Photo post! Idyllwild to Big Bear

Photos for you all!  Taking a third day here at the hostel.  My knee is stiff after a massage yesterday, hope to be moving along tomorrow morning.

After sleeping a few miles before Fuller Ridge I woke up to fog in the valleys.

Trail passed through small rockslides, big kudos to the trail builders for making it passable with nothing more than hand tools.

Looking back on "the climb"

A view from Fuller Ridge just before the start of over 6,000 feet of descent.

Evening light on pine

Downhill!

I was sleeping up there that morning!

Trail angels ahead and the San Jacinto range behind.  Those lines in the middle are windmills.

Ziggy and the Bears - How many hikers can you fit in one backyard? 

Lots! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone I work with said he was jealous over my hike.  I responded that he wouldn't be jealous when he sees a picture of my feet after two weeks.  Here you are Alistair!  That's thread through my heel blister (for drainage), a few new ones on my big toe and some old dead skin from past blisters on my pinky and middle toe.

Long climb up the first Canyon after Ziggy and the Bears, more windmills on the horizon.

From the top of the second canyon, Mission Creek in the distance. Is there water down there??

Mission Creek!  Literally the most water on trail we've seen on the entire trip.

Third Canyon with the San Jacinto range in the background! 

More canyons! When will it end!

Behind the brush is another creek (name escapes me), we wound our way up this canyon and crossed the Creek for almost ten miles.

This metamorphic rock is harder than the sedimentary rock, leaving steep canyon sides with oasis' of trees, grass and shrubs to grow along the shaded creek below.

Climbing out of the last canyon with San Jacinto in the distance yet again.  Hard to imagine I slept on that ridge just a few nights earlier.

Back to typical high desert.

These guys bravely defended their sun spot but wouldn't let me pet them.  Maybe I should carry lettuce?

Easy rolling hills ahead!

Climbing above the desert we entered a dense pine forest at around 8,000 feet.

Trickling water from a spring, my favorite site, sound and smell.

Descent down a long valley into Big Bear ahead. 

Pancake challenge at the Grizzly Cafe in Big Bear Lake, that was plate 1 of 2 - six dinner plate sized pancakes in total.

Waving the white flag of surrender.  I made it halfway plus a bite...  Only 1 person has ever eaten all of it.  The remainder weighed about 3 or 4 pounds.