Killdeer Chronical

Day 50 ( May 20 ) Took another Zero. To be honest, I was lazy. In the afternoon something odd happened. At first it looked like smoke from a forest fire.  It was fog rolling in from the hills.  I spoke with some people who drove through it on highway 18 and they  said that it was so thick they could barely see 10 yards ahead. Day 51 I met "Yellow Bear" a hiker from New Hampshire this morning. He is in town nursing an injured leg. He is going to "camp" on the lobby floor tonight  because all the rooms are full.  I don't know why, but as I was packing, I  had an anxiety attack. It stopped once I got moving.   Lynn, the manager of the Arrowhead Lake Inn  spoiled all the hikers. I left at about 10:30, but was unable to get a bus ride because I didn't have  a 1 dollar bill. I finally got to Cedar Glen Malt Shop at 1:15. I ordered a burger and fries and the burger was so filling, I was unable to eat all my fries. Amilo from the Malt Shop gave ...

 Day 43 ( May 13 ) Zero day in Big Bear. Spent the day trying to see if anyone has my camera. I checked everywhere I had gone when I  arrived. Nobody has it, the Motel, the Restaurant,  the Laundromat,  the Transit system,  even the Police. Nobody has it. I posted on the PCT groups on Facebook. Nobody has it. In other  camera news, the camera I ordered isn't expected to arrive until Tuesday. Day 44 I got dropped off at the Trailhead by Michelle who is a Physical Therapist. She is of the opinion that my aching knee is not from arthritis ( she said it would ache all the time if it was, and it isn't ) but muscle strain from the steep hills with the pack. Started hiking at Noon ( Yeah, I know, mad dogs and all that...)  and was able to hike 13.1 miles in 6.75 hours. Having a pack that was 10 to 11 pounds lighter made a huge difference. I even managed to hike 2.3 miles with a 680 foot climb in one hour without getting tired or severely winded. After 3 hours...

 Day 36 ( May 6 ) I took an extra zero to celebrate my birthday. Took the bus to the Casino in Cabazon.  I finally got to scratch " Blow $20 at a Casino " off my bucket list. I also managed to lose a credit card, but managed to find out before someone racked up a lot of charges. Day 37 Steven dropped me off where the trail goes under I - 10 at 9:20. Evidently he was picking up a young woman who needed to go back into town to deal with a foot problem. I started hiking at 9:30 . I made it to the Mesa Wind Farm at 11:45. I did 3.9 miles in a bit over 2 hours with a 1,037 foot climb. Not bad ! I had lunch and rested in a covered area provided by the  Wind Farm.  Normally they would have their building open, but today is Saturday,  so it is closed. I rested for a while before hiking on to Whitewater Preserve. On the way to Whitewater Preserve,  I  met the couple that I camped with in Idyllwild.  I think their names are Baxton and Sasha and they are fro...

 Day 29 I hiked down the Devils Slide Trail to Idyllwild.  Another Deadfall The first snow I encountered on the PCT  I must remember to check to see how far out if town my hotel is. I booked a room in a cabin 2 miles out of town and had to hike, uphill most of the way before a friendly couple, who  were staying at the same place gave me a lift. My left Achilles Tendon is acting up. Did some resupply.  Day 30 I thought I  had scored a good deal. Made a reservation ( at a good price ) at the Idyllwild Inn, right in the middle of town. I got a little lucky "Grumpy" doesn't normally go out by where I stayed last night,  but he had enough time to swing by, pick me up and shuttle me into town. So I did my resupply and waited until 3 PM to check in. Oops ! My reservation is for tomorrow! The Idyllwild Inn's website won't let you reserve a room on the day you arrive in town. This is so hikers without Cell Service have a chance of getting a room when they get t...