Day 13 – Unexpected trail magic
Originally published on Mason Hikes the PCT 2017.
Mileage: 10 miles to Highway 18 to hitch into Big Bear (mile 266)
As usual on the day I expect to get to town, I woke up early, giddy with excitement for the cheeseburger(s?) to come. It was absolutely freezing (~40°, so yeah, Mr. Scientist, not really freezing) when I woke up, so I REAAAALLY didn’t want to get out of bed. Once I managed to put all of my layers on inside my sleeping bag, I hiked the remaining ten miles to town while dreaming of warm breakfast.
I was SO CLOSE to finishing, within a half mile, when I spotted a super cute pupdog and its associated humans John and Julie. I got to talking to them about the hike and John was very interested in logistics and talking about it, so he asked if I knew where I would be staying in town. As someone who very rarely has a plan, I told them the truth and he immediately asked if I wanted to stay with them. After checking with his wife that it was okay and verifying that I wasn’t an axe murder, they told me I could wait by their car for a ride into town/to their home. Sounds great!
On the last half mile of the trail, I thought a lot about whether THEY were axe murders, met two new pupdogs, and met a nice thru hiker named Jim. I changed my clothes and eagerly awaited my ride, and when they got there, Jim, who had been trying to hitch, asked if he could also have a ride. Being nice people, John and Julie said yes and then proceeded to invite Jim over as well!
John and Julie were first time trail angels today and not only did they put us up in their lovely home, let us do laundry, let us take showers, brought us to town to shop, ate lunch with us, and cooked us an amazing dinner, but they also played countless games of ping pong against us in an effort to take advantage of our weakened legs. John was curious about the PCT because he has thought about doing it, so Jim and I gave him some advice, answered his questions, and showed him exactly what we were carrying so he could get a better idea of what to expect. Our time in their home was absolutely wonderful and today far exceeded my expectations in every way. They are truly some of the most generous people I’ve ever met and I am so grateful for what they did for us.
In other news, I fully resupplied from a grocery store for the first time today and boy did I buy a lot of food. Hope I can carry it all! At least I’m getting rid of that damn book, which I still need to document. Maybe tomorrow…
And yes, I got my town cheeseburger and it may have been the best one yet.
