Day 32 - 30 miles to Walker Pass

Sunday, May 17

The Joshua trees and desert sage floated past like eerie ghosts in the night. My head lamp lit up a little circle of the trail. I started walking at 3:50 AM and I was night hiking. Since there is no reliable water between my campsite and Walker Pass campground, night hiking conserves water by hiking in the cool of the day.

The sunrise was pretty. It was also party cloudy so that would help as well.


By mid morning I saw where the trail was headed. It would go to the very top of the mountain with the rocks.


The elevation gain was over 1,700 feet. I got a picture of Origami just after he reached the top.


For much of the day the trail wound through forests of Pinion Pines. Often there were flowers along the trail.


By 1:30 the trail joined and followed a jeep road for over two miles. Unfortunately there were four-wheelers and motorcyclists using it too. I had to step off the road and wait until the dust settled before continuing.


The trail finally left the road and I was rewarded with more flowers!


The last five miles to Walker Pass campground were all downhill. My feet are complaining!

I was rewarded with trail magic at the campground! Rachel gave me a salad and two scrambled egg tacos. I gave her a donation and in return got a glass of wine!


I am camped tonight at PCT mile 651.4. The elevation here is 5,018 feet.

This is my campsite.

Day 31 - The Driest Section of the PCT

Saturday, May 16

The wind never let up last night. It was a cold wind that brought in low clouds for a foggy morning.

More Cowbell, Lost and Found, and I all hiked together, hitting the trail at 6:10. Since it was so foggy, we really couldn't see what we were hiking through. And, the downside was that all the little plants along the trail were wet, so soon our feet were wet. This was our view for most of the morning.


By ten, we arrived at Robin Bird Spring. The spring is fenced off to keep cattle from fouling the water.


I got a couple of liters of water and then cooked lunch/dinner. I got a picture of Lost and Found (standing) and Origami (sitting).


At about 1 PM the sun came out. I noticed lots of these flowers in bloom along the trail.


Although I had 3 liters of water, I needed to get 3 more since the next reliable source of water is almost 40 miles away!

Unfortunately, the only upcoming water was 1.5 miles off trail at Willow Spring. The trail dropped down over 600 feet and followed a gulley where I had to scramble down large rocks. When I finally got to the water, it was in a cattle trough. There was algae floating on top, but the water underneath was clear. I drank over a liter of my existing water, and got 3 more liters. That should allow me 4 liters for tomorrow and two for the following day.

By the time I had got the water and rejoined the PCT, it was time to set up camp.


I hiked for 13 hours today and have been on the trail for a month!

I am camped at PCT mile 621.9. The elevation here is 5,233 feet.

By the way, did you notice?

Day 30 - Up to the Sky River Wind Farm

Friday, May 15

I begin my 7-day walk that will lead me to Kennedy Meadows, the start of the high Sierras. Early this morning, More Cowbell and I caught the local bus that took us to the trail at interstate 58. Also starting the trail today was "Lost and Found", who I had met several times in Tehachapi.


The forecast for today was cloudy skies but the clouds were scraping the mountains where we were headed. In addition, there was a strong cold wind whipping around us!

The trail switch backs up the mountain gaining 2,600 feet in 5 miles. As we neared the top we entered the clouds. For a time it was raining so we donned our rain gear.

The trail then drops down and follows a jeep road for about 4 miles. Although the rain had stopped by this time, the dust on the road had turned to sticky mud. As we walked, the mud built up under our shoes. It was like walking on elevated shoes.


Needless to say, it made walking difficult.

By mid-morning we reached the Sky River Ranch wind farm.


The wind turbines are situated along about 6 miles on the ridge line. They are an older style and smaller than the giant turbines we saw in the desert.

By 1:30 we reached Golden Oaks spring. There were two tiny trickles of water but enough to cook our lunch/dinner.


We then entered an area that had burned.


It will be many years before the forest is restored here.

By 5 PM we found camp sites in a grassy meadow under large trees.


The wind is very breezy and cold. I'm wearing almost all of my clothes and hope the tent doesn't blow down!

I am camped at PCT mile 593. The elevation is 5,042 feet.

