I do the usual every morning, and that is find a grassy, secluded area for the dogs to pee. That area was a block away but I noticed Zeke was limping. What happened? I hadn't noticed him hurting himself in any way. He wasn't putting pressure on his front right leg. He also didn't eat his lamp chop for breakfast and gave it to Sadie. Now I was worried Zeke had caught a bug; nothing can ruin a trip than an illness or injury to a pet. Zeke rode shotgun as usual, with his head resting on the armrest pillow as he gazed with his sad eyes toward me.
I didn't want to leave Big Bear. I had a good experience here. The town seemed quiet in those early hours, with the Village Main Street still quiet. I breakfasted at the Jack in the Box and then took CA18 west, past the dam and down the curvy road I was on briefly that first night.
I had no concrete plans. I knew hiking the big peaks in the San Gabriels was out, as I read the winds are harsh and snow is still above the peak summit. The singletrack follows a thin ridge. That sounds like something I'd rather come back for anather time when the snow's gone.
I instead now focused on the road ahead, stopping at roadside picnic areas to walk the short trails. One nice one was the Heap Arboreum site with its .75-mile Sequoia Trail. I walked it twice. No one else was there and no one else was at the Spritzer trail, either. Where was everyone?! I could see a small fire off a northern ridge from Spritzer. I also did a short circular loop around Strawberry Peak, a lookout tower just off CA18 with nice views west. I was now around 5000' and the smog was evident. It also got hotter.
The big prize today was an unplanned stop in Miller Canyon off the Silverwood Lake exit off CA18 and the western San Bernardino mountains. I knew that the PCT crosses here. The roads into the canyon were closed for work completed by the California Conservation Corps (CCC) volunteers, but we were allowed to walk the trails and roads according to a mountain biker getting ready to leave. That is what I did and what a pretty trail that was! I stayed along a singletrack along Seeley Creek that flowed west into the lake. There was some notable flood damage the CCC was focusing on. I forded the water twice in my Keens and the cold water actually felt good against my sockless feet. Again we were alone and beside the CCC volunteers, only saw three kayakers on the lake and two other cars of hikers while in the park. Hard to believe there was all this solitude within the Inland Empire.
I wasn't sure if I was in a State Park or a federal recreation site, but when I got to the end of the trail off the Miller Canyon trail and saw that the lake was part of the California State Park system, I panicked. I know the state parks do not allow dogs on their trails, so I immediately turned around and returned the way I came. None of the CCC volunteers told me the dogs were not welcome, and back at the parking lot I saw no signage about dogs. Only hours later did I learn that dogs are allowed on the trails and are prohibited from the public beaches. According to the website, Miller Canyon is still officially closed for repair.
The 5.8 mile walk took me 2.5 hours. Back at the car I took advantage of the creek water and used my portable camp bucket to wash my hair, brush my teeth and rinse off the dust on my van's rear window. I changed into some summer hiking gear as well. The clothes I wore at Big Bear Lake are now in the laundry pile. This unplanned pit stop was refreshing. I could sit there under the sycamore tree and just listen to the water rush by. The dogs rested in the van. They looked like they were done for the day. As for Zeke, whatever was hurting him this morning had passed. We had hiked 7.7 miles today once all the smaller walks are added into one.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2066524703/
Now began my drive north-northeast on I-15 toward the Mojave Preserve. I've driven this stretch of interstate twice when I lived in Pacific Grove, CA and always at night to avoid the heat. Today I was excited about seeing it in the day!
Traffic was still light but the temperatures were back in the 80s. It was late afternoon and I knew I'd get to Baker, CA by dark. I stopped in Barstow for a meal at DelTaco (my worst meal while on this road trip, ugh) and gassed up for $2.79 and I'm glad I did because when I rolled into Baker at 7:11pm I saw gas was $3.59. There were no massive wildflowers on this stretch, just patches of yellow flowers along the shoulders. A burned-out tractor trailer was still smoldering when I drove past it at the Bastor Exit; while it was burning and on the local traffic news, it had stopped southbound traffic for over 1.5 miles.
I wasn't expecting much from Baker. I read the reviews for this truckstop town on TripAdvisor. It's got the "World's Largest Thermometer" (a digital tower lighted up at night) and Alien Jerky and the "Mad Greek" diner, the one place that had a lot of diners. And oh, there were plenty of trucks and RVs in this little town. I stopped in at the Mad Greek Cafe for a gyro which I didn't need, but the ample seating, bright neon lights and the constant traffic called me in. It's not a bad place at all, with an extensive Greek and Mexican menu. It's open 24/7 and has free wifi!
More later. I'll get photos done from here on out when I get back home on Sunday.
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