Day 10: Idle awhile in Idyllwild

Day 10 – 5/1/16

Idyllwild 179.39

I finally got to sleep in for the first time since I started. I went to sleep around 9:30 pm and didn’t get up until around 7:30 am.  I got up and laid on the couch still sleepy and watched some minions movie with the boys.  My other cousin Chad came by around 9 to take me back to Idyllwild for the rest of my Zero (a zero day is when no miles are hiked). We stopped to get breakfast on the way and I got a giant breakfast burrito with fresh fruit.

I got back to Idyllwild around 11:15, said goodbye to Chad and told him I would not be shaving my beard for his wedding in September. I walked up to the coffee place right next to Idyllwild inn to drop my stuff off and see where Jim and Justice were hanging out. I saw one of the hikers I was with since day 1 and haven’t seen since Warner Springs. I talked with him for a few minutes while I texted Jim. Found Jim laying against a big pile of wood chips behind Idyllwild Inn. I pulled out my foam pad and sat next to him and told him how great my night was down in Hemet with my cousin.

After a bit I got up to go across the street to the store to get a few things for tomorrow. I walked around the small store looking for a smart water bottle but couldn’t find one. I went and looked around at some other stores and a gas station but didn’t have any luck. I settled on just grabbing an Arrowhead 1 liter bottle that I’ll toss once I find a smart water bottle.  The smart water bottles are pretty durable and fit well in my side pouches. I broke one of the caps on mine and just tossed the whole thing thinking I could get another one in Idyllwild. Guess that’s what I get for thinking.

I got back to the pile of wood chips and talked to Jim some more until I really had to use the bathroom around 1. It’s kinda frustrating that I can’t just go pee on any old bush I see like I can on the trail. So I went to the front office to see if they had a bathroom or if our cabin was ready yet. No bathroom but our cabin was ready. So I ran back outside to grab Jim since he paid for it on his card.

The cabin is pretty nice. You walk in and there is a living room with a fire place and gas heater, a bedroom with a big bed, bathroom, and in the back is a kitchen on one side and two small beds on the other side.

On the wall is a little notice that says not to draw or mark on the walls yet the walls are just covered from people carving their names or initials.

Apparently my parents have been to this cabin.

Spent a couple hours relaxing in the cabin while it was hailing outside. The hail was about the size of bbs.  Once the hailing stopped and was a light drizzle I walked over to Nomad Ventures, a gear outfitter, and got a rain jacket. I had been using my umbrella, wind jacket, and my tent floor is detachable and can be used as a poncho but it’s a pain. So I broke down and just bought a dedicated rain jacket. I might send back my wind jacket since it seems redundant now.

After I got back with my shiny new rain jacket Jim and I went across the street to get some pizza. We sat with some other hikers . A couple from Switzerland and a girl from Poland. They were fun to talk to. The pizza place has a little poster board that they tape Polaroids of hikers too. Kinda cool. They are running out of room already though. They are going to need a bigger board.

After dinner Jim and I went to the store and I got a pint of cookie dough ice cream Walked back to the cabin and I inhaled the ice cream in about 5 seconds. Was a pretty relaxing “zero” in Idyllwild. I say “zero” since my phone shows I still did 10,000 steps today. I wasn’t supposed to walk at all! How did I walk so much?!

Tomorrow will be a short day setting ourselves up for the long waterless stretch down mount San Jacinto. Dropping close to 8,000 feet to the desert floor where we will walk under the I-10.  After that we will have to do anot her detour to get to Big Bear. About 60 miles and a good chuck of that is road walking and service road walking. Mile 236 to 256 is closed due to the fire last year but there really is no option except to completely skip from 210 to around 270. So if you see me on my tracking map no where near the trail in a few days that is why. Kind of ducks that I’m having to skip so much of the trail but I don’t have any other option.