It was cold all night last night and the wind continued to blow this morning as we prepared to leave. The down quilt we use in lieu of a sleeping bag is large enough we can sit up together underneath it and work on feet or get dressed. It is like a big down insulated tent. Very comfortable and warm. However, by the third day out without baths the smell under our down tent can be overpowering as it keeps odors as well as heat trapped underneath it.
We did something this morning we have not done on the trail before. We slept in-all the way until 5:00am! Our early morning rambles of 3:50am are not necessary up here. The air is cold in the morning and stays cool all day. We don't see the scorching heat we experienced while hiking down in the desert. That is not say that we are done with the desert. We have about 40 miles of trail to hike that oscillates up and down between 7000 and 8000 feet, then we drop down to Cajon (pronounced ka-hone) Pass and back into desert territory. Once we bottom out at the pass we have a 5000' climb back to 8000' to get to Wrightwood. So, hopefully for the next few days we will sleep in and not shrink from the afternoon sun.
In the first two miles this morning we came to Coon Creek Group Camp. It is an old log home built with a gorgeous view down into the Palm Springs area- the Cocachina Valley. The graffiti idiots have carved up this aging public structure with their names and statements, but the log building is still structurally sound. We enjoyed the view from the front porch, strolled the interior and used the delightful public restrooms before continuing on.
The weather settled into perfection as we hiked the morning away. The wind died. The temperature rose to a comfortable level and the sun was not overbearing. In fact the cool air temperatures made sitting under the direct sun necessary to stay warm when taking breaks to adjust boots, change clothing layers, talk to hikers passing us, drink water or eat a snack. The trail gently undulated up and down, changing elevation but little as we covered our ten miles for the day.
On the map and in the guide literature I had seen a place marked bear cages. I was not sure what this meant until we came in view of upwards of 10 large metal cages, each holding a bear or raccoon or other animals we could not see from our position outside the fencing from the trail. We speculated as to why they were there. We soon learned from another hiker that these are the animals Hollywood uses in TV shows, movies and commercials. It was sad to see them penned up in small metal cages.
Trail angels from the Big Bear area stock two water caches. The first is the Onyx Summit Cache stocked by Papa Smurf and Mountain Momma. We arrived about noon to find a half case of Pepsi and about ten gallons of water in plastic jugs. You can bet the Pepsi went over big with Sally! We talked with Martin from Germany and Neon as they sat with us awhile.
2 miles later we hit the Big Bear Hostile water cache. The two caches must be in competition for amenities because here we found a couch to sit on. We were too late for the pop, it was all gone, but we enjoyed our lunch on the couch.
Sally's foot and ankle were better today than yesterday, although on the gentle downhill portions of the trail she did step wrong a few times and received the jolts of sharp pain she experienced yesterday. We wrapped her ankle with an ace bandage to support it better, and that helped for a few miles, but the extra wrap in her boot began to cause a blister so we removed the bandage before the blister had a chance to form.
Our 10 mile goal for the day put us at the Arrastre Trail Camp, a collection of picnic benches and flat camping areas in the bottom of a heavily wooded dell with a small stream. We pulled in about 3:30 and enjoyed some solitude as we pitched the tent and filled water bottles.
We had not seen another soul on the trail since before noon, a very strange, but delightful experience. Our solitude was soon broken when a dad and two twenty something sons pulled into camp. Although Sally went over and introduced herself, they stayed to themselves and spoke little. Two women near Sally's age (Roam and Meg) soon entered the area, followed by the husband (Jeff) of Meg and camped 100' away down the trail. Soon Ninja arrived and shared our table. Ninja is a late twenty-something man who was very conversational. His feet were still smarting so he planned to take two zero days at Big Bear to let them heal, although he said he found it hard to just sit around for a day when there is so many miles of trail lying ahead.
Sierra, a mid-twenties girl, soon joined us and the four of us chatted while seated at the picnic table until dusk and cold drove us to our sleeping bags. Except for the occasional foot pain, a delightful day.
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