PCT: A risk game

June 2 to 6: Big Bear Lake A Wrightwood

144 km and 3721m

«It’s not vegan, it’s just Canadian» BUG, PCT HIKER Class of 2025.

Danger, danger!

It was June 2. After spending four days in a four -star complex that attended the contact in the desert, he was beginning to lose the path. After packing our suite, my dad and I jumped into a rental car and drove to Big Bear Lake. I didn’t want to stay too behind, and I was not to blame for omitting this section. Luckily, just when we parked on the path of highway 18, the green man and the snake emerged from the forest. So, instead of starting my walk that afternoon, we decided to hold the fortuitous meeting. We hurried to the car and went to the local brewery for lunch. After saying goodbye to my father, I spent the rest of the day relaxing with other hikers in an Airbnb. It was exactly the social scene I needed.

We were awake late and we had some animated discussions in the jacuzzi. At one time, a young woman sat and began a new topic of conversation.

«Do any of you have more intrusive thoughts now that you are on their way?»

This was an intriguing question for me and I thought about how, in my own experience, I had had these thoughts in excessively normalized situations that involved a high risk (that is, driving on a quick road or stopping next to large cliffs). He then explained that he had been walking with his two headphones before, and approached a rattlesnake. Now he felt a little nervous on the road. Being the socially «distant» person I am, I made a horrible mistake. I showed my jacket snake images. I wanted to transmit my methodology to be safe with snakes, but before I could explain that I could see that my audience was treated. The video had apparently triggered this poor woman, and now he was receiving this look that said: «What’s wrong with you?»

A screen capture of the video I took from the first rattlesnake that I found on the path

Needless to say, we don’t end up having a very fruitful conversation. The impression was made, and now he was a crazy man who plays with dangerous animals. What a shame. In intense situations, I learned to maintain my composure and maintain my critical thinking. This has come with training, exposure and time. Through my career and my hobbies, I have developed a risk assessment and risk management process. Not to mention that I adore absolutely snakes. But, I recognize that this does not describe all the background of hikers.

I have an «interesting» relationship with risk. Photo of my descent to Mount Assiniboine in September 2023.

Perhaps that is part of the possible personal growth that can come from a walk. You have nothing more than time and exhibition here. You can find your personal limit and have the space to overcome it. Simply taking the necessary time to lead through life could be considered a great risk. The empowerment that comes from facing fear is worth it. If you are driving enough to walk this path in its entirety, then you could probably also overcome the fear of snakes! No one said even the cat was comfortable.

Hot strings and snakes!

While I was frustrated after the disastrous conversation of that night, that feeling was quickly eclipsed by the experiences along the way. I was heading towards the mountains of San Bernardino and crossing west towards the mountains of San Gabriel. It was a long section that did not take me much further to the north, but it was worth visiting some reference points along the way. The first was the Deep Creek Hotspring.

In the most beautiful hot spring I’ve visited

I must have spent at least three or four hours resting there. One of the locals commented that the site had been visited by humans for thousands of years, and the soft hand is maintained around the rocks definitely supported that statement. The hot springs feed numerous pools that surrounded a deep curve in the river. Someone had even taken the freedom to establish a loose line at the bottom of the river, which I had fun trying to cross while cooled. A bag school swam around the many people who splashed. It was a magical place. But I took off my shirt and guard down for too long, and finally began to feel the burn. Unfortunately, it was too late and was terribly burned by the sun.

The pink boa

THE LAGARTO WITH HORNES

That day became my first big night walk. The path acquires a new life at night. Many creatures went out and the moon kept the bright path. While the sun stood, there were lizards with horns, a pink boa and league snakes. At night there were toads and all kinds of insects. That more the great breeze I appreciated. After the afternoon of absolutely hot cooking that I had, it was quite sweet. I was already waiting to visit McDonald’s the next day in Cajon Pass.

The next morning I woke up very early and walked along the edge of Lake Silverwood. I felt exhausted with energy, since my body reacted to solar burns. As soon as the sun shone above, it was an unbearable heat again. I hid under my umbrella and accelerated my rhythm. The winding path led to the top of a crest and then returned to a small cannon. Those last two miles before they threw me into Cajon Pass were exhausting in the heat with my backpack rubbing the burns on my shoulders. As I approached me, the sound of traffic driven me. Then I was out. A bumper traffic current for bumper ran at road speeds. It was a disconcerting view, and I looked for shelter under the golden arches.

A beautiful morning around Lake Silverwood

Bug and Luna were there. It is fun, but once we took off our bags and had occupied a table, he felt incredibly home. I stayed there for four hours, ordering multiple rounds of food. Despite my energy that decreases rapidly and the severe pain that I was experiencing from my solar burns, I pushed that night, crushing another 9 km before reaching the next water cache. I wanted to continue more, but a friendly place came with a yeti cooler full of beer and I and another couple walked with him shooting the shit and enjoying cold drinks. Anyway, I would be in Wrightwood tomorrow, and not having to dry the camp that night was also very pleasant.

Moody’s underground passage below Highway 15

These water caches are a lifeguard

My solar burns was starting to blister the next morning. I gently alaked my bag on my shoulders, but I was still in full agony. It was a relatively short tour of 19 km to the city due to a closure of paths ahead. Tightening my teeth, I got on the crest and then quickly returned to the valley. There was a man waiting for his daughter who was also walking. As she was a path behind me, he took me to the city while waiting for her. The first thing I did was visit the grocery store, where a picnic table shades were developing. I dealt with a breakfast burrito, a mini watermelon, an ice cream pint and a aloe vera leather lotion tube.

One of my favorite things to get to the city, watermelon!

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