Today was a fantastic day. I slept so well, and woke up feeling strong from the 2 days rest and all that good town food. We covered 17.2 miles, 27.7 km on mostly flat and well graded trail.

We got on trail at 7:30 am, and started with a fairly small climb. Just enough to get a good view with breakfast. At this point, I realize with horror that I’ve left my titanium spork in the dish rack at the hostel. I make a quick call back to the hostel while I still have some signal, and luckily I’m able to get in touch with a hiker who is leaving this morning and planning to hike at least at far as me. Thankfully they agree to carry the spork out, and I hope to see them later today.

After the early climb, the trail keeps a steady elevation for most of the day. We walk through lightly forested hillsides with a mixture of different pines and juniper trees. The trail is easy, but our packs are a little heavy with food. We stop briefly every hour or so, but continue to make good progress on strong legs.

Early in the afternoon, the trail takes us along a ridge looking over the lake to Big Bear. The view here is beautiful, we can see the town, and some snowy mountains further back which weren’t visible from within town.

The trail crosses a saddle and on the other side of the ridge, the view changes dramatically. We see wide valleys, with more mountains off in the distance. The land closer to us appears to be recovering from a burn. The trail at first goes through forested areas, but as we descend towards camp, it becomes more rough in the old burned areas. Along this section, a fast hiker catches us up. I recognize them from the hostel last night and ask if they’re carrying a titanium spork. Lucky for me, they are, and I’m stoked to be reunited with my spork once more.

Once set up at camp, I can finally cook what I carried all the way from town. I have onion, cheese, crispy lettuce, fresh buns and two big hamburger patties ready to go. It’s been a while, but I’m finally having backcountry burgers for dinner again. Nothing can make them taste better than a full days hiking, it’s like magic.