Day 15: April 30; 19.6 miles
After checking out from the casino and grabbing coffee from Starbucks, we weren’t exactly sure how we were going to get back to trail. Sure, there’s always uber, but after spending a bit for the overnight we wanted to save a few bucks. So we did what any hiker would do, we stuck out our thumbs. And surprisingly quickly got a ride from Jay, a chiropractor making his way to the gym. He didn’t mind the quick detour to drop us off and his calm demeanor set a great start to the day.
I had a wonderful start to the day. There were climbs, there was heat, but I had good music playing and spent the morning just jamming in my own little world. I love climbing, so I was in my element.
Then I almost stepped on a rattlesnake. Lazily crossing the trail giving no warning, it felt like it came out of nowhere, giving me the greatest shock. I gave it some space and continued on after it finally cleared out of the way.
I soon met up with David and experienced what I can only describe as the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me on trail. I was barely paying attention to anything at all when all of a sudden I heard a deafening buzzing noise descend upon us like a dark cloud. “Flies?”, David asked. “No… I think they’re… bees?” I replied. My brain was not computing what was happening. There were thousands upon thousands of black bees swirling around us but I didn’t perceive a threat. Being a gardener and knowing the importance of bees, I love those little guys and thought it was awesome to be surrounded by them. That is until I had about 10 come straight for my face. Still not comprehending what was happening, I got stung right at the corner of my eye. That’s when all pandemonium broke loose and I realized I was in a very dangerous situation. Their target was acquired and that target was me. With missile like accuracy I had thousands of bees swarm me. David had already run off and I followed suit. They were fierce and took about 1/4 of a mile running off trail to lose them. It’s a miracle that between the two of us only one got stung. It all happened so quickly and thankfully it was a fast moving swarm and no one behind us experienced the trauma. I’ll take raccoons any day.
Fresh off the horror we met up with a lot of hikers and cooled off by the river for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was a bit of a drag. The bees really put a damper on my mood and mental state.
We started the first part of Mission Creek. This has been a very anticipated section for me. Tropical Storm Hilary washed out a big section of trail in 2023, leading to detours. Basically my understanding is that you follow the creek for several miles before meeting back up with the trail. Already mentally spent for the day, navigating a rocky creek bed and crossing the creek several times was not my idea of a great way to end the day. But with tired feet we made it to camp where I was ready to crash.
Tomorrow we embark on the rest of Mission Creek, I’m sure I’ll be glad to be finished with it.
Day 16: May 1; 17.8 miles
How ironic today is the first of May, because this day I believe will go down in history as my own personal Mayday.
The morning started out fine, brisk but ready to take on the challenge. I knew we had about 8 miles of navigating through the Mission Creek, a section of trail I’ve been dreading since planning this trip. Based on research, hikers get around this by just following the creek until it connects back to trail. Simple enough!
So that’s what we did. And boy was that a mistake. Apparently there is a spot on this detour where you’re supposed to veer right. We figured it’ll all connect anyway, so we opted to go left. Consciously we decided this was the way to go – there was no warning whatsoever on FarOut or word of mouth to not go left. It was a choose your own adventure!
Well, we chose poorly. After following the creek for a bit, we ended up slowly but surely going up a slot canyon. It all felt fine, even rock scrambling up slightly tall rocks and route finding all felt like part of the experience. Until, that is, we came to a point where I knew people just were not climbing up with full packs. There just was no way. Alarm bells were going off in my head but deeper into the canyon we went.
And we went. Until we could go no farther. We were facing a 35” waterfall that could not be climbed, as hard as David tried, it just wasn’t safe. After almost slipping on multiple other smaller waterfalls and having more near mental breakdowns than I care to admit, I was resigned to the fact that we were going to have to turn around and start all over.
But after a courageous climb up a 60 degree sheer face, David found me and Oats a good spot to get up a wash in attempt to reconnect with the trail. We got up to where we thought we’d be close enough to see the trail, but there was no trail to be found. The wash was too steep to turn around. By this point, Oats and I were obviously and clearly under a lot of duress. I thought one of us was going to fall and crack open our heads. I was thankful to have the Garmin on standby in case this did happen. As we’re all having our own personal meltdowns, I see an angel from Heaven only a dozen feet away walk by. Barely giving us a glance, he casually asked, “you guys okay?” I personally exclaimed with joy when I saw him. He showed us the way to the trail and just as quickly as he arrived he disappeared. Not interested at all in what we went through or why we were 30 feet down a steep wash, I appreciated how nonchalant he was at our complete chaos. I wish I had taken pictures of the ordeal, including the final waterfall, but my brain was in pure survival mode and whipping the phone out to capture the moment just wasn’t top of mind.
