On the Trail – Page 4 – NorCal Hiker

Days 43 to 46 (Miles 704.7 to 760.5)

Day 43: We left Kennedy Meadows campground after stuffing ourselves and our packs with food. It’s always tough getting back on the trail after a break. It feels like the time off makes us weak, but it’s probably just that our packs get much heavier when we resupply. With all our new gear and 7 days worth of food crammed into bear canisters, we were each carrying 30 to 35 pounds. Not bad, considering some people ahead of us were in the 50 to 60 pound range. Continue reading “Days 43 to 46 (Miles 704.7 to 760.5)”

Days 39 to 42 (Miles 652 to 704.7)

We took the “rock & roll” bus back to Walker Pass at 5:15 in the morning. We were the only two passengers on the bus as it left Lake Isabella. The driver blasted music the entire way, beginning with Metallica then transitioning to The Doors and The Eagles. He drove so fast we made it to Walker Pass just after 6am. Kern Transit is like no other. Continue reading “Days 39 to 42 (Miles 652 to 704.7)”

Days 33 to 38 (Miles 558 to 652)

After less than 24 hours in Tehachapi, we returned to the trail at PCT Mile 558. We spent the next 6 or 7 miles walking through another wind farm. Wind turbines are pretty cool, but after three days of them, we were both ready for a change in scenery. Continue reading “Days 33 to 38 (Miles 558 to 652)”

Days 31 & 32 (Miles 530 to 558)

Despite our proximity to the Iberdrola wind farm, we had a calm night camped amongst the Joshua trees. The wind had been howling the day before. Several people gave us advice on which tent sites would be most sheltered, but we seemed to have some kind of crazy luck and the wind completely died down. Continue reading “Days 31 & 32 (Miles 530 to 558)”

Days 27 to 30 (Miles 455 to 530)

We left Hiker Heaven on foot and were immediately offered a ride down the road into town. We ate an incredibly delicious and filling breakfast at the Sweetwater Café (Agua Dulce is Spanish for sweet water). After breakfast we powered down the road and back onto the trail. By midday, we had reached Bear Spring. We took our time hiking a few more miles and finished the day around 3:30pm, setting up camp next to some high voltage lines. Continue reading “Days 27 to 30 (Miles 455 to 530)”

Days 24 to 26 (Miles 412 to 455)

We spent a large part of the past few days walking through the Station Fire burn area, dodging poodle dog bush and unsuccessfully looking for morels. Continue reading “Days 24 to 26 (Miles 412 to 455)”

Days 19 to 23 (Miles 333.5 to 412)

We are in a 110 mile stretch between resupply points (civilization). Our external battery died, so we’re relying on solar to keep the phones charged. Today was very sunny, so here are some updates since my last post. Continue reading “Days 19 to 23 (Miles 333.5 to 412)”

Days 17 & 18 (Miles 293.8 to 333.5)

After two 20 mile days, we’ve made it within 9 miles of Cajon Junction, where food and a (half) rest day await us. Continue reading “Days 17 & 18 (Miles 293.8 to 333.5)”

Days 14 to 16 (Miles 252 to 293.8)

We fell asleep to howling wind at Ziggy and the Bear’s. It did not die down as we slept, but grew stronger. I awoke at some point in the middle of the night and watched as somebody’s air mattress flew through the air. He must have gotten up without weighing it down with something. Fortunately he caught it before it flew over the fence. Continue reading “Days 14 to 16 (Miles 252 to 293.8)”

Day 13 (Miles 194 to 211)

Today we made it to Ziggy and the Bear’s house! The first 12 miles were all downhill, from 6500-ft to about 1500-ft. The trail is really nicely graded, but that also makes it really long. After reaching the bottom of Mount San Jacinto, we trudged five miles across the desert in what felt like a wind storm. There are a ton of windmills in this area, so I suspect it’s pretty much always very windy here. Continue reading “Day 13 (Miles 194 to 211)”