The Clydesdale has continued to cruise us down Route 101 this week. Occasionally we would wander off course to visit some oddity or another, but we would return to the coast that seemed to leave both Darwin and me in wonder and awe. Bowie just wanted to pee on everything.

A few days ago, we took in our final view of the coast and headed East, the direction we would be heading for the next several weeks. Darwin had decided he wanted to revisit a very popular trail town, one of which I had heard lots of hikers express fond feelings towards by I had never seen; a town of which was ruled by dogs, Idyllwild, CA.

Darwin had talked to me about this place since the day he left it. It’s one of the first trail towns on the PCT, and he had taken his first zero there. As we drove into town, Darwin was pointing out general areas where the PCT was located until we came around a small turn. No one could miss the dark, black scars left by a fire that skirted the town only a few months before. Darwin was shocked and left almost speechless by the damage the fire had left. As we continued to drive, he described to me the beauty of the area he had hiked through, a vast difference to what my eyes were taking in. I saw the anger set in his face, this fire had been very intentional, set by one man. It destroyed over 13,000 acres of wilderness area, caused thousands to evacuate, and destroyed homes.

We drove the next few miles silent until we crossed a perfect line marking the fire’s edge. From the view we had, you could see the exact stopping point of the fire. The line of trees  black and scorched on one side the other green and full of life. Darwin’s face eased once we crossed the burn line and he began telling me all the things he wanted to show me in town.

The remainder of our day was spent along with Bowie walking around the town popping into little shops, admiring “Harmony,” the 25-foot wooden statue towering over those who view it, along with Sequoia Tress in the center of town. Bowie filled up on dog treats with every store we entered and Darwin, and I chatted with locals and visitors such as ourselves roaming the streets. I listened as he rehashed his time there before; hikers he had met, conversations he had, where he had eaten, etc. It was a Sunday, and the sun was spreading its warmth on all the activity below it; a perfect day. We saw Mayor Max and his spares from a distance visiting their townsfolk. I would have loved to meet him, but Darwin and I were worried that Bowie would offend him.

Early in the afternoon, we retreated to the place Darwin had longed for ever since he had left it, Silver Pines Lodge where to Bowie’s dismay we stayed at the Cat Nap. It was here that we worked and discussed the coming months long into the night. Planning and plotting, lost in thought and laughs; an idea of a plan has been given out to the Universe.

Things To Expect In Up Coming Blog Posts & Other Stuffs:

Mini Misadventures Updates: Cover Complete!

New Book Review! – Coming Soon!

Cool Thingys That I Also Do:

Our Etsy Store: TravelandTrail

Instagram: The_snuggle_diaries

Old Posts You May Like To Rehash:

The Trees They Are a-Swayin

My Little Headlamp

A Seven Day Adventure and I Wasn’t There