Day 18 Miles: 21 Creekside camp to Arrastre Trail camp We have big plans to go big miles today – I still don’t want to get up. My infected blisters from last night don’t look better but they don’t look worse. “What are you going to do about them,”asks J.   “Walk twenty-one miles on…

Day 17 Miles: 17 From whitewater preserve to a creekside camp on the north fork of mission creek “You don’t have to hike at all today if you don’t want to,” I tell myself. That’s so I get out of bed. Getting out of the tarp is bizarre – where have I ended up? We…

Day 16 Miles: 18 From lower san jacinto (mile 201) to whitewater preserve The tarp stood up to the wind all night, but we were sand- blasted anyway. I kept pulling my sleeping bag over my head, to keep out the sand, but then I’d wake up a little later drenched in sweat. I’d wake…

Day 15 Miles: 18 San Jacinto peak to camp near base at mile 201 Didn’t sleep that well, but when I walk outside for the first time this morning, the view stops me in my tracks. “Wow!” My early morning brain forgot to remind me that I was at nearly 11,000 ft. I’m starting off…

Day 14 Miles: 10 Idyllwild to San Jacinto peak The sun us coming in the window but I ignore it. “Do we want to get up?” asks J.    “I want to stay here foreeeeever,” I whine, and pull the covers over my head.    “Well we can stay until 11:59,” he replies equably, then…

Day 13 Miles: zero Idyllwild Zero days may not involve any hiking, but they aren’t very restful. It’s all a blur of chores and hordes of thru-hikers hanging around, and lots of money spent. J and I are re- supplied for our next leg. I’ve got a new pair of shoes in an extremely obnoxious…