Day 21, May 8: Mile 266.1 to 286.7

• Start: Mile 266.1

• End: Mile 286.7

• Miles: 20.6

• Ascent: 2464 | Descent: 2954

I woke up early at the Airbnb with my family and got to wish my mom a happy Mother’s Day and give her a hug! It was too short of trip with my family, but I’m hoping I get to see them again a little later on the trail.

My dad graciously agreed to drive me to pick up the rest of my hiker friends and take us all to the trailhead. The 7 of us piled into his truck with some of us in the bed, and we got to the trailhead around 6:30 or so.

I have my dad a big hug and a thank you and we set off. The miles were pretty cruisey, and there was a small easy climb that felt nice as it was not too warm.

After a little while, I caught up to Topo, Christina and Power Plant and we had a quick breakfast break on some logs. I can feel the hiker hungry really settling in now, as it feels like I can eat a big snack and be pretty much immediately hungry again.

After breakfast, I hiked with Christina for a bit and we had a nice girl chat. It was great to get to know her a little more and find some similarities in our upbringings and family dynamics. After a bit, we caught up to the others, who were relaxing at a water source. We chatted and relaxed together in the sun for a bit and continued on.

As usual, I was behind the group and took my time, enjoying the sweeping views of Big Bear Lake below. There were some ominous gray clouds rolling in over the lake, and I wondered if it was going to be particularly cold night.

I came to a junction in the trail that I didn’t realize was a junction, and that I had started to take the wrong way, until I saw Topo coming up the trail the wrong way. I turned around and saw the turn I had missed. I asked Topo how far he had gone, and he said “far enough to be frustrated.”

Yet again, I was behind the group and caught up to them for a lunch break. Amazon and G were a bit farther ahead so the remaining 5 of us rested under the shade of a pine tree. I ate a delectable peanut butter-m&m tortilla wrap.

I was getting cold so I got up earlier than the rest of the group. It turns out Amazon and G were less than a mile ahead of us, so I saw them shortly after and took another lunch break with them. The sun and the breeze were so lovely.

G and I hiked together the rest of the afternoon, and there was a miscommunication because the rest of the group went ahead of the spot we had said we’d reconvene at. My feet were hurting and I feeling tired so G and I camped a couple miles before the rest of them. We had a quick dinner, set up our tents and fell asleep before the sun went down.