Day 39-41 (may 15-17) mile 517.6-558.5





















 On day 39 it was time to hike the LA aqueduct. We spent most of the day at the Wee Vill Market, resting as much as we can and staying cool in the desert sun. We decided to hike the aqueduct at night in order to avoid the heat. Chris got the trail name “Clutch” due to his ability to secure rides to and from trail. He again worked his magic when we went back to the trailhead, securing a ride from someone in the parking lot.


At 6:35 pm we started hiking and the air was cooling fast as the sun went down. I was hiking with Chris (Clutch), Went, Showers from LA, and Old Face from Philly. Showers and Old Face are some of the most extreme ultralight backpackers I’ve seen on the trail, with packs the size of day packs. Most of the aqueduct involves walking on some kind of concrete lid, with the high pressure water flowing below. Since it was pitch black we couldn’t really see exactly what we were walking on but it was a smooth enough surface that all we needed to do was just walk in a straight line. 


At around 2:00 am We stopped at the water source at mile 534.9, a total of 17.3 miles for the night. 


I was able to get about 5 hours of sleep before the heat of the sun woke me up to begin day 40. Forty days and forty nights in the desert. I was surprised to wake in the middle of a wind farm. Even though we had hiked until the early morning the night before, we treated this like a normal day of hiking. 


We got started by 9:00, walking through the wind turbines for about 6 miles. The trail started to climb out of the desert and into the mountains, getting great views of the San Gabriel mountains and Mt Baldy. We set up camp at mile 549.0, a total of 14.1 for the day and a total of 31.5 for the 24 hour period. 


On day 41 we had a 9.5 mile hike to the access road for Tehachapi. It was a gradual decent toward the biggest wind farm I’ve ever seen- 100s of wind turbines covered the landscape. There were some great flowers and small fields of California poppies. At the bottom Chris and I hitched a ride with a nice guy named Javier. 


In Tehachapi we contacted a trail angel named Barbara that we had heard about from a couple of south bounders a few miles back. She lets hikers stay in her back yard/ shed, the shed equipped with a kitchen, shower and lounging area. It was a very pleasant little place with tons of shade from the hot sun.


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 17, 2023 at 11:55 PM

    You continue to amaze me on your adventures.

    ReplyDelete
  2. K. LarsenMay 18, 2023 at 12:34 AM

    The drama of a midnight hike into unknown territory and waking up to a new world...it sounds like a pivotal scene in a book or movie, doesn't it? Glad you're beating the heat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ErinMay 18, 2023 at 7:44 AM

    Do you have a trail name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 18, 2023 at 7:48 AM

      Not yet, best I’ve got was jar jar

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 18, 2023 at 8:43 AM

      I really hope they come with something better than that! Tom suggests “Sparky”, I say “String bean”

      Delete
  4. AnonymousMay 18, 2023 at 8:28 AM

    How hot is it on the trail now? Interesting day for you yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMay 19, 2023 at 11:34 PM

    Did you feel an extra layer of holiness wash over you after the 40th day? I hope you get to be the reader the next time that passage comes up in the lectionary. Perhaps you can give the sermon that day! ~~ Pr. Tim

    ReplyDelete

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