Day 26: Tues, May 22

(Stud) After yesterday's off-trail experience I knew today had to be better day--and it was. We had to watch our water more closely today because it was scarce along the trail and we both ended yesterday with no water for dinner due to my oversight. The first water of the day came from a small seapage at the side of the trail. Dwight took a stick and made a hole about 5 inches wide and deep to pool the water, then pumped from this small hole. The water tasted organic, but fine when you haven't had any in a while. The next source came from a small pool at the base of a rock. We tanked up here because this was followed by a 10 mile stretch without water which we would be doing during the heat of the day. The last water came from a spigot at a Ranger Station. We were lucky to get this because the ranger there estimated their well would be dry by early June.

We had an exiting wildlife siting today. We had been following hoof prints down the trail for a while and came around a curve to startle what we think was a long horned sheep. It quickly jumped into the brush. We only got a fleeting look at it so we can't be sure-but they graze somewhere in this area.

Our hike today was mostly through a mixed forest of oak, pine and chaparrel. The only other hikers we saw thoughout the day were Tony, Ronnie and a couple we had briefly met in Big Bear City: Oats and Moon Shadow. They ere all at the Rander Station when were stopped to get water there in the late afternoon.
Late in the day I came across a coulter pine cone that was sitting on the trail, perfectly teed up like a football and nearly the same size. I took the bait hook, line and sinker and ran up, gave it my best kick. Holy crap!!! It was like kicking a glob of cement! Dwight thought I was exagerating until he kicked it some more to get it off the trail. Luckily, no lasting physical damage though.

We spent the night on a thick bed of pine staw at Big Buck Trail Camp. Slightly off the trail, it had intermittant fire rings and benches as it's only amenities. It was in a beautiful grove of pine trees and we had the entire place to ourselves as we went to sleep with the setting sun.