First and foremost, I want to say Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom in Anchorage and my awesome grandma in West Lafayette, IN. I enjoyed many fond memories of the annual Merrell-Kleedehn Mother's Day hikes in search of the elusive Calpyso orchid today. Those were some great times.
Today was a long day but we got the job done. We left camp around 6 and put in about 7 miles before stopping at the final Mission Creek crossing which was our last water for the day. I was starving and pounded a box of mac and cheese, a peanut butter bagel sandwich, a candy bar, and about half a cup of straight peanut butter even though it was only 9:30. I hung out at the creek until about 11:30 before deciding it was time to put in a few more miles. We were up high today, so the heat was a little more manageable. In addition, we were in more treed terrain, making the shade easier to come by.
After leaving the creek, my approach was slow and steady. I was weighed down with 5 liters of water, but my pack didn't feel too bad as I've burned through most of my food. I took shorter but more frequent breaks. Histo and Extra Credit were on the same schedule.....Unfortunately, Extra Credit's ankle is quite sore, but she really toughed it out today.
I'm now camped near the Onyx Summit with Histo and Extra Credit. About two miles before camp, we passed by this massive compound with huge animals (lions, tigers, bears, etc.) It was right next to the trail. It turns out they are film stunt animals. A lion was roaring as we approached. They definitely added a little spice to the evening....glad we didn't stumble upon them night hiking.
It's about 13 miles into Big Bear Lake tomorrow. We're all tired and ready for a break. This has been a tough stretch. I'm hanging in there, but my feet are definitely sore. While it's very common to lose toe nails from all the hiking, my trail family is a bit concerned that I may be losing an entire toe! At this point, I'm just hoping for the best and counting down the miles to a day off!
You're a chip off the old block, Kristy. You and your Mom are both so tough. She would've made you proud on Sunday - she had a great Gold Nugget Triathlon showing (not to mention making the front page of the newspaper).
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