idyllwild, ca (and some pictures)

a nero (nearly zero trail miles) day in idyllwild. heavy on the idle, light on the wild. had a fantastic evening hike last night with a few other hikers. hadn't planned on doing a 27 mile day this early, but the views were incredible with the evening light and we just didn't want to stop. the san jacintos have certainly moved themselves up in my list of beautiful places to hike. it's a strange feeling to look down from 8400 feet all the way to the near-sea-level desert floor (well, palm springs is something like 475 feet, but are we going to split hairs here?).

i'm about 178 miles into the hike. feeling great. some minor aches and pains, but all standard stuff while my body gets used to the idea that i'm not stopping anytime soon. i'm having a lot of fun, and my mind is already working to figure out how i can get back on the trail next summer!

the past few days have included: a free barbecue (ate a ton of beans with incredibly spicy hot sauce after the host, mike, said "it's not hot, it's just vinegar hot." yeah right, tell that to my melting lips.), a 7:30 am tequila shot (with same mike), a 24 mile slack pack from Nitro, more trail magic at highway 74 from Hector (the second time i've gotten trail magic from him so far), carrying nearly five heavy liters of water up into the san jacintos so i could avoid the long off-trail accesses to springs, and an epic evening hike through much of the san jacinto wilderness - culminating in Mystic the Nuclear Nighthawk, Tomato, Chris, and myself cowboy camping (sleeping in the open) on the trail itself between snow banks.

simply superb.



excited to be hiking with my lead weight (dangling from the back of the pack).


san jacinto range at dusk, looking south. i believe that's south peak in the foreground.

video of sink laundry, a thru-hiker staple (you never know what's happened in your hotel sink, people):