Trail Magic and Trail Angels

I made it to Big Bear (aka mile 275)!  At last a trail free day.  Since leaving Idyllwild, the days have been so different with the weather, my emotions about the trail, and where the trail has taken me.  To start, I left Idyllwild Friday evening and camped about 5 miles from where I got back on trail.  My hope was to make it 27 miles on Saturday to the home of Ziggy and the Bear, trail angels that live near Cabazon.  A trail angel is someone who helps you out on the trail.  They can let you stay in their home, like Ziggy and the Bear, but they also might give you a ride or help you with something that you need.  I thought this was doable because about 16 miles were going down a 6000 foot decent from the backside of San Jacinto to the desert floor.  Also, I heard that Ziggy and the Bear were giving foot baths to the hikers, so that was my motivation, and the thought that I might get some ice cream.
About 6 hours in, I noticed that I was getting 3 new blisters, so I had to slow down.  My speedy decent and the poorly maintained trail were the likely reasons why but just as I was getting tired and thinking I would never get there, I caught up with a fellow hiker Cream Tea (I will have to explain trail names in a later post).  We hiked the rest of the descent together and when I was at the bottom I was tired.  22 miles in 10 hours with not to many breaks was just past my comfort level.  That meant no foot bath tonight and I went to bed frustrated, tired, and no really wanting to be on the PCT.  Essentially, I pushed myself too hard and had trouble dealing with the disappointing results.  The next day was one that picked me up though and it started with some trail magic under the 10 freeway.  Trail magic is when you get something unexpected that you need, really want, or just wish you could have and it makes your day.  Under the 10 freeway was a few ice chests filled with cold water, soda, and fruit.  This was the best pick-me-up ever, especially since I had been trudging through a head wind and sand for the last 3 miles or so.  It was only 7am but I downed a cream soda, ate two oranges, and took an orange for the road.  This little bit of trail magic made my bad yesterday melt away and helped me get on my way (just a side note on how hungry you get, I ate another orange, two candy bars, three small bags of peanuts, and two bowls of cereal with real 2% milk when I got to Ziggy and the Bear's).
It was nice to stop a few miles later at Ziggy and the Bear's but the earlier trail magic put me in a better mood and ready to attack the 95 degree or hotter day that was in store.
Overall, my last 5ish days have been a roller coaster.  I think much of that is because I have been hiking on my own for the last 2 days.  I have seen a few fellow hikers but not any that I want to hike with; however, the trail magic and random tigers, lions, and bears (I'm serious.  There were cages with exotic animals in them right outside of Big Bear) I saw helped pick me up and help me realize to slow down, enjoy the trail, and be open to the weird and interesting things that happen.
One more weird thing I saw.  For some reason about 3 hotels and 3 trail angles have been falling over themselves to get us hikers to stay with them.  There have been multiple soda and water caches on our way into Big Bear and one of them had a mirror and a couch.  It was really unexpected but so nice to put my feet up for 5 minutes.  That is until I realized how dirty that couch probably was.
Pictures to come after I figure out how to load them on an iPad.  Otherwise, I'm going to enjoy my time in Big Bear and be back on the trail on Friday.