PCT SOBO DAY 118 – Food
9th November 2016
Camp site - Big Bear lake
10.5 miles
826ft up 1712ft down
Up and hiking by 6am. I thought it was a little chilly last night but not that bad. But as we started walking it got colder and colder until my thighs were numb.
Catwater got cell service and we found out that America has a new President. President Trump! Well, we have been through it with Brexit and now America didn't learn from our mistakes and are going through the same thing.
Only 10 miles to the road. I walk along the trail staring at my phone, reading the reactions and the fall out of the news. And of course checking that the pound hasn't been further affected which right now is my main concern!
I had already polished off my cake and Twix before 6:30am and I couldn't quite make it without eating something else so I ate my cliff bar, which is tasting more and more like bird seed. Food is a major problem. I'm still walking along looking at my phone and I sense some people in front of me. It's Jim, Catwaters friend who is meeting is to take us into Big Bear (no hitchhiking!) and he has 3 friends with him which I wasn't expecting. They carry on to meet Catwater who is a little behind me and I carry on to the road. I sit under a tree and wait for them.
The have brought me Sprite and Catwater beer. Perfect. We sit around and chat for a while and then we start getting antsy for food so we pile into the cars and head for town. We all go to Teddy Bears and I have a bacon, cheese and fried egg burger. And fries. And Sprite refills of course. I eat every last bit (apart from the tomato and pickles. Pickles are gross) and then I feel sick. Jim is naughty and sneakily pays for our food. Thanks Jim!
We say goodbye to the guys and we check into the hostel and then Jim very kindly drives us to the supermarket so we can resupply. The supermarket is really far away from everything so it's handy to have someone to help get us around.
I do the worlds worst resupply. I have cookies, brownies, brownie bites, brownie brittle (what is wrong with me?!) cheese, packet chicken and ramen, Pringles, welches fruit snacks, cereal bars and 10 Twix bars. But I did some very frugal shopping and I saved $20 with all the offers! In reality I was just lucky that all the stuff I wanted was on offer. 49 cents for a Twix. Bargain!
Back at the hostel Catwater did laundry and shower and stuff and I went to the post office to post Siestas Spot device I found 4 days ago back to him. And it was a good opportunity for me to be without Catwater because I wanted to buy her a little something for her birthday that's coming up. She likes alcohol so I thought of those miniature things. I went for tequila and, knowing bugger all about tequila – other than it makes me get on the wrong train home – I was advised that Patron was the best. And I bought some fudge from the fudge shop.
Back at the hostel I squirrelled it secretly into my food bag and piled my food on top. Had my shower. Did my laundry and chilled out for an hour. My leg tan is of course ridiculous but my face tan is even worse. I can't go anywhere without a hat to cover up my very white forehead.
Soon it was time to eat again and we wondered down to the Village and into the Peppercorn. Immediately we felt very out of place. This was not your burger and pizza kinda restaurant. This was fancy. This was a Sprite in a glass and bread in a basket with curls of butter kinda place. But they were very nice to us and didn't treat us any differently to any other well dressed, presentable guest. Catwater ordered a Patron Margarita and I struggled to contain myself. I'm so rubbish at keeping a secret and I wanted to tell her that's what I got her for her birthday but I somehow managed to keep it in. My mushroom and spinach lasagne came with soup to start which was squash and chipotle. My body won't know what to do with all these vegetables! About four fifths of the way through the lasagne I was defeated, but I gave it my best shot.
Back to the hostel and back to battling with Wordpress. I've had about 6 glasses of Sprite today and all the food I've eaten hasn't given me the shits so it's been a pretty good day!
There is only one picture from today, that I stole from Jim because tomorrow, disaster strikes...
