5.22.22 || Day 8: 146.4 - 151.8 miles

tldr; first nero (nearly zero miles), best breakfast ever at Paradise Valley Cafe, hitched up to Idyllwild 

Stayed at my favorite campsite to date. Sweeping views of the whole valley, our first clear view of a sunset. A few other hikers were camped around the area, but it still felt isolated. 

We woke up the earliest we ever have to hike the 5.4 miles into the Paradise Valley Cafe. It’s a super hiker-friendly cafe on the back way up to Idyllwild and it truly is the first opportunity for a real meal. It did NOT disappoint. I ordered eggs, hash browns, and a 1/2 pound sausage patty, unlimited coffee. Tyler ordered two entrees :) 

We ate breakfast with Bullwinkle and talked about why he was hiking. He’s from a small seaside town near Bristol, loved hiker culture, had hiked the AT back in 2019 and wanted to get the triple crown — AT, PCT, and the CDT (Continental Divide Trail). He and Tyler talked about their favorite English Football Clubs and we all schemed about our plans for the next few days. 

We hitched a ride up to Idyllwild to resupply and take a nero (nearly a zero, meaning we’d hiked so few miles that it was essentially a full rest day). First stop was a chocolate shop where I bought a gf brownie as big as my face. Dropped our things off at an inn and spent the day getting coffee, swapping out some gear, resupplying, and trying to mend my blisters. 

Watched the Warriors game, ate ice cream and drank kombucha. It was so blissful. Can’t believe how grateful I am for simple things after only a week on trail 🤯 So tired we fell asleep by 10:30. Tomorrow we’ll hitch back to PVC and hike up and over Idyllwild. Three more days until Cabazon! 

🎵: No music today, just quick feet :)