Every time I see a rattlesnake it gets scarier. But I still have the urge to poke at them. I spent the weekend hanging out in Big Bear City, and I had the best time After showering at the fire station and organizing the stuff I had gotten from the post office I wanted to look for a cheap place to maybe spend the night. I hadn't seen any hikers around town yet so I decided to walk down to one of the two hostels in town. I had already heard that Big Bear Hostel was booked up, but did know about the Nature's Inn. It was a bit of a schlep to walk down there, especially to find out that they were indeed totally booked. The owner was very nice though, and let me use the phone so I could check in with my Dad. The last option was the Motel 6, which I knew I couldn't really afford, but figured i could see if there was a hiker milling around to possibly split a room with. Worst case I'd just hitch a ride back out to the trail, but there were still things I could do in town, and a night indoors sounded really tempting. I caught the bus to the mote, and felt pretty awkward wandering around with my backpack. I didn't see any hikers, and all they could tell me at the front desk was that hikers were staying there, but not what room or anything. It was all getting a little frustrating, and I was kind of cursing my insistence on being so independent. It would have been easy to have waited to hitch in with someone when I got to the highway, and everyone says it's much safer for a girl on her own. Then I would have had someone to figure stuff out with. I'd walked around the outside of the motel, trying to keep the bus stop in sight in case someone got off, but decided to walk around the inner courtyard before formulating a plan B. or D at this stage. As I turned the corner I finally heard friendly voices I assumed were hikers calling out to me from one of the rooms. I couldn't see who they were, but a few obvious questions revealed that they weren't hikers at all. I was invited in anyway, and it ended up being the real room of the manager of the motel, and he and his three friends were just hanging out drinking beer and watching movies. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted to do, and was hoping would happen going into town alone. I've loved everyone I've met on the trail, but it was really awesome to hang out with people not doing exactly what I'm doing. They were all great, fun guys too. We all chilled and drank beer for a while, Andrew, the manager one, and Brian left for a while and I hung out with the other two Josh and Kenny and their dog Lily. We watched Snatch, and some crappy horror movie that was fun to laugh at. I was finally feeling relaxed to be in town, even though I still hadn't seen another hiker. The boys invited me to come along to a barbecue they were going to , and I figured I may as well Splurge for a room since I was having a good time and was going to get fed. I mentioned that, and a few minutes later Drew presented me with a gift certificate for a room at the motel! Things couldn't have really gone much better, but they did.We all piled into one of their cars to go over to the BBQ house, and that was just so chill and fun and normal. I learned a new drinking game and met new people, and made connections for further up the trail. And so many great dogs. I wasn't too antsy about an early stat, so I stayed up pretty late, and big time milked my noon checkout. I said by to my Big Bear Boys, and still not seeing another hiker headed out to the road to hitch a ride back to the trail. The first vehicle to pass me was a big truck while I was still in the motel parking lot. I sort of recognized it, and looked in the window to see Trip, Sweep's wife, the maker of the amazing salad I ate at the campground just at Scissor's Crossing around mile 166 or something! I haven't seen her or Sweep or Sister Sue since before Warner Springs, and I have been missing seeing them on the trail and hoping they would catch up to me. Trip stopped and we exchanged out happy greetings. She told me that Sue was sick on the trail, and I was pretty quick to ask if I could come with her to go pick Sue up. There was already another hiker in the car, a cay called Alaska who I had known to be about a day ahead of me since just after the storm. By another happy coincidence Alaska and I realized that we had actually met before - last year when my dad and I were hiking our tiny bit of trail he was out there and we had spoken briefly at a campground near the border! He hadn't been able to do the whole thing last year, but was back again this year. Like me! Nice to bond with him, and reunite with Trip, and successfully rescue Sue and another hiker who had excruciating, infected blisters. Back at the motel where Trip, Sue, and Alaska all had rooms, I decided there were a few things I could grab from the store that hadn't come in my resupply box. Stashing my pack in Alaska's room I could comfortably walk up to the bigger part of town I hadn't gone to previously because I was hassled by not wanting to leave my backpack. It was a very pleasant walk with Big Bear Lake sparkling alongside me, and the sun warming my strap-free shoulders. My first stop was the dollar store where I got everything on my little list. