San Bernardino County

The one with a mental challenge, fire bees and a surprise hostel.

📍 Location: MM 286 to Cedar Glen Malt Shop

🏔️ Elevation: max 6353ft
🥾 I actually walked: 15.4 miles
💰 Money: $22 on burger and milkshake, $80 on a hostel for the night. £62 on a cotton liner (Amazon)
⛑️ Health: Lack of sleep and poor food combined with the heat resulted in a bad day. I’m exhausted and there is nothing left in the tank.

☀️ Weather: Very hot. It must be in the 30’s.

🍲 Food: This is terrible and I must make an effort to eat better. I had some breakfast bars, then nothing all day apart from snacks of nuts, M&M’s, snickers. We finally made it to the malt shop around 6pm when I feasted on a huge cheeseburger and chips followed by a chocolate milkshake. I know it’s not good (no lectures please).

💤 Sleep: I’m really suffering in my tent. It’s way too hot. Goblin does not pitch his tent until the sun goes down as dyneema tents are like greenhouses. So I’ll try that next time. I’ve ordered a cotton sheet liner from Amazon which is being delivered to Wrightwood, so hopefully that will help.

😃 People update:

THE LONG WINDED VERSION:-

⛺️ 640am- And we’re off, wake up with my grumpy pants on. I feel like 💩. Goblin is walking with us. He’s slow at packing up, so he was awake at 3.40am to make sure he was packed up in time!

🤕 740am - I’ve got a blinding headache and sinus pain.I have Sudafed in my pack but I can’t find them anywhere. DinkyDi is helping me look for them. I’m very grumpy now as I take everything out of my pack. Finally I unpack my tent and there they are! Phew. Tablets taken, and hopefully I will start to feel better soon.

😢 830am DinkyDi and goblin are way ahead of me now. I’m way to slow for them today. I’m struggling with the heat and it’s only 8.30am. Knowing that I’ve got this all day is quite depressing. I find a shady area and get out my little chair. Had a bit of a cry and then check my phone. This high up I have service so I sent a text to Rachel. We chat and I tell her how I’m feeling. She’s amazing and gives me lots of support and encouragement. (Thanks Rachel). I nip to the loo, then I pack up with a much better attitude. Let’s get this shit done!

💦 9.53 am - Holcomb Creek is raging and I’m on my own. Should I just sit and wait for someone or should I just go for it? I decide to go for it and keep my shoes on. It’s hot out here so I know they will dry quickly, plus I need to cross it again in another 1.7 miles. As I steadily enter the water my feet shrink with the cold as the river engulfs my shoes. I crab 🦀 across the creek using my trekking poles. I can see the bottom, which is great. It reaches my knees, so not too bad. I safely cross, pat myself on the back for a job well done, and continue along the trail.

☀️ 10.34am - Another water crossing and I catch up with DinkyDi and Gobljn. Dinky has been waiting for me which was sweet. Goblin has all of his stuff laid out in the sun. He had falling head first in the river and everything was soaking wet. He didn’t hurt himself though which was good.

🐝 11 o’clock - There was a sign written by a hiker on the ground which I thought said “freebies” but it actually said “fire bees”. We looked up and the tree to our left was alive with bees. We stayed for a while as it was fascinating to witness these bees working so hard. They were loud as well (see video).

🤢 12.10pm I’m feeling it! All these water crossings, ascents, blow down trees and the heat of the sun. I’m struggling today. My head hurts, I’m very slow and feel a bit sick. As I type we are 2.7 miles from The Malt Shop. I can do this! The mental strain is eroding the spirit (love these words, thanks Kimberly)

📱 15.42 - We finally reach Splinters Cabin. DinkyDi phones a trail angel who can give us a ride to the malt shop where we can rest and have a burger. I’ve been looking forward to this all day. He also tells us that he has a hostel in the village if we wanted to spend the night. Here we can have a shower/bath and he will cook breakfast for us tomorrow. Goblin looks at us and said “hell yeah!. We are platinum blazing” (which means you are doing the trail in luxury!).

🥾 The road is closed from Splinters cabin, so we need to walk another 1.7 miles to catch a lift. I’m much more motivated now. We need to do nearly 1000ft in elevation over 1.7 miles which was really hard work. DinkyDi was off like a shot but Goblin was struggling. He can’t reach his water without taking his pack off, and that takes ages. He’s still not feeling great and stops every few hundred yards for a break. It’s a slow and steady walk up the mountain and finally we see DinkyDi and the trail angel with a pick up truck.

🛻 5.50pm - Dinky & Goblin clamber into the back of the truck and I sit in the front seat. He takes us to the malt shop and we devour food as if we haven’t eaten for a month! It tasted so good!!

🏡 We are then driven to his hostel, which is actually a massive house on stilts with multiple levels. There is only us three here and we have a room each! I have a long soak in the bath and I feel my batteries recharging. By 8pm I’m fast asleep and I sleep through the night.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks to Bradley & Bess Camp for your donation which paid for my hostel tonight. It’s sincerely appreciated. XxLes mer