Day 29 - Zero Day in Tehachapi

Thursday, May 14

A "zero" day is defined as a day when no hiking is done. You walk a total of zero miles. Today was one of those days.

When you are in town, there's always talk about the trail among the hikers. At this juncture, there's a lot of discussion regarding water availability in the next section. There is also a lot of talk about the weather since another storm is coming tonight and tomorrow, bringing rain and snow.

It was odd getting up this morning and taking a shower! I wasn't even dirty. I headed out for breakfast at the Village Grill restaurant, since they open at 5:30.


The western omelette with country potatoes was delicious.

I then returned to the motel and remembered that they had a free breakfast buffet. So what did I do? I had a second breakfast!

And, since I will be getting back on the trail again early tomorrow morning, I took a breakfast sandwich, cinnamon roll and a banana to eat early tomorrow morning.

Back at the motel room, I laid out my food plan. I need to buy 6 more days of food since I already have a day of food. I calculate that it will take 7 days to get to Kennedy Meadows.

More Cowbell and I headed to the Albertsons store which was about 1 1/2 miles away. I found everything I needed and came back to organize it.


I managed to cram it all into my food bag and then packed everything into my backpack. It feels heavy, but it always does when leaving town with a full load of water as well.

Before noon I was hungry AGAIN! Gee whiz, will I ever get enough?

I managed to take a nap for an hour until my stomach told me it was lunch time. I wanted to try a hamburger from the Burger Spot, but when I got there it was closed. So I walked down to the Apple Shed and had their huge hamburger and potato wedges.

It has been showery since noon, so I was glad to be wearing my rain jacket. We might even see snow tomorrow since the trail takes us over 6,000 feet.

More Cowbell came in at 4:30 and said we were invited to come over to the hot tub next door to relax with some other hikers. I was hesitant at first, but More Cowbell said "come on, live a little", so I went. I am so glad I did! Although I didn't have any official swimming trunks, my black underwear served just fine. The water was wonderfully warm. While we were there, it was raining and then hailing! We all had hail stones in our hair.


Afterwards, More Cowbell and I had dinner at the Village Grill Restaurant.

As always, I feel apprehensive about returning to the trail tomorrow. Perhaps it has something to do with leaving the comfort of the town? Or maybe it has something to do with the "adventure"!

Day 28 - Headed to Tehachapi

Wednesday, May 13

When you have been out on the trail for several days, nothing lifts the spirits better than the thought of a day or two in town. I'm starting to get the "hiker hunger", which happens when you are burning many more calories than the trail food can provide. That juicy hamburger or cheesy Mexican dish sounds SO good.

Last night I fell asleep to the sounds of the wind turbines. They sound like a passing freight train without the clicking of the wheels. It becomes a background noise; somewhat soothing.

I awoke at 5:15 and was on the trail by 5:45. I sent a text message to More Cowbell and confirmed that he was just getting started on the trail too. He was camped about a mile behind me and we needed to keep in touch since we are sharing a room in town.

Today was a short day of hiking since I was within 8 miles of interstate highway 58, the road where we were going to hitch into Tehachapi. The sunrise over the wind farm was spectacular.


The trail passed through private land where cattle were grazing.


I got to the freeway just as More Cowbell caught up with me. I had taken a picture of a list of Trail Angels in Tehachapi, so I started calling to see if we could get a ride into town. Unfortunately, most of the numbers did not answer, and the one that did couldn't help.

To compound the problem, there was very little traffic entering the freeway and it was illegal to walk down the side of the road.

Just when I thought we would have a really long wait, a hiker (Tallahassee) drove up in a rented car and dropped of a group of hikers. He offered us a ride into town! We were dropped off right at the door of the Best Western!


We rented a room for two nights. The first priority was to do laundry and take showers! It feels so good to be clean again.

Our next priority was FOOD! We walked down to the Apple Shed restaurant.


I had a juicy burger and potato wedges. We also got a list of local trail angels.

We read that the Kern Transit, the regional bus service, provides transportation back to the trail for a very reasonable price. In addition, the bus stop is just a couple blocks away! We decided that this is how we will return to the trail.

