for help.
When we get back to where I was waiting, I search the whole area. Nothing. Now all the thoughts start going through my mind. Who found it? Some random passerby? A hiker? Should I call the bank now? I search my pockets again, my backpack. Of course it's not there. Having o e last thought, I check under and beside the van seat.
I bet you can guess what I saw there.
With some relief I figured that it must have fallen out of my shorts pocket. So, back in the car, back to holding my breath around each corner, back to the gas station ATM then on to the hotel. I'd rather not say what the taxi bill was up to by now, but the driver did say he'd take me back to the same place tomorrow for free.
A half dozen or so other hikers were hanging out in the hotel lobby. I said hi and told my story, and one of them, Spark, handed me a beer right off the bat. The day was looking up. By the time the beer was gone my room was ready, so I checked in, got a burrito from Del Taco in the gas station, and got pretty serious about relaxing for the rest of the afternoon. Talked to Libby and she helped me brainstorm next steps, and ordered a handful of new shoes to be delivered to the hotel, figuring I'd come up with a good idea about what to do over the next couple days at some point soon.
Birds
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Swainson's Thrush
Mourning Dove
Mallard
California Quail
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
Wrentit
Oak Titmouse
California Thrasher
MacGillivray's Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Western Scrub-jay
Western Wood-pewee
California Quail
Ash-throated Flycatcher
House Finch
Band-tailed Pigeon
Common Raven
Common Yellowthroat
American Coot
Red-winged Blackbird
Canada Goose
Cliff Swallow
White-throated Swift
House Wren
Lesser Goldfinch
European Starling
Bullock's Oriole
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