May 16

Start: mission spring trail camp
End: ehh 262 ish?
Daily: 21.something
Total: 262.something

It's not as cold as last night but still freaking cold. We've managed to find a break in the wind provided by juniper bushes on all sides of our tent. We're only 3 miles from the road into Big Bear but we wanted to give ourselves as much time in town and spend the least amour of money. So we made a reservation at the hostel for one night and are going to get there by 9 at the latest hopefully. Then we'll spend all of tomorrow getting things done and leave sometime in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. 

Today was our biggest day yet but it didn't seem too bad. We didn't plan on going this far but when we didn't find any good campsites at our goal mileage and we realized our feet still had a few miles left on them, we pressed on. 

We were rewarded with an amazing coyote sighting. I saw it bounding around in the bushes and told Chris, who looked up while I was getting my camera out. The coyote had climbed onto the top of a rock outcropping on the top of a small hill and was staring at us from above, about 40 feet ahead of us. It jumped off the rock too quick for pictures, but it was amazing. I love coyotes. 

Now we can hear dogs barking and car engines in the little community down the hill. We're back in the desert after being surrounded by huge pines and cedars for most of today and part of yesterday. Oh well, town and showers and laundry tomorrow. 

Oh! I almost forgot! We passed the animal cages today. Someone who trains huge carnivores for movies keeps them literally feet away from the PCT in too-small cages. There were lions and tigers and bears, literally. Oh my. And scary attack dogs (the jack russell terrier yapping at me from behind the fence was really terrifying, believe me).