Tomorrow is a shopping day. I need 7 days of food to get to Kennedy Meadows. More Cowbell is thinking of taking 3 days of food and resupplying in Lake Isabella. That way he can reduce his pack weight. A problem in this section is that reliable water sources are far apart. Lots of water means a heavy pack. Seven days of food and lots of water makes for difficult days of hiking.

The idea of resupplying in Lake Isabella sounds attractive, but it is difficult to get to Lake Isabella and back. If I could hike with a group going there, I think I would go for it.

Tonight we are had dinner at Reds BBQ.


Several other hikers showed up including Lost & Found and Tallahassee. We all had a good meal along with a cold brew. On the way back we both ordered real milkshakes from the Burger Spot.


Tonight it will be nice sleeping in a cozy room and a soft bed. But I will definitely miss seeing the stars, satellites and shooting stars!

Day 27 - Wind Farms

Tuesday, May 12

I hiked over 13 hours today!

My day started at 5:30 as I watched the sunrise while walking along the covered aqueduct. I could see footprints of rabbits, deer, and coyotes in the dust of the dirt road. I could also see that someone else was already walking ahead of me.

Along the way I would occasionally see a hiker camped along the road, just like I had done. When I stopped to sign a trail register, another hiker caught up with me. His name was Bonus Miles. I had briefly seen him yesterday at Hiker Town.

We walked together as we entered a wind farm. A wind farm has many wind turbines that generate electricity as the wind turns their giant blades.


Soon the trail headed back into the mountains. Bonus Miles fell a little behind. I could also see someone far ahead. This is the view of the wind farm from the trail as it climbed into the mountains.


By noon we reached one of the few reliable sources of water, Tylerhorse Canyon creek. Already there was More Cowbell, who I first met in Idyllwild. I decided to cook lunch/dinner and got two liters of water. The next reliable source of water is 16 miles away.

Before I left, I found out that More Cowbell is planning to stay in Tehachapi tomorrow just like me. We agreed to share a room at the Best Western motel.

After hiking for another hour, the trail dropped down the mountain. I could see a trail on the next mountain and realized that my trail was dropping WAY down and I would have to hike all the way up again in the hot afternoon sun. This is one of the mental challenges of the trail, especially when you are already tired.

The trail went up and up and up. Often I looked up to what looked like the top, only to find out that there was another higher hill beyond. I yelled out a few unkind words on several occasions.

The trail topped out at 6,400 feet and as I descended I came upon some Trail Magic. Someone had left bottled water and FRESH crispy apples! That was one of the best tasting apples I have ever eaten!

It was getting late in the day as I headed down the trail. To my amazement there is another ENORMOUS wind farm!


I wanted to find a campsite, but the trail was on a steep hillside and there was no place to camp. Soon the sun began to set and I raced down the trail hoping it would lead to suitable camping spots. Finally at 7 PM there was a spot by Oak Creek. I was so happy to slip into my sleeping bag after more than 13 hours on the trail.

I am camped at PCT mile 558 in the middle of an enormous wind farm. The elevation here is 4,056 feet.

I hiked 33.6 miles today.

Day 26 - Road-walk to Hiker Town & beyond

Monday, May 11

Casa de Luna was really fun! Such a great bunch of people!

I packed up and Terri took me and Fix It on her first run back to the trail at 6:45.


Before we left, there was one last photo of the folks that arrived yesterday. Terri always gets a smile from the group as she "moons" them just as the picture is taken. In this one, a young lady mooned her back!


My hike today consisted mostly of road walking. The PCT has a large section that is closed due to the Powerhouse Fire several ago. At Casa de Luna there was a map of the route.


Several options were proposed. One was to walk part of the road and then cut over to the aqueduct. Unfortunately that choice was a bit too adventurous since it wasn't mapped. The second option was to walk 2/3 of the road and then head over to the open section of the trail. The third option was to simply walk the road all the way to Hiker Town.

I chose the third option. I feel a bit guilty for skipping part of the trail, but I left carrying only 3 liters of water and was not sure of the next reliable source. Also, I had not planned go an extra day (this portion would have added another 20 miles), so I didn't have enough food.

