Thursday, May 9th.  Mile 266-285 (19 miles)

I got a late start this morning, wanting to take advantage of the rented room.  I bought groceries for the next stretch of trail, had a final town meal, and hitched a ride back to the trail.  For the nearly 48 hours that I was in Big bear it did not rain one drop, despite forecasts for bad weather, but as luck would have it, the minute I stepped back on trail dark clouds started rolling in.  It was an easy hike back up to the ridge line, and I was enjoying my time lost in thought with the miles passing effortlessly. The trail, with its unrelenting malevolence, must have sensed that things were a little too Idyllic and decided that it was time for me to get some 'fear training' in.  I had just crested the ridge line when the skies erupted: thunder shook the ground, sounding like a passing freight train.  Lightning shot through the sky.  Hail pelted my head and shoulders.  I was immediately transformed from my current form: a semi-brave, strapping, 26 year old man, to the 6 year old me: a nervous child, who thought that danger lurked around every corner and who mistrusted cats because of the way their eyes glowed in the dark.  I started running, and was making noises like a frightened baby bat.  I lost it.  I questioned how I got myself into this situation, what I was doing here, and imagining every possible alternative.  Eventually I made my way down off the ridge, out of the storm, and set up camp, where I spent a wet night under my shelter.