Day 30, Guffy Campground to Wrightwood

He then modeled the crown he was making with burger wrappers. It was unfinished, but he still had a few burgers he was saving for lunch.

We left camp together at 7:30 a.m.

Some recent comments posted by hikers in the Guthooks app said the trail was still dangerous because of snow. They suggested walking on a road that ran parallel to the trail, so we decided to do that.

A couple spots along the road were near enough to the trail that we could look down and see it. From the road, the trail looked sketchy and I was glad we had decided to walk on the road. The slope of the mountain was steep, so a slip on the trail could have easily resulted in a swift slide for who-knows-how-far.

By contrast, walking on the road was easy. We had to walk around a couple large trees that had been blown down onto the road, but otherwise, it was a smooth trip.

We took our time, stopping more than once along the short distance. One stop was to check out some ski lifts that were part of Mountain High ski resort.

The trail passed two of the resort's three ski areas. The first of these was originally called Blue Ridge. A chairlift has been running here each winter since 1947.

While we waited, Captain ate the last of his burgers and was able to finish his McDonald’s wrapper crown.

After we waited about 45 minutes, our luck changed. Steel Belted and his wife, Jenny, arrived at the trailhead in a car. Jenny was dropping him off to resume his hike.

Jenny agreed to not only take some of us into Wrightwood, she said she would also come back to pick up the rest of our group if we were unable to get a ride.

Then we hit upon the idea of Jenny and Steel Belted staying with us in the Airbnb. There was enough room for them. It didn’t take much persuasion before they agreed.

Jenny took Steel Belted, MJ and Rainbow back to Wrightwood, while the rest of us remained at the trailhead.

While we waited we hoped a car would stop for us so that Jenny would not have to return.

Moments later, a trail angel from Wrightwood arrived. He was dropping off a hiker, but he only had room for two passengers. Captain and Spamalot left with him, so Just Awesome and I had to wait a little longer.

No one else came up the road before Jenny returned to pick us up.

At this time it was still too early to go to our Airbnb, so Jenny took us to Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood.

The hardware store sold several items that hikers need and had an attractive offer. For a purchase of $20 or more, a fuel canister cost just one cent more.

Mountain Hardware provided other services for hikers. A canopy was located behind the store to give hikers a shady spot to hang out.

We signed a large banner that hung on the side of the store. Afterward, some of us walked to the post office, which was nearby.

I mailed home a few cold-weather items I no longer needed.

We were allowed to go to the Airbnb at noon. It was a nice, cabin-like house in a quiet neighborhood. Two bedrooms were located upstairs and a large room of beds was downstairs.

After everyone was cleaned up we walked to a restaurant called Evergreen for lunch. There was much discussion about a movie to rent for an evening watch party. We eventually agreed to rent “The Matrix” because everyone was shocked to learn Falls had never seen it.

And yes, Wrightwood still had a video rental store. It was part of a used book store. While we were there, MJ and the other women wanted to buy a romance novel featuring Fabio on the cover. MJ’s encounter with a Fabio look-alike four days ago at the hot springs was still on their mind.

We then went to a grocery store and bought food for the next six days on the trail. My groceries cost me $102, which was higher than I normally spend, but not surprisingly so. Wrightwood is a small town in California, and I expected to pay more than I would pay at home.

Returning to the Airbnb, we repacked our food and then gathered up our dirty laundry.

There was no washer and dryer in the Airbnb, but we were told by the owner a lady down the street would gladly do our laundry.

To carry all of our dirty clothes, we stuffed them in a sleeping bag liner. When Spamalot and Falls hauled the load down the street to Mary Ann Freeland’s house they looked like they were carrying a dead body.

After our pizza order was delivered we sat down to watch our movie. By the time “The Matrix" was over it was time to pick up our laundry.

Mrs. Freeland wouldn’t take any money for doing our laundry, so we gave her a lawn ornament, which we all signed on the back. It was a small gesture, but we wanted to let her know how much we appreciated her kindness.

Wrightwood has been as hiker-friendly as any hiker could want in a town. Mrs. Freeland was the perfect example of that. She was giving without expecting anything in return, welcoming without any judgment.

This was a good place to nero.