Day 13 - (5/8/12) - The Idyllwild Shuffle

Contents:  Forbes Ranch Trail Junction to Idyllwild (11.9 miles + 2.5 to access Idyllwild via Devil's Slide Trail)

We made it to Idyllwild!  I had prepared myself for a tough day but wound up feeling way better than expected.  I started the morning with my blisters well cleaned and thoroughly taped and that made a big difference.  We did a lot of climbing and were well above 8000 feet but the scenery was spectacular.  We spent much of our time traversing below a long ridge where we enjoyed great views of the Palm Springs/Desert Springs areas.  The mountains were very craggy with beautiful granite.  We also encountered our first snow of the trip.  I was definitely reminded of the mountains on Icicle Canyon and the Lower Enchantments at home.

I ate a ton today and I think that's what got me through the day so easily.  I had food leftover due to the Cinco de Mayo party and the restaurant stop, so I was able to refuel whenever I started to feel fatigued.  The interesting terrain also helped.  After the long traverse, we descended into a valley with huge trees, lots of snow patches, more granite, and soft, sandy trail.  It was pretty perfect.  Extra Credit, Karl, Snausage, Wildflower, Nips, Portrait, and I gathered for lunch at a stream before the final push to Idyllwild.  We had to descend a 2.5 mile side trail called the Devil's Slide in order to get to the road.  The Devil's Slide was steep, but not nearly as heinous as we'd anticipated, and it was there that I perfected the Idyllwild Shuffle, a highly efficient run-skip-slide combination that virtually eliminates foot pain.  It looked like there were a ton of great climbing routes as well, almost like a little Yosemite.  We were all in high spirits heading down the trail.

Once we made it to the trail head, we started walking down the road and were picked within a mile by a guy named Herc.  Herc was awesome. He let us pile into the bed of his truck and even gave us a tour of town before dropping us off at the campground.

After showers, we hit the local pizza pub where we spent the duration of the evening, with the exception of a quick trip across the street to the grocery for Ben and Jerry's ice cream which we brought back to the pub.  Many, many pizzas and pictures later, the aches and pains of the trail have become distant memories.  It's amazing what a good meal can do!

We're staying in Idyllwild tomorrow.  I plan to hit the grocery to resupply, visit the gear shop in search of Super Feet, take another shower (Yes, it was pointed out that I still have dirt caked into my arms at dinner!), do a real load of laundry, visit the post office, and relax as much as possible.  The town is great and it is going to be tempting to wander, but I want to give my feet a chance to recover as much as possible.