Destination: Deep Creek Hot Springs
Starting Location: Little Bear Springs s
Today’ Miles: 22.00
Trip Miles: 306.90
Little Bear Springs Trail Camp (284.6, 6600) to Deep Creek Hot Springs (306.6, 3535) ascent (1703) descent (4531)
Sadly as earlier reported we got confirmation this afternoon that a fellow hiker named No Way Ray died on the trail as the result of a falling accident near Deep Creek. We had originally understood that the accident was at the crossing but that information was an incorrect assumption on our part. I met Ray and his wife Alice 8 miles south of Mt Laguna. We ate a snack and Ray expressed his enthusiasm for the trail and this year’s hike. Now he is gone and my heart goes out to Alice.
Today was tough as we hiked for 10.5 hours. We agreed to rendezvous at the Deep Creek crossing for safety reasons that were unfounded. Sugar Daddy crossed on the damaged bridge rail that was totally doable. Cadence, Weed, Lucky Liz and I walked across a sand bar and then went back in to swim & cool off. We got to Deep Creek Hot Springs early enough to take a wonderful soak in the natural pools followed by a refreshing swim. I was pleasantly embarrassed as I walked around a corner to see an attractive young woman walking the other direction fully nude. We exchanged pleasantries as we passed and yes I did turn around to verify that she was indeed nude from the back also. She was.
I have gone stove less. I did not like the mush in a cup meals I was cooking, so I departed with my homemade alcohol stove in Big Bear. I will likely get another one for the Sierra & very likely for Northern Washington where it will be cold and hot food will be a great motivator. For now I love the convenience of no stove as well as enjoying the food I am eating. For dinner I had a bagel with peanut butter followed by smoked salmon and pepper jack cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. Weed offered me $20.00 for my burrito as he cooked something dehydrated. Not for sale was my reply. Weed says he is dropping his stove as soon as we hit Cajon Pass. We are sleeping on the beach next to the river and the scene is pretty amazing.
Saw our first trout of the trip at Holcomb Creek. They were rising infrequently to a small midge hatch and they would have potentially (you just never know) been caught had I had a fly rod. It was good to see trout. They need cold clean water and when you find them in the wild it is typically a nice environment. I love trout and what they represent.
As we hiked today we had a thoughtful conversation about God according to the literalist interpretation of the Bible. Sugar Daddy is a Baptist missionary living in Peru. He is not at all apologetic for his views that the Bible is the Word of God and it should be interpreted literally. While I do not agree I absolutely respect and admire the conviction of his faith and immensely enjoyed the dialog. And it was dialog, not debate.
Destination: Deep Creek Hot Springs
Starting Location: Little Bear Springs
Today’ Miles: 22.00
Trip Miles: 306.90
Little Bear Springs Trail Camp (284.6, 6600) to Deep Creek Hot Springs (306.6, 3535) ascent (1703) descent (4531)
Sadly as earlier reported we got confirmation this afternoon that a fellow hiker named No Way Ray died on the trail as the result of a falling accident near Deep Creek. We had originally understood that the accident was at the crossing but that information was an incorrect assumption on our part. I met Ray and his wife Alice 8 miles south of Mt Laguna. We ate a snack and Ray expressed his enthusiasm for the trail and this year’s hike. Now he is gone and my heart goes out to Alice.
Today was tough as we hiked for 10.5 hours. We agreed to rendezvous at the Deep Creek crossing for safety reasons that were unfounded. Sugar Daddy crossed on the damaged bridge rail that was totally doable. Cadence, Weed, Lucky Liz and I walked across a sand bar and then went back in to swim & cool off. We got to Deep Creek Hot Springs early enough to take a wonderful soak in the natural pools followed by a refreshing swim. I was pleasantly embarrassed as I walked around a corner to see an attractive young woman walking the other direction fully nude. We exchanged pleasantries as we passed and yes I did turn around to verify that she was indeed nude from the back also. She was.
I have gone stove less. I did not like the mush in a cup meals I was cooking, so I departed with my homemade alcohol stove in Big Bear. I will likely get another one for the Sierra & very likely for Northern Washington where it will be cold and hot food will be a great motivator. For now I love the convenience of no stove as well as enjoying the food I am eating. For dinner I had a bagel with peanut butter followed by smoked salmon and pepper jack cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. Weed offered me $20.00 for my burrito as he cooked something dehydrated. Not for sale was my reply. Weed says he is dropping his stove as soon as we hit Cajon Pass. We are sleeping on the beach next to the river and the scene is pretty amazing.
Saw our first trout of the trip at Holcomb Creek. They were rising infrequently to a small midge hatch and they would have potentially (you just never know) been caught had I had a fly rod. It was good to see trout. They need cold clean water and when you find them in the wild it is typically a nice environment. I love trout and what they represent.
As we hiked today we had a thoughtful conversation about God according to the literalist interpretation of the Bible. Sugar Daddy is a Baptist missionary living in Peru. He is not at all apologetic for his views that the Bible is the Word of God and it should be interpreted literally. While I do not agree I absolutely respect and admire the conviction of his faith and immensely enjoyed the dialog. And it was dialog, not debate.
Robert Francisco 
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