Jersey Guy Cameo!

Just when I had been lamenting Jersey Guy's speediness (thereby leaving Don in the dust), Don found out that Jersey Guy had stopped at the Cajon Pass for a few days to nurse an injury. So Don caught up with him in Agua Dulce. We apparently had just missed him at Mill Creek when I dropped Don off on Sunday.

But alas... we'll soon be losing him again since Don's taking a week off to go back to work. *sigh*

Random side note: They were filming something in a bus at Mill Creek. Jersey Guy said it was a Korean movie (no idea how he knew this), and they had just started serving lunch when he passed by. He was so tempted to beg for an icy cold drink... but couldn't work up the nerve.

I met Suspicious Jersey Guy!

As luck would have it, formerly-suspicious Jersey Guy happened to be staying at the same motel in Big Bear - Nature's Inn.

He checked out the morning we arrived, and we dropped him off at the trailhead. I'm pretty bummed that Don won't be running into him anymore (Don's too far behind now). He seemed like good company, and I know Don's been getting bored on the trail.

Suspicious Guy Update

See original entry here.

I had assumed that Don recognized the suspicious hiker as soon as they bumped into each other again. But it wasn't until their third day of hiking together that they figured it out!

Don started telling him the story of how we saw a really suspicious guy on the trail. And the guy said the same thing happened to him. "I saw this Asian chick going the wrong way, and then I see her coming back with some guy..." At which point Don realized he was talking about us! When Don said "That was my wife!," suspicious guy immediately apologized for calling me a "chick" - hah! (By the way, I take no offense and think it's funny he apologized but can understand why he did.)

Oh, and even though I didn't think he had an accent, Don did. Turns out he's got a New Jersey accent, which Don says pretty much is a foreign country. (Just joking, Jersey guy!)

*Suspicious/Jersey guy name withheld since I haven't asked permission yet.
I hope Don keeps bumping into Jersey guy and other hikers - makes for more interesting stories. Don also said it's really nice to have the company.

Suspicious!

This past Saturday (May 9) was the day I dropped Don off in Campo, then headed over to park the car at Lake Morena.
The plan was that Don would hike North from Campo to Lake Morena, and I would hike South from Lake Morena toward Campo then turn around where ever I met up with Don.

Shortly after crossing a road heavily used by Border Patrol, a thru-hiker sped past me headed North. Besides thinking he was going insanely fast and wondering how you'd keep up that pace for days on end, I didn't think much more of it.
A few moments later, I met up with Don. I turned around, and we continued North toward Lake Morena. Back on the Border Patrol road, the aforementioned thru-hiker sped by again, going in the wrong direction! I briefly thought he might be confused about where the trail branched from the road, but then he didn't stop to ask us for directions. And the trail was pretty well-signed. I did notice, however, that his about-face coincided with a parked Border Patrol truck. Don had also mentioned that he saw 3 illegal immigrants earlier that morning just ahead of him, and this supposed thru-hiker was also just ahead of him.
So I thought, "Is this guy helping out the illegals and posing as a thru-hiker??" The other option was that he was segment hiking, and doing an impressive 24-mile day (12 miles in and back). But I was very suspicious...

Fast forward to today. Don came across the same guy, and apparently he was just LOST. It turns out he really is a thru-hiker. And it gets even better - He was suspicious of us too!!! I can't imagine why! But then again, he was just a youngish white guy without an accent, so I really had no reason to suspect him either. I guess the overwhelming Border Patrol presence and seeing all the signs of illegals (discarded foot coverings used to avoid leaving shoe-prints) starts to mess with your head...

**********************************
Just heard back from Don about why the guy suspected us: "the guy said. so i see this asian woman walking the wrong way, then she somes back with a dude. suspicous, to him."

H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S! But then, even the Border Patrol stopped me a few times!

There's a check-point on Hwy-8 between the Campo exit and the Laguna exit (where the lodge is). So we passed by this several times.
On one occasion, the guard noticed me in the passenger seat and motioned for us to stop.
BP Agent: "Are you US citizens?"
Don: "Yes."
BP Agent: "What about you?" (looking at me)...

And the morning I headed home, the guard was motioning everyone through without stopping them. When he saw me, he did a double-take and made me stop.
BP Agent: "Are you a US citizen?"
Me: "Yes."
BP Agent: (waving me thru) "Have a good day."
Me: "You too." (enunciating to emphasize my lack of accent and doing a mental eye-roll)

I'm very curious to know exactly what they're looking for. Anyone non-white??