Day 14-15: Snakes and Couch Crashing |

Day 14: Mile 218 to 232 (14 miles)

Woke up early this morning to some nice colors in the sky. Quickly rolled up my sleeping bag and sleeping pad and I was off on the trail. Today was the start of walking up inside a long canyon.

It was the same hike winding through the canyons and every time I finished one section, a new one would begin and after 10 miles, each one looked the same. It was nice to have actual running water flowing through the canyon which keeps everything green. Everything away from the water was the same desert brown with not much plant life.

Early in the hike Mary Kay informed me there were a couple of snakes tangled together enjoying the sun that didn’t want to move. I helped get them on their way as they found a bush to go hide under so people could pass by again. (After no rattlesnakes for nearly two weeks, I have seen three in 16 hours!)

Arrived at a point where I would have lunch and I wasn’t the only one. About a dozen others either gathered under a tree just off the trail or were down at the creek getting water or soaking their feet down stream. I took this time to soak my feet in the warm water and have a lunch before getting back on the trail. I managed to get 14 miles today and decided to camp at a marked spot because I knew the next spot up ahead was going to be packed with people who were ahead of me. It was nice to lay in the sun for a couple hours and have a hot dinner before going to bed early. Around 9:30pm I was awoken to the sound of about 15 hikers starting their night hike. I was really tempted to join them and make up some more miles, but within five minutes of pondering the idea, I had already passed out.

(some of the hikers hanging out under a tree)

Day 15: Mile 232 to 253 (21 miles)

Woke up with the goal of hitting 24 miles. Nothing was to special or different today as I just kept hiking. I expected to hike for a couple hours in the dark to make the miles I needed to get me closer to Big Bear Lake. As I hit 18 miles, it had just gotten dark and I was still in trees for the most part which meant the moonlight wasn’t going to assist me tonight. I turned on my headlamp and marched on. After three miles of hiking I was shocked to see a couch sitting on the side of the trail next to a dumpster. I slowly opened the dumpster and saw a register book along with drinks and snacks for those who needed them along with information of Big Bear Lake.

It didn’t take me long to think about what I was going to do and decided against the extra three miles and I was going to sleep on this couch tonight. It would be a shame to leave it empty tonight. Just so happens, Breaks was night hiking as well and arrived about 20 minutes later. He was a little disappointed to have missed out on the couch. He was kind enough to take a picture for me. I thanked him for the picture and he hurried down the trail another mile or so looking for a place to sleep.