PCT catch-up blog part 5

The next day in Big Bear was a zero day, but it was also Date Night for Robin and me. Robin was having no cravings on the trail at all, so I thought I’d take her someplace fancy. I found a neat little French restaurant, but it never seemed to be open, so I couldn’t make reservations. This turned out to be a good thing, because when I saw Robin at Onyx Summit, she said she finally had a craving - chicken wings!

So for date night, Robin chose the restaurant, and we went to a sports bar.

Best. Wifey. Ever.

We ate $10 hot dogs and the best wings we’d had since Bozeman, and closed up date night with a trip to the North Pole Fudge Factory and an oversized hot fudge sundae.

The next day the girls went back to the trail. I spent some more time in Big Bear, and on my last night there, I finally found Pukie and Voodoo Cheese (and now Stephen), who were staying with Darin at Darin’s family lake house. They invited me to stay with them, and we watched basketball, drank Old Fashioneds made with Crown, and I taught three more people how to play cribbage. It was a great night for me, but I haven’t seen them since.

The next day I drove to Wrightwood to meet up with Hedgehog and Boo Boo, who were heading to the east coast to go to Boo Boo’s graduation. Along the way I saw someone hiking along the freeway. It was strange because I knew the trail was quite a distance from the highway, so I pulled over and offered him a gatorade.

Turns out it was Lion King, who had thru hiked the PCT in the past, and in 2009 thru-hiked the ADT. ADT thru-hikers are rare, and when he met up with Toots later they had some notes to compare about the trail. I gave Lion King a ride to Wrightwood and found Hedgehog and Boo Boo.

The two of them took care of me for the next day and a half. They got me a room at the NICE hotel, and took me out for dinner and breakfast. This trail angeling thing is hard work, you know? Seems like whenever I see Magic Man or his daughter I get spoiled.

The next day I drove them to LAX for their cross-country flight, and went back to the mountains, once again safe from city traffic.