Day 23

Sunset

Got up and I took my time getting ready. I wasn’t in a hurry, but I wanted to get a few more miles in for the day. I got going around 9:30. I didn’t realize that only a few miles up trail there was another trail that led me back to Big Bear.. another potential bailout? Guess I was wrong about my previous strategy on starting at mile 266.

The trail worked its way along the other side of the lake so I was able to see where I stayed the last 5 days. Again, this wasn’t a hard hike, but taking my time was going to go against me for trying to get some miles in. I ran into Meg who I met at the hostel and is also having a knee issue. We talked about our injuries then headed down the trail. I was a little slower trying not to overcompensate and keep an eye out for what was ahead of me. I didn’t look at the scenery too much since it kinda became repetitive. After awhile I came up on a group of a dozen hikers hanging at a horse trough water supply. I’ve met everyone here along the way, great group of all ages.

I decided to move on to the next water supply from the fresh flowing Holcomb creek that will parallel the trail for awhile. A few miles up trail the landscape changed to more scenic views with boulder fields and open areas, unlike what I was used to. I was only a few miles from a campsite when Rat Water came up behind me and we hiked the last mile to the site. Meg,her sister and Big Boy Scout where already there, so I found a spot behind a rock to protect myself from the wind and got a great view of the sun setting and casting an orange hue against the mountains. Was able to manage 14 miles in today.