The hiking coming out of Idyllwild to Big Bear City has been challenging. The ascent out of Idyllwild toward and beyond Mount San Jacinto involved more than a mile in elevation gains, weighted with a pack full of food for five+ days, plus four liters of water at the end of that day. That actually wasn't enough water, though, as I ran out at 3pm the next day during the decscent out of the San Jacinto range -- that day was a decline of 6000+ feet down a slope fully exposed to sun, with occasional narrow trail ledges and overgrown pathways. Luckily I got to the "water fountain in the desert" at the bottom of the range (maintained by the local water agency) just over an hour later. It's been another overall 8000 feet in elevation gains over Tuesday-Thursday, and I'm taking a rest day in Big Bear City.
The euphoria and trepidation of the first few days has worn off. There are ups and downs with the scenery and how my body is feeling. The rest in Idyllwild was key for being able to handle the strains of the past week. The difficulty of the terrain coming up looks moderate, so I'm expecting the next couple of days to go okay. Temperatures wise, in this area the nights are down to freezing levels; that's been challenging.
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| View of Idyllwild from above |
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| Coming down from San Jacinto, view of the Interstate 10 corridor, artery between Los Angeles and Phoenix. |
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| Redwood trees on the way to Big Bear City |
