Up A Creek
It was an uphill battle today as I climbed 5,000 feet (a vertical mile) into the San Bernardino Wilderness, following an idyllic Mission Creek through an endless gorge lined with cottonwoods, with pines at the upper end. I caught up to another hiker named Todd in late morning and we leapfrogged each other for the rest of the afternoon, then camped together while he told me stories about owning a landscaping business.
I also saw my second rattlesnake this afternoon, rattling and coiled in strike pose on the side of the trail. And it was good to make another 22.5 miles today, especially all uphill!
Your postings are arriving a day or two after the fact. I mention this only in case you are looking for comments that don’t seem forthcoming on schedule. If others are having the same experience, you will need to look back a few days to find our words of cheer. And speaking of cheer – did you hear bird song in the cottonwood area?