Day 41, Night hiking will never be the same.

Going 30 miles with a mountain lion?

Mile 572 to Robin Bird Spring trail mile 602

Most miles hiked so far.

This morning is like most. Wake at 4am, breakfast of oatmeal and on the trail by 5. Drew had left about 20 min before me.

I was feeling really good this morning I did some really good stretching before I left camp. I was hiking pretty fast. I caught up to drew pretty quickly. We where headed to the next water source which was Golden Oaks spring 10.35 miles from our campsite.

I can't believe how good I feel. I past by where Indy was camped. (Sizzler, Indy and I shared a private room at the Big Bear Hostel) I talked to him a bit we both where headed to the Spring. He was camped about couple miles away from the spring.

I past a couple girls that had some really big packs on. I have a feeling they haven't been on the trail very long or they where doing a short backpacking trip. I stopped to talk to them. Elaine and Christina from Texas. This is their 3rd day on the trail. They started in Tehachapi (where I did yesterday). They where already pretty beat and there biggest day was 10 miles. Which is crazy for me to think about since it was almost 9 and I had done almost 10 already. But they are just starting. (They mentioned not training prior) We talked for a bit and I told them how far they where from the spring.

Indy caught up to me and we got to the spring just after 9am. Trailblazer was there with a couple other hikers.

I filled up about 5 litres the next water is 20 miles. Drew showed up along with the two girls from texas. I cant believe how big there packs are. I watched them put their packs on. It was a two person effort to get them on. yikes. I feel bad for them. It's a quick learning curve we all go through.

A couple guys from Canada showed up. Dillion and Frasier. Along with there other hiker partner Apache.

Most everyone had left. Indy was going to go 20 miles to the Next water source Robin Bird Spring. I was thinking it would be nice to get 30 miles today. Drew looks at me funny when I suggest going 30 miles lol.

We decide that it was to early to siesta. so a few more miles are in order.

We hike on. Man I love these new shoes my feet feel fantastic. We have gone like 3 or so more mile and we agree the next shade we are taking it. I walked a head There is a lot of burnt forest here not much shade. I pasted a couple trees with shade but none really good for me to want to stop. I continue on next thing I know I'm miles away from any shade what so ever and I'm walking in the heat of the day. I put up the umbrella and keep going. there is a campsite 5 miles away. That is where I am going. It's so dam miserable right now. I Don't see Drew anywhere he must have stopped a couple miles back. I am so thirsty...

I finally got to the campsite at mile 592. It's just after 3pm so 20 miles for the day is pretty good. Those last 10 miles where shit burnt forest no shade no water. I figured Drew would end up here when it gets cooler. I cooked dinner and ate snacks. I checked to see how much water was in my MSR Dromedary bag... yikes less than a liter and I have 10 miles to get to next water source. I wouldn't have cooked dinner if I would have known I was that low. Looks like I'm going to night hike and do the 10 miles while it's really cool. I laid down for a bit and rested my legs and feet.

It's almost 6pm I know it will take about 4 hours to go 10 miles so I should get to Camp at 10pm. Ok I can do this. 30 mile day here I come.

It was nice the landscape turned into nice thick forest. I hiked on and the sun was setting. I was feeling really good. I was running on the down hills. Moving right a long. I got out my head lamp as the ambient light started to fade. The Temperature was perfect.

The Mind is a funny thing...

I started thinking about animals that live in forest and what not. I heard something crashing in the sticks down the hill next to the trail I flipped on my head lamp to see a huge dark animal 10 feet away! holy shit it's... a cow. "Dammit Betsy you scared the shit out of me." I yelled at the startled cow. I just laughed as I carried on.

The mind is a funny thing I tell you. It's pitch black out. I was thinking to myself it would suck to see glowing eyes right about now. I turned a corner and of course what the hell do I see. Two sets of eyes staring at me from up the hill behind this half ass wall of brush and trees. I stopped dead in my tracks trying to decided what I was looking at. I started yelling "Get the hell out of here" and banged my poles together. The eyes on left took off to the left with a crashing sound and was dead silent and out of sight. The others stayed still looking right at me. I thought its just deer. I ran towards the eyes banging poles and yelling whatever came to mind. The eyes stayed still. Huge eyes really close together. I thought that is a mountain lion. Thats a mountain lion. SHIT. what the hell do I do. I'm 5 miles from the campsite which is over 2 hours away. The only thing I can think of is scare this thing away. yelling curse words and what nots. It's not doing the trick. I grabbed a rock and threw it. I can tell whatever it was is crouching down low. cause It stood up and leaped to the right and was gone and dead silent.

I cant say for sure what it was. But in my mind I had just seen two mountain lions. I am freaking the F out right now. You can imagine the thoughts going through my head where not thoughts of reason but fear...

I was hiking as fast as I could to just get to campsite. I was carrying a big rock and holding my hiking pole like a sword haha. I was shining my head lamp side to side and behind me as fast as I could. To Make this worse I came to a spot in the trail where I could see behind me for a long distance. and Guess what I saw. Two sets of eyes behind me bobbing up and down as they came down the trail. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW. They or something is coming down the trail behind me.

Regardless of whatever it was. My mind is my worst enemy at this point. I tried to realized that. I tried to think other things and just hike on. But When LaZboy is alone with just LaZboy crazy thoughts run ramped. Every time I look at the Halfmile app I'm 3 miles away. I check it again later and I'm 3 miles away. Check it again and again I'm 3 miles away WTF. I walked which felt like over a hour and I haven't gotten any closer. I had heard the tone from my phone that I received an email. Which tells me I have cell service. I thought this would be a good time to make a phone call to free my mind of my thoughts. I called Jordan but the call kept dropping. I gave up and put my phone in my pocket and I pocket dialed my dad and he called back. I told him my story so far. He of course asked why I was hiking alone. We talked for a while. I was about a mile from the camp ground. I passed the 600 mile mark someone made with stones on the ground and just kept walking. No pictures this time. I came to small clearing where two sets of small beady eyes stared at me. What the heck? "Skunks!" My dad asked "what do you mean skunks?" "There are two skunks right in front of me!" One of them turn tail and scurried away. The other one flipped up its tail and was doing front hand stands at me. It was holding its ground. I started throwing rocks at it and finally it decided to leave.

What's next that's all I can think about...

The last 5 miles... Pure adrenalin.

I can see the sign for the Robin Bird Spring in 100 yards. I can feel myself finally relaxing. It's a little after 10pm. I see some tents and I say good by to my dad and I set up my tent. Crawl inside and proceed to clean the dirt from my feet and legs. I'm about to blow up my bed and make dinner and hear a bitchy female voice telling me to shut off my light... My first thought is "sorry I know it's late" so I shut off my light. But thoughts following are piss off its a campsite you should expect people may come in late and just cover your eyes. I was respectful and I just went to bed without dinner and without blowing up my bed. I'm such a nicehole (as my friend Scottie would say)

Sorry no photos or videos. It was the last thing on my mind today.

Oh yeah I checked my miles and it was actually only 29.02 miles. Dammit.

- Posted from my iPhone