Took a zero day. I needed to get to the ranger station — still closed. So I stayed in Idyllwild.
Fairly uneventful. I read, relaxed, and went shopping. I couldn’t find trail mix anywhere in town. Only sunflower seeds in shells — more effort than value. I settled for energy bars instead. I made my own breakfast at the bunkhouse, which as previously noted has a microwave and a sink. That’s the kitchen.
For dinner I went out for sushi. Surprisingly good — slightly below my regular place in Zurich, particularly the chicken starter. Bland cubes, saved only by a spring roll sauce that was too sweet for my taste. The gyoza were twice the size of what I know from home and crispier. Actually better. The main was noodles with chicken — good. I had to specifically ask for a fork. The idea was chopsticks. I can use chopsticks, but for noodles I prefer a fork.
Then I ordered a crispy sushi roll. The system here is different — instead of many small portions of various options, you choose one and get a very large portion of it. Eight to ten massive California-style rolls with a good sauce. By Swiss standards I probably ate two portions, at a lower price than one portion at home.
On the way back I ran into another hiker from the bunkhouse. We started talking. He had a headlamp, which was useful since I’d left mine behind. Back at the bunkhouse he offered me a cigarette — I don’t smoke. Then a beer — I don’t drink either. I told him he’d really picked the wrong person. He seemed to have time though, so I suggested we just talk. We did.
He’s been stuck here for several days. His tent tore open during the storm — it already had a small hole that the wind turned into a major failure. He’s waiting for a replacement to arrive.
He gave me a stack of tortillas — too heavy to carry to the next stop, he said. A lot of hikers prefer not to carry more food than needed to reach the next resupply, even if it means buying the same thing again. They’d rather leave the rest or give it away. I see it differently — you can always use food and never have too much of it. Which is also why my pack is heavier than most out here. The father and son I mentioned earlier are an exception — they’re somewhere ahead of me now since they haven’t taken any rest days. I’m faster though, so I’ll probably see them again soon.
Then I went to sleep.