The road passed by Elizabeth Lake, which was almost completely dried up and then by Lake Hughes.

Even on a road walk there are a interesting sights. There were pretty flowers, a farm with lots of sheep, even little ones. There was even a farm with a couple of ostriches. One farm had their dish receiver painted as a yellow "smiley face". There were several farms that had fancy thoroughbred horses. And there were farms growing grapes and peaches.

By 2:30 I arrived at Hiker Town.


There are a number of buildings decorated as old-time western buildings. These are rented out to hikers if they want to stay overnight.

I cooked and ate my dinner there. As I was about to leave, Casey and Lightening Pad came in. They had just finished the portion of the trail that I skipped.

I left at 3 and headed towards the LA aqueduct. The first portion is open.


The trail crosses over and then follows a water pipeline for several miles.


It finally follows a covered aqueduct which simply looks like a paved road.


I am camped tonight in the desert near the aqueduct.

I am at PCT mile 524.4. The elevation is 3,061 feet.

Day 25 - Casa de Luna

Sunday, May 10

Cowboy camping was so much better than sleeping at the KOA campground. I slept well.

There was a heavy dew last night, so my sleeping bag was wet on top. I was going to recharge my phone one last time, but my charger was out of power! This has never happened before so I was worried that perhaps it had gotten wet with dew.

I left camp at 5:45 and headed towards the San Francisquito Valley Road, about 10 miles away. If my battery backup has died, then I would have to figure out how to replace it. I knew that Casa de Luna was a short way down the road, so I decided to go there to try to recharge it.

When I got to the road, Terry Anderson, the owner of Casa de Luna, was waiting! There were three other hikers who also got a ride.

Casa de Luna is very unique. Hikers camp behind the house in a manzanita forest. This was my campsite.


There were little signs along the path. I took the high road.


I liked this sign on the gate.


And there was this sign too.


I plugged in my battery backup and let it charge all afternoon. I guess I had just used all the power!

More hikers arrived during the day and there was quite a crowd.

I helped out by washing dishes from the previous day.

There was plenty of beer so everyone was having a good time. For dinner they served a large taco salad. Yummy!

I am camped at Casa de Luna at PCT mile 478,6.

Day 24 - Aqua Dulce & Vasquez Rocks

Saturday, May 9

The Action KOA campground offers lots of services to hikers. However, the hiking community is only a small part of their business. Last night it was very difficult to sleep. First, all of the PCT hikers were bunched together, so naturally there was talking later than usual. Second, we were camped right next to the highway, so we heard traffic noise. Third, there is a train track on the far side of the camp. The train passed by three times during the night and, of course, had to blow its horn. Finally, there were late arriving car campers who made noise until 1AM. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep.

I packed up when I heard No Trace and Unbreakable packing. They left about 15 minutes ahead of me. This was the PCT hiker tents as I left.


I caught up with them within a half hour and I then hiked on ahead. There were some fantastic rock formations.


After a while I saw a freeway in the distance. It was interstate highway 14. The trail went under the freeway through a tunnel.


It was so dark in the tunnel that I couldn't see my feet or the path. I stubbed my toe on a large rock. Fortunately no permanent damage was done.

The treat for today was to visit the Vasquez Rocks National Area.


The rock formations were astounding.


Upon leaving the Vasquez rocks, Thea trail goes right through the town of Aqua Dulce. I needed to stop at the store there to resupply.


I needed 5 days of food to get me to Tehachapi. I had a list and the store had everything I was looking for. After packing it up, I walked across the street and had a hearty breakfast. No Trace and Unbreakable arrived just as I was leaving.

The trail followed the highway for several miles and then headed back into the mountains. This is what the trail often looks like as it climbs into the mountains.


I met three new hikers today. Ciera camped at the KOA last night and we leap frogged each other most of the day. She is in her twenties and lives in Colorado. She carries a mandolin and likes to sing.

At a spring, I met Dino DNA and Etch-a-sketch. They too are younger and are strong hikers.

By 5:30 I was tired so I stopped, made camp, and fixed dinner. I'm cowboy camping tonight and hope to get a good nights sleep.

I am at PCT mile 468.5. The elevation is 3,987 feet.