Back to business. First up, cleaning our packs and recharching devices. Then, getting breakfast and resupply for the next section. The place we were recommended by Mac the previous day was closed (probably for Mother’s Day) so we went elsewhere for our portion of eggs, bacon and waffles. What I had first thought to be a ball of ice cream on my waffle turned out to be pure butter. Yay calories!
Getting to the grocery store took about an hour to walk from the center of town, something that boggles my mind. Luckily a nice lady gave us a hitch back. There we received word that Chris and Boots had arrived. Our reunion was joyful and also regretful that our paces don’t match up as much as we’d both hoped. Chewy, Pippin and Dirty Mike were in the same building as them. Dirty Mike parading in a pair of women’s jeans he’d found. Although I didn’t care for him much at the start, I’m starting to like him. Which is good, since he seems to be one of our most consistent travel companions since the start, the others being Chewy and Pippin. We left them, still intending to meet back up in Wrightwood, the next stop, at the latest.
We made an additional stop at Taco Bell, since more food is always better, and hitched back to the trailhead with two exiting Dominos employees.
The two miles to camp were uneventful, but that felt right, after everything.
Last thought before bedtime: long distance hiking is similar to a good adventure videogame. Traveling unknown lands, populated by interesting characters all of whom have a story to reveal and seeing wild creatures that capture the imagination. The description fits both trail and game.