I-10 to Big Bear Lake turned into an unexpected slog, plus I had a little bit of a freakish incident that made me think I should hole up for a couple days here in Big Bear Lake.

I've been hiking with another 60-ish year old hiker from Fairbanks, AK, that goes by the trail name Duck Soup. A lot of hikers have been skipping the trail section that we just did, because large sections of it have been washed out. But Duck Soup and I were crazy and stubborn (or stupid) enough to go for it. The nine-mile slog up Mission Creek was a boulder-hopping ankle breaker in soggy shoes. That was followed by a steep ridge climb out of the canyon where we climbed 1,700 feet in 1.7 miles. We actually spent the night in the one flat spot that was about half way up that ridge.

The next morning after making it the rest the way up that ridge and joining back up with the trail, the trail switched to the north side of the mountain, and we were post holing it in knee deep icy snow for about a mile to a place called Coons Cabin.

From there the trail got much easier and we made good time down to mile 250 where the trail intersected a road. I was almost out of water, so we stopped to collect from a small trickle that was snow melt off a still large sheet of icy snow. As I was bent over, I saw little sparkles in the mud and I commented to Duck Soup, who is a retired gold miner, that there was some gold in the mud. As I stood up and back so that he could look, I just remember feeling dizzy. The next think I knew Duck Soup was shaking me violently: "Mozey! Mozey! Wake up! You passed out!" As I regained consciousness, my head felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat and my neck hurt. As I sat up there was blood dripping from my head into the depression in the snow where my head had just been. According to Duck Soup, I'd just led with my forehead in a face plant right into that sheet of icy snow. I don't know what caused it, but I've never had anything like that happen to me before.

Anyway, despite me insisting I was ok, Duck Soup convinced me that we should take it easy the rest of day and we set up camp pretty early that night. To my good fortune, another PCT hiker came into our camp that night that was an ICU nurse. After relating the event to him, he was convinced it was just a combination of dehydration, heat, elevation change, being bent over with my head below my heart for an extended period, etc that all came together at the wrong time that caused my black out. As long I don't have any repeats, I should be fine. But, I should take it easier for a couple days.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling anxious to hike the last ten miles to Big Bear, and dragged Duck Soup along with me, and we made it to the highway before noon. Along the way Duck Soup mildly complained that his feet were hurting and it was ok if we slowed down a little. When we got to the motel, he took off his shoes and for the first time I saw that his feet and ankles were a swollen, bloody and blistered mess. My anxiousness to prove to him that I going to be ok aggravated his injuries. That was not a good feeling, but at the same time he was thanking me for pushing him farther than he otherwise was planning to go. He is a section hiker and will be getting off trail in about 15 more miles. I'm going to miss hiking with him.

Anyway, was able to attend church in Big Bear today, which I needed, and I still feel privileged to be able to do this.