Miles hiked: 20.9
Mile marker: 328.8
I really need to patch this hole in my sleeping mat. I tried to in Big Bear, but it didn’t work.
I mix my cappuccino and Abuelita’s — a Mexican hot chocolate that tastes a bit like red hot candies and soap when cold — and Dad and I get on the road.
The hot springs look enticing this morning as I watch a woman in a swimsuit walk toward them. I could get into the hot spring now if I wanted, but then I’d be wet. And cold.
Not ten minutes into the hike and I take my fleece off. The sun peaks over the hills and casts a golden beam through the sky. I follow Dad up a ridge made of hard pact sand and rocks. Across the river, the light of the sun catches the small boulders and casts ripples of shadows across the landscape.
Dad and I discuss my potential trail name — Tailwind. I think it’s pretty cool, but I suppose I always have the thought that there’s a better, cooler name out there. Or maybe people will always assume the worst about my name: “Don’t get in Katy’s tailwind!”
The fact is that I’m riding in the tailwind of my dad and that’s why I can cover so many miles on trail.
Tails. It has a nice ring to it.
We arrive at rainbow bridge, and arched bridge that someone painted rainbow, and I look across at the beautiful river. I look down to see a giant rock under water. I vaguely wonder what would happen if I jumped off the bridge. Would I land on rocks under the water? Sand?
It starts to get warm now. The sun casts long shadows as we continue walking. Dad points out an upside down tree with a big rock attached to the roots. How cool!
Bumper joins us as we walk down the ridge and toward a wash that looks like a skatepark to me.
It’s a giant cement pad with walls on either side. Pink, purple, and green graffiti lines both sides of the wall.
Dad cries an animal call of sorts and the echo goes on for miles. I follow suit, my voice cracking at the end. The echo travels for about ten seconds. It just goes and goes.
Dad, Bumper, Lucie, and I are all sprawled out in the middle of this pad the size of a house. I eat a funfetti pop tart — a flavor Rafiki raved about — and give everyone a piece to try. None of us really like it.
Bumper is a guy with brown shoulder length hair who sometimes wears bright blue shorts with cookies on them and always has a couple of license plates attached to his pack. Now he’s wearing some dance pants because he’s chafing.
Lucie is a woman about my age with a long braid, travels with deodorant, and has a turtle attached to her pack. She’s from the Czech Republic.
We continue walking along this path while it gets hot. A river crossing has us paused so we can grab some water and soak our shirts. I slowly pull the soaking wet sleeve onto my wrists before pulling it over my head.
It’s always so cold!
My socks and bandana rinsed, we continue on. I’m walking behind Dad when I see a black coil.
“Whoa!” I jump back.
It’s a black rattlesnake. He’s looking as cozy as a cat in an armchair, his tongue sticking out and going back in. He doesn’t rattle at us, though.
I step backward into Bumper, but he doesn’t move because he’s looking over my shoulder. This is Bumper’s first rattlesnake he’s seen on trail!
He finally sidesteps so I take shelter behind him and Lucie.
We go up into the grass and rocks and go around. Dad walked right past him! And I would have too if I hadn’t seen him!
We probably pass so many rattle snakes out here.
We walk together until we reach a tunnel of trees. I sit on the log-bench and straddle a knot in the log. Bad idea.
“There’s a caterpillar on you. I can get it with my sleeve,” I say to Lucie, awkwardly pulling my sleeve over my hand.
Lucie, sitting on the log with me, gently plucks the caterpillar from her shoulder, then, out of no where, chucks it four feet away from her into the trees.
I stared, mouth agape, and we both bust out laughing.
Meanwhile, Bumper was trying to warn her not to touch it with her bare fingers because they may be prickly. Their spines can be skin irritants!
We find a lunch spot by a river and all sit in a circle under some trees. Rafiki is napping with his feet elevated on a tree nearby.
We finish up lunch and soak our shirts again. The sun beats down on our backs.
I have to pause a couple of times to adjust my shoelace. It’s too tight, and I still haven’t got a handle on these shoelaces!
I’m walking quickly to try to catch up with Bumper and Lucie. Rafiki is with me and Dad is somewhere behind.
I walk for a while without them, my chafe bothering me today. I’ve used about half the tube of Desitin Dad lent me. I’ll need to get a new one soon at this rate.
Bumper and Lucie are sitting on a slope in semi shadows, red faced and sweating. Rafiki and I join them. A few minutes later and Dad is with us too.
It’s really uncomfortable here. My feet are holding up my body, so there’s a lot of pressure on them. They feel hot and tight.
We keeping going until we arrive at a road. There’s a big space by the road and we all lay out on the pine needles and rocks. Shoes and socks off and snacks in hand!
Norovirus is looming over us. There was a breakout and they think it was spread by someone with the virus using the water cache where we’re going.
“Maybe we should buy water from the gas station and pack it out,” I say. It would be a big water carry.
“We’ll all be sick at the hotel in Wrightwood!” I say.
“We’ll all look like we’re in a bobsled if we pile into the bathtub together,” Lucie says. We both bust out laughing at the image.
We continue on. It’s slightly breezy but we fly through the next portion. We’re five miles away from camp. My legs are chafing but I don’t want to slow down. Lucie is ahead of me, and she didn’t even train much for the trail. I’m inspired by her ability and push myself harder.
The lake appears next to us. It’s big and blue and inviting. The weather is cooling down, so I’m not sure I’ll want to go swimming in it. My chafe is still alive, and it’s chafing me in new spots.
We go through trees and ridges. Toward the end we’re flying through grass as tall as me. It feels like a video game when the grass closes in front of me from Lucie getting ahead and I can’t see anything. Next thing I know, I can see and I need to turn the corner and jump over a dried creek.
My chafe pain has dissolved a bit. We come to an open road. It feels nice for a moment to walk on cement. Then it hurts. It feels foreign to walk on the hard ground for so long, even though it’s a slight incline. We wander to the trailhead (following Dad).
Some more wandering, asking a couple people for help, and we find tent site! The office is closed and there is no way to pay for a site. We settle down and decide to go to the box tomorrow to pay.
I eat an udon bomb, wash my bandana in the spicket while the others order pizza — not me, I have too much food to carry — and later walk on Rafiki’s back.
Lucie offers a shoulder — since I was limited without anything to hold onto — so I jump on Rafiki’s back again, holding onto Lucie, and Rafiki groans loudly. Lucie, Bumper and I are laughing (even though Bumper is only listening to us and not watching).
Rafiki is not too happy. And not sure if his back is better or worse.
The mosquitoes are a cloud above us, swept to and fro by the wind. It’s like an ocean wave pulling and pushing something along the shoreline. They hum a high pitched song, like a symphony of flutes.
Next thing I know and I’m in bed. The others go out for a late night pizza party and eat u til they’re uncomfortably full.
Me? Bedtime!
McDonald’s tomorrow!
The Wonderland Journal 
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