Mile 400

After an unexpectedly cold, drizzly, and windy day, we are camped on the floor
of a vacant boy scout's camp with nine other hikers. It's so cozy. I have no idea whether or not we are supposed to be here, but I am hoping that the boy scouts won't be too harsh on us considering the weather. We just passed mile 400! We haven't written in a while. Every day has so many twists and turns, it's hard to convey or even remember the details. We have had some challenges, as was expected. We've also had a lot of beautiful experiences. The day we left Big Bear, we decided to relax until the hostel shuttle headed back to the trail. It didn't end up being until 2pm so we got a pretty late start, but were grateful for breathtaking sunset and a great camp spot overlooking all of Big Bear Lake. Over the next days, we went through pine forest, burn area, desert, a reprieve from the heat at Silverwood Lake, more desert, and up to the mountains again. Some days have seemed very slow going. Stopping every few minutes for shade or rest. Other days, we can tell that we're getting stronger. Some highlights since leaving Big Bear: lounging around in Deep Creek near where my family used to go camping at Crab Flats. Getting to the Deep Creek Hot Springs on a busy weekend, being creeped out by naked old men doing yoga, and passing it up completely. Hopefully, to come back on a less busy day. Going to Korean BBQ near Silverwood Lake with Brett's parents. Being in the middle of nowhere and being able to smell McDonald's in the distance. Running through the hills to get to it and emerging from the wilderness to find a McDonald's standing there. Camping perched high above the train tracks and being able to watch (and hear!) them go through the canyon all night. Deciding not to take the first unofficial Poodle Dog Bush detour because a few people told us it "wasn't that bad," only to find that it really was "that bad" and backtracking to the detour. Staying at a vacant

Methodist Youth Camp in Wrightwood. Taking our first hitch out of Wrightwood. Climbing to the peak of Mt. Baden-Powell on a beautiful day and heading back down it in a windy rainy cloud. Finding that there is so much more to this journey than the physical tasks of walking, eating, and sleeping. Slowing down and finding a spirituality in all of this. And that brings us to the present. We'll try to keep up with this more from now on.