Back on trail our nerves were still on edge. It was a slow afternoon to camp. I was so tired that I opted for the first time ever to cowboy camp. I had no energy (mental or physical) to even think about setting up a tent. Plus with the views as epic as the ones at the camp site, I knew I’d at least have something glorious to look at if I couldn’t sleep.
Day 17: May 2; 19.6 miles
First cowboy camp was a success! It was a gorgeous night with a full moon and full view of Palm Springs down below. No critters snuggled up and though a little cold, it was worth it to not have to set up or break down a tent. I was gifted a wonder panoramic sunrise.
Our original plan was to hike and camp as close to Big Bear as possible and get into town early in the morning. The miles were easy and uneventful and once we got to where we planned on camping, it was still pretty early. Back and forth we debated if going into town was worth it. It didn’t take much to convince ourselves it was totally worth it. Having a place to put all our stuff instead of waiting all morning and afternoon for check in is what tipped the scales. So off to town we went through a few hitches.
We stopped at a thrift store to grab some clean town clothes to look and feel like normal people for once. We took advantage of the good food in town and splurged on Mexican food, complete with margs. Sure beats camp food and sleeping in a tent!
Day 18: May 3; Zero
After sleeping in, we had a lazy morning where we enjoyed a good breakfast and did laundry. The town of Big Bear is pretty big and has a free shuttle around town. It was handy to use to get a very pricey resupply. The rest of the day was just pure blissful rest. My foot is as painful as it’s been, so keeping off it and icing it has been very helpful to prevent further pain down the trail. I’m trying out tying laces differently to relieve pressure from the area. Fingers crossed that and the peaceful rest day do the trick!
Day 19: May 4; 10.5 miles
While grocery shopping yesterday we were warned more than once of forecasted cold for tonight and tomorrow. We were told to expect nighttime temperatures as low as 22 degrees. Not wanting to freeze to death was superseded only by our desire to not spend anymore money in Big Bear. It’s a lovely town, truly, but it’s expensive. Though the thought to stay to avoid the cold did pass through our minds, we decided to suck it up and head back to trail.
We caught a surprisingly easy hitch back to the trailhead with Melissa and Uncle Matt. Her driving was second only to the infamous Crazy Carlos. But regardless we were back on trail by early afternoon for an anticipated easy day. And for once, the expectation met reality. Got into camp with just barely enough sun before clouds came to steal the warmth. And boy did they. The temperature dropped, as did my stomach. I was hit with really bad nausea and laid down, only to be dead asleep by 6pm. Thankfully I was prepared for what I was sure to be a freezing night.
Day 20: May 5: 21.8 miles
Because of all the hype surrounding the cold, I preemptively got “Hot Hands” hand warmers to make sure I didn’t freeze. I awoke from my 6pm bedtime with a slight chill around midnight and used them to take the edge off. They did a darn good job and I woke up warm and without nausea. It was the type of morning I was happy to have a stove to make hot coffee, especially when the snow started to fall. Yes, snow.
And it snowed all morning. And those Hot Hands don’t lie when they say they last over 10 hours. I kept them in my gloves hiking and they got the job done until the sun finally peeked out after lunch. And boy did it heat up these cold bones. But it was very welcomed.
By 4pm we were done with our intended mileage. We thought about going further, but didn’t know what camp spots lied ahead. Plus, camping was prohibited for the next few miles. So we decided to stay right where we were, which is a pretty nice spot to be. Right by a creek with a tall scenic bridge, there’s not much to complain about.
Day 21: May 6; 19.5 miles
Woke up a bit chilled and not ready to go. But there were miles and hot springs in our future, so it was time to get moving! After warming up it was quick to the 300 mile point and even faster to the hot springs.
Not really sure what to expect from the springs (we were told multiple times by multiple people clothing was optional), we were met by Alex, who appeared to be the local groundskeeper. Armed with an air rifle, he was a bit alarming to see but soon we learned he had a very important job – squirrel hunting. Apparently the springs have a big squirrel problem. They have been known to rip through a hikers pack in search for food. So Alex helps control the population by sharpshooting them.
We spent a few hours at the springs, it was truly one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. There were a few different pools of various temperatures, but naturally I went for the hottest one. It was especially nice because I could have foot in the heated pool and the other in the cold river. It was perfect for icing my bad foot – which, knock on wood, has been hurting less and less! What a win.
After the springs it was 10 miles of hot heat to camp. Luckily there was breeze, but also a lot of bees. Thankfully they were friendly honey bees just interested in the abundant wildflowers and not swarming me. Just the sound of them sent chills down my spine, I hope this isn’t a recurring thing because I truly do love bees.
Got into camp with enough time for dinner and set up another cowboy camp. I’m pretty thrilled with cowboy camping – it removes the tedious task of setting up and breaking down a tent. The risk of something wild curling up next to me is worth the risk.
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 