Paradise and Purity

Saturday, May 3
Mile 179, Town of Idyllwild

Paradise in sight! A little café nestled into a gorgeous mountain valley in the San jacinto mountains was my morning destination. I hiked 10 miles without stopping; that is trail hunger. It's unreal. An omelette, biscuits, iced coffee, and a chocolate milkshake later I finally felt satisfied.

Over breakfast, gypsy town weighed our options about dealing with a fire closure that made getting to the town of idyllwild tricky. I decided to hitch the 17 miles into town after brunch because I had a package to pick up before the post office closed tomorrow, and because walking a winding mountain highway seemed very sketchy. A few of the guys from my group--magic stick, tuneboost, and smooth operator—decided to walk to maintain trail "purity". I understand, but.. Yeah. My parents instilled a healthy fear of roads in me and I'm taking enough risks out here as is.

The better half of gypsy town kickin it at our campsite in Idyllwild: patches, grams, Berkeley, strawberry, and laugh track

So, to Idyllwild! We got a ride with a local we met at Paradise Café and did a GORGEOUS drive through paradise valley. I hope i can come back one day and spend some time taking in the peaceful air and high desert landscapes. Errands all afternoon in the quaint little mountain town, followed by a potluck dinner and beers at the campground. Talking about bouncing out tomorrow afternoon to get a start on a vicious-looking climb out of idyllwild. Mmmhmm, good life!