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, so impulse bought a box of oatmeal cream pies that I dove into while I waited in line. When I set my items on the best the nice man behind me informed me that the box I was about to purchase was already opened. I turned around and with a mouth full cookie explained that it was because I had already eaten two, and showed him the crumpled wrappers. He thought that was all pretty funny, and tried to give me a piece of pie he was buying for himself. I was still hungry, but for something more substantial, so I thanked him anyways, and headed over to the grocery store. A few minutes later I emerged with my face buried in an avocado sandwich. I could hear someone laughing, and finally dragged my face up to realize it was directed at me. The same guy was sitting in his car laughing at my endless appetite. I explained myself, and when he understood that the reason for my insatiable hunger was because I had walked to his town from Mexico, he offered me a ride back to the motel. His name was Austin, and what an interesting guy to randomly meet at the dollar store. He ended up living about a block from the motel, so we went to hang out at his place for a bit so he could show me the Arabian horses he raises, and I could finish my sandwich at a kitchen table. I loved his house, it was like a really, really big version of my cabin in Portland. With a hot tub, not a sauna. It was getting pretty tempting to had down to Costa Rica with this guy and check out his horses, but the trail was still calling to me, so we got back in the car and he dropped me off in front of Alaska's room. Leaving for the store on food, and being dropped back off by a guy in a convertible Mercedes was a little embarrassing with Alaska, Trip, Sue, and a few others all sitting on the sidewalk outside their rooms, but it definitely gave everyone a laugh. Sweep had made it into town, as well as a few other hikers I haven't seen in a while, and everyone was going out for margaritas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I resigned myself to another night in town, and my first first proper zero day, and headed to the restaurant with them. We ended up needing a table for 10, and it felt warm and familiar to be there, all of us sitting self consciously in our clean, though wrinkled town clothes. It was a Saturday night. and I was tempted to go see what my friends from the night before were doing, or call up Austin who had told me to come hang out if I stayed in town, or see what other hikers were up to, but I really wanted to get back to the trail in the morning so was very happy to watch X-men with Alaska and crash out early on the floor in his room. He and I were both heading back to the trail, so in the morning we woke up pretty early to get our gear together. Trip and Sweep and Sue were stirring as well, and it was decided that we would all go out to breakfast, and then they would drop us off at the trail. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, and a big portion of hashbrowns went down with a big glass of water that I remembered to drink after beer and margaritas all weekend. At the trail head there were tow hikers emerging from the south side of the street, and they ended up being Micheal and David my friends from kickoff last year! I couldn't have been happier to see anyone else, even my Israeli boys who Micheal informed me had headed into town earlier that morning. I'm still missing Yotam and Nadav, but I needed to get back on the trail before I ended up in Costa Rica, so I'm hoping they will catch up to me here in the next few days. I did about 20 miles yesterday, which I was pretty proud of considering I started closer to noon than my usual 6am. I have really enjoyed these past 2 days of hiking. I'm getting very comfortable with walking and with my pack and using my maps and compass, and the organization of my gear, and freedom I have with how I conduct my day. Yesterday I hiked pretty steadily with a couple of other hikers and I enjoyed it a lot. Today I hiked completely alone, and I only did about 13 miles. I think I'm in another pocket of solitude, but I'm totally okay with it. I love doing my own thing. I knew I was going to be crossing a lot of streams and rivers today, and I love that and didn't want to have too high of a miles goal set so I could enjoy the water. A lot of the area I have been hiking through the last two days was pretty devastated by a fire a few years ago, so it's not very pretty, but the water makes up for it. Last night was my coldest night yet, and their was frost all over my sleeping bag and my water was frozen. When it is that cold I wear my wind jacket and my insulated jacket over my thermal shirt, and both pairs of wool socks. I think I need leg warmers too. I don't think it will get quite as cold at the little camp site I am at tonight. I got here right around 4:30 which is my favorite time to set up camp. I was able to wash myself and some socks in the river, explore without my pack, cook and eat supper, and completely update this here journal and it's not dark and cold yet. It is dusky and chilly though. I'm a happy hiker with a soft, solo campsite, a warm, full belly, hot springs, and mcdonald's soft serve in the near future, and the possible rendevouz with old friends.
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