Week three comes with big highs and lows — literally and figuratively, on trail and off trail.
Camping at 8,000 feet (2,500m) in the middle of a storm means waking up with snow on my tent, but summiting San Jacinto that same day above a cloud inversion with warm sunshine. Descending San Jacinto and losing 2,300m elevation in one day while leapfrogging Cowboy and Butter, and In N Out never tasting so dang good. Cowboy camping together on a ridge and falling asleep talking about climbing objectives. Slowly route finding through the washed out section of Mission Creek but reveling in having water available all day long.
Waking up to news of a friend’s passing back home, sobbing in my sleeping bag, and a slow, grief-filled walk into Big Bear Lake. Luck being on my side and getting to spend a day of lovely shenanigans with Dodger, CarFax, and Will, flipping my whole mood around. Breakfast with The Boys Club, with portions so big we can barely fit everything on the table. Catching my first hitch alone and reveling in not getting kidnapped. Getting back on trail after a couple of neros and feeling so, so lucky to experience all of this.