The best lump forming mat ever!

18th may left Ziggy and the Bear....

Felt really good. Must have been that pizza and ice cream before bed! Carpet flooring was great especially as my air mattress has got a hole - which makes for an extremely comfortable night on stones, twigs and anything else that will ensure I sleep like a baby!!. Hope to pick up another air mat in big bear lake - even though I hadn't planned to stop there. 

Oh yes, and I had another first!  Today was the day for filtered water from the creek .... and I am still alive 😀😀. Found a wee spot by the creek for the night, it was perfect and so peaceful with water running nearby😀 got out of bed at 7.30am.... Late late late 😀

19th may .... Hills hills hills!!! Up out of the canyon.... 3000 to 8000 ft.

I was crazy slow but probably it was something to do with running out of food, protein and energy bars! Always good to test - I can now state that x2 packets of Ramen noodle soup in two days (and 40 miles of hill walking) is possible but not recommended. Stunning pictures and views though. At the end of the day, I landed up in a cabin - no windows etc. but had a bit of a blair witch scenario. 

Big bear tomorrow - beer, air bed, food and coffee 😀 .... Hmmmmmm heaven! 

20th May. After a 10 mile detour (darn it!) - I got to big bear lakes and managed to find the hostel. Straight into the coffee house and had a latte before finding the super market and gear shop to get my new air mattress... But can you believe it?!? Darn it again.... they only had an uber thin 'roll blinkin mat' that are about as comfortable as sleeping on concrete ... but on a positive it was blue, light and blue .... yes, it was blue. 

21stTried out the tarp (tent replacement) tonight and my lovely new BLUE roll mat. After leaving the group at the exposed site, I headed down the road in search for water and a place to stay for the night.... I found a great place, sheltered and next to the water filled creek. Perfect, or so I thought.

Sadly the night was long and noisy from the wet flapping tarp that at one stage stuck to my face through the insect net of the bivvi and my wonderful BLUE (yes, thats right, its good to keep reflecting on the positives) roll mat that kept on scrunching up into hard balls each time I turned over (currently the muscles require a rate of one turn per minute) so that added to comfort and delight of
the night! But heck, who needs sleep after 20 miles of hill walking with a backpack weighing a
couple or so stone! Clearly not me and set me up for the next day extremely well.

Before .... Hmmmmm..... 

In the morning!! 

22nd May, all was well ... Well,  only after finding out a couple of miles down the track (and a call from fellow hikers) that I was on .... wasn't actually the PCT trail!  Lost again! 

23rd May after several miles walking around the lake I eventually found the very large and empty picnic site. All was well (clearly these are the famous last words), but I was tired after a good, uneventful 22 miles. This was of course until about 3am after a night of animals sniffing and skirting my bivvi and of course my wonderfully luxurious lump forming BLUE roll mat that sticks to sleeping bags like glue. At 3am there was the rumble of thunder and lightning - it must be the famous lightning storms I thought. Great! However as I was safely under the trees! near water without my flapping tarp up, it ensured that for the first few minutes I was able to convince myself that it was a dream. Sadly on the second thunder and flash there was only one thing for it. Up, out and I scooped up my bivvi, rucksac etc and ran to camp toilets ... I waited. No rain and no more thunder. Humph.... So I decided, as I was up, I would pack up and head to the trail. 😀

24th arrived at macdonalds after quick 13.5 miles. At 10.30 ish ... Big mac, 2 cups of coffee, chips, sprite and a cherry pie that i hadnt had for 20 years. Although I recognised why I had left it for 20 years ... It still tasted fantastic. I mean noddles and chilli verses cherry pie? Of course the cherry pie wins.  

Back to the mountains again, stomach full and pack full of water. I found a nook half way up the mountain... although it may well be a  human litter tray ... It was a preferred option compared to perching myself on the ledge of the trail path .... Cause i know that with my blue lump forming mat and luck - the upshot would be me rolling down the hill!

Morning view 

25th it was 19 miles up up and more up with 1 stoney mile down - the most painful mile ever. It was a mile 19.5 I decided to take a day off. My first full zero (that I had volunteered). Landed up in a motel cabin and after a few beers in a local bar and my first bireto?!  ... I hit the bed and slept my first good night sleep for 5 days 😀

26th big breakfast in Wrightwood - the world is good 😀. Such a lazy day.