Day 16

Arrastre Trail Camp (mile 256.2) to Big Bear City

PCT Miles: 9.9 (15.8km)

Total Miles: 266.1 (425.8km)

What a cold night! I think this was the first night that it was below freezing 🥶 brrrrr. Waking up at 5:30, getting out of my warm sleeping bag and unpitching the tent when it’s cold is so so difficult. The tent poles feel like ice bars in your hands. It was the first

morning so far that I started hiking with my puff jacket on (plus gloves and windbreaker).

It didn’t take long though for the sun to come up and for me so start peeling off my layers. At 7:30 or so I was already hiking on full desert mode.

The hiking day itself was pretty short and uneventful. At 10 I was already waiting for a trail angel (Kenny) to pick me up. I needed to resupply for the coming days and my initial plan was to take a zero tomorrow in Big Bear. Kenny brought me to his place, where he hosts hikers. Such a crazy place! There was freshly made breakfast (french toast 🍞, eggs 🍳 and chili potatoes 🌶️🥔! I also met some of people that I had been hiking with in the past days and some of the people that I met last night on camp. With one similarity between them all: they were all sick. And when I say sick, I mean sick.

One of the assumptions is that it could have been the water from the demoniac mission creek from the past days. It’s weird because everybody filters the water. I for sure drank from the creek at some point (although I don’t remember when or how much).

The other possibility would be a virus that’s infecting everyone. I found this quite fascinating since it seems that everybody got sick at the exact same time. BUT there’s this norovirus thing going on here in the US and the symptoms seem to match.

Also… the norovirus is waterborne and our filters don’t filter virus, only bacteria 🦠🤯.

We’re 13 people at Kenny’s Place and so far only 4 are not sick. Fingers crossed, knocking on wood!

In any case, during the day I went to resupply. I thought Big Bear would be cosy like Idyllwild, but it was more like a bigger town, bigger streets kind of vibe. I went to the gear shop and to the supermarket and fully resupplied for 5-6 days. Kenny, such a nice dude, drove me and other healthy hikers back and forth.

So, I decided that I won’t take a zero tomorrow. Physically I feel fine and I see no strong reason to stay here. Unless — fingers crossed, knocking on wood — I feel sick tonight.