Big Bear- Acton

Hello folks! It’s been a bit since my last update, and there’s a lot to update on! This section was technically Big Bear to Wrightwood and Wrightwood to Acton, but I didn’t take much time off in Wrightwood so I am finally giving myself a day off in Acton. My third zero! 

We hiked into Acton on May 4, celebrating one month on trail. Even better, Acton is at mile 444.4, making it a fun mile to celebrate. There is a KOA on trail in Acton and many hikers stop here for a night or so to pick up resupply boxes or get rides into town. It is, however, a very dusty, dirty, run down and eclectic campground that I didn’t need to spend any extra time in, so we ubered to Lancaster for a big diner breakfast and to figure out our plans from there. My hiking bud Luke’s family friend met us there for hefty plates of omlettes and home fries (my ultimate town day breakfast), and then my parents met up with us and took us out to coffee! It’s not bad having the home town advantage on trail- I got spoiled with homemade hummus and cookies and my a la carte gear and resupply orders from home. 

We (Laura, Luke and I) spent the day off in a very cozy hotel room and were so glad to have a respite from packing up our sandy sleeping bags and putting on crusty socks. We got our resupply, ate multiple helpings worth of the continental breakfast, and took ourselves out for a Cinco de Mayo meal. We kept joking that although we love the trail, if any of us seriously suggested staying here for three more days, we would do it. 

Speaking of loving the trail, there was a lot to love about this section! We have made it halfway through the desert, and I’ve loved the desert section a lot more than I expected to. Likely because I’m accostumed to the Southern California heat and hiking in sand and in very exposed areas, I’ve stayed pretty positive about the conditions. The wildflowers are in bloom and they COVER the trail- tiny little poofs of white or yellow line the trail and give the sand an extra fun sparkle. 

On our way out of Big Bear, we passed mile marker 300 and hiked towards an infamous McDonalds that sits half a mile off trail in El Cajon. It’s tradition for hikers to stop here and carboload before they hike 27 miles straight uphill. My GI system not allowing me to indulge in the McMuffins like everyone else, I fueled up on coffee and orange juice instead. The hike out of El Cajon was tough but doable, and ended in a night of service road camping 22 miles later. Sleeping at about 7,500 ft, we were fully immersed in clouds all night.
 

My friend Laura’s dad, being a huge backpacker himself and having hiked this section before, prepared us that some of this next part was a “not very inspiring section of trail”. He was not wrong- we hiked under freeway passes and through little boggs that felt like I was in Forida and not the desert of California.
  

We ended up getting a ride into a town I never caught the name of for a few drinks to spice things up, then headed back to trail to finish off our trek to Wrightwood where my mom and a surprise guest, Helen, came to grab us for lunch! We refueled like usual in Wrightwood and stayed the night at a Trail Angel’s house for laundry, showers and dinner- we all said it was our most restful night in town. Laura and I got ourselves the best matcha lattes we’ve had in a long time, and we left Wrightwood after one night’s stay. 

We had gotten a late start on our day out of Wrightwood and found ourselves hiking late into the night up and down Mt. Baden- Powell. It shouldn’t have taken us as long as it did, but we found ourselves in sloppy snow and had to spend twice as long looking for the trail. Although tedious, this was one of my favorite days so far.
 

We had beautiful views the whole way up, and got to watch the lights of LA twinkle on our way down. 

It’s been a while since I set up my tent, I've taken up “cowboy camping” for the convenience- you throw down a sheet of tyvek and your sleep system and go to sleep right under the stars. After a long day of hiking and some sub par backcountry sleeping, it’s such a treat. I only worry about critters once in a while, and generally feel like I sleep just as well as I would in my tent. It makes for great views, too!

This next section is reportedly more hardcore desert- expecting sand to whip into our faces as we hike through wind farms and find respite under Joshua trees in the heat of the day. If so, I’m ready! 

Thanks for the continued support and encouragement. In light of Mother’s Day, a HUGE shout out to my mom who is now picking up my slack and making my backcountry dehydrated meals to order and being so invested in my success and wellbeing. I’m happy, healthy and well fed, and that wouldn’t be possible whatsoever without her. Thanks mamacita :))))

On my way to Hikertown and looking forward to hiking a very odd section of the trail- the LA aqueduct. Seeeee ya!