6/6/2023
Section: Mile post 266.1 to 266.1
Distance: 0 Miles
Moving Time: 0 hrs
Elevation Gain: 0 ft
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Not sure why but 0 days have been stressful. I think you accummulate a bunch of to-do’s on the trail and then have 1 day to get them all done. Go to the post office, go to the grocery store, do laundry, etc. etc. and before you know it the day is over and you have no idea if you got everything done. Big Bear was no exception to this and the fact that it is a much larger city than either Julien or Idyllwild made it even more so. It might have had something to do with losing power for half the day but can’t say that’s everything.
We tried to sleep in as usual and failed both getting up around 6 am. The good news was that the place everyone had been raving about for breakfast, the Grizzly Manor Cafe, was also open early. So, we got up and headed down the street, excited to see what was in store. We found the cafe to be a classic, hole-in-the-wall place sandwiched between a Denny’s and a Taco Bell - but the smells from outside were extremely promising. We stepped in and were greated by a smiling man in his mid-thirties who seemed to be the waiter and the chef all at once - managing a set of large cook-tops visible in the middle of the establishment. “Sit anywhere you like!!” He shouted at us as we came in. We took a two seater next to another couple hiking the PCT. His name was Bangarang and i couldn’t remember her name but he was the one who had gotten ants all up in his pants on the way to Idyllwild. We hadn’t really talked to them and they didn’t seem to be super chatty so we took our seats and perused the menu. Amanda ended up going with French Toast and I went with a plate called te “Blob” - scambled eggs, biscuits and gravey, and hash browns plus a side of grits. It was disgusting and wonderful all at the same time and I’m happy to say I did some good work on it.
After breakfast, Amanda and I briefly went back to the AirBnB before taking a “divide and conquer” approach to the day. Amanda headed off to the post-office to get the resupply box her parents had sent us and I went the opposite direction to do laundry and pick up some odds-and-ends at the grocery store. Big Bear runs an awesome free shuttle which helped dramatically as distances in this town were far greater than Julien or Idyllwild. I made a stop at US Bank to grab some cash before stopping in at the laundromat. I unceremoniously dumped all of our laundry in before adding a box of Tide detergent to the mix and plugging in 8 quarters to make the machine start. While waiting for the laundry I went across the street to a small jerky shop and picked up some snacks for the next stage and then to the grocery store to grab some breakfasts - more grits - and get Amanda a bell pepper. Back at the laundromat I ran our clothes through another wash cycle and then into the drier. By the time everything was said and done it was already 1 pm and I headed back to the house.
Once back, Amanda and I went out to replace some of the items that had broken or needed replacing/resupply. This included
New shoes for me - the Hokas were at ~400 miles
New shoes for Amanda - the minimal cushion Altras were only getting her about 8-12 miles
New gas canister
New water filter
New pants for Amanda
Sunscreen
Hand Sanitizer
We started at Goldsmiths where we both found great shoe replacements. Amanda and I both went with the Altra Olympus - wide toe box and plenty of cushion for two people each operating on replaced ACL’s. I was also able to get more butane there. Next, we headed to the far side of the Big Bear Village to Big Bear Sporting goods. We broke down and went with the fad, purchasing a Sawyer Filtration system. One more quick stop at Walgreens got us sunscreen and hand sanitizer. We stopped and got smoothies in the village before heading back to the BnB. On our way out of the village we saw Charlie (one of the German sisters), as well as Phillip and some other people we knew. We crossed the street and said hi to them. I guess Charlie’s sister Sophia had decided to drop off the trail and head to LA to see friends so Charlie was on her own now and Phillip was waiting until Friday for a new tent and sleeping pad to show up. They all said they were going to Taco Tuesday in the evening at Azteca’s and that we should join them. We said we probably would and see you later as we headed back to the cabin.
Once back i had one more brautwurst. I hadn’t had a chance to eat since breakfast. Then I worked out our insurance direct deposit debacle that we hadn’t had time to fix since we had left, while Amanda arranged for a ride the next morning. Then we relaxed in the hot tube for over an hour before getting dressed and heading to Azteca. We decided to walk and that was a mistake because this Mexican Restaraunt was way out of town. We hiked over two miles and I totally get the irony in saying that, but when you aren’t expecting it it’s annoying. We finally got there and sat next to John who I had told about this clandestine Taco Tuesday event earlier. Lorena and Jason were there as well as Phillip and Charlie and the Kiwi’s and a few new faces. We talked and enjoyed some excellent food - the Kiwi’s came and joined us and we traded stories about traveling the world. Eventually it got late and we walked back with Phillip and John - trying to hail a ride on the way to no avail. Eventually we made it back. The ride was scheduled for 9 am the next morning so we decided to leave all remaining chores for the morning and headed to bed - hoping we had gotten everything done today that was needed.
