Week 8: Tehachapi to Lake Isabella
Day 50
9 miles
It wasn't until about 10:30 PM last night that I remembered that we had another package waiting for us at the post office that hadn't yet arrived (thank you Alley!). The post office didn't open until 9am today so our plan to get up early and get on the 6am bus was not going to happen after all.
We packed up the tent and walked to the bakery this morning for snacks and coffee and then I began making my way to the post office and actually got a ride from a local woman headed that way. I had started the walk early to account for 25 minutes of walking so I was 20 minutes early when I was able to get a ride. When I got to the post office there was a woman wearing a dark purple shirt who had also walked and had no idea what time it was. When I told her we still had twenty minutes to wait, we began to talk. I loved that she called me "Mija." She was an amazing woman with a warmth and kindness that we rarely get the opportunity to experience with complete strangers. She was so amazed about our adventure and had no idea that the Pacific Crest Trail ran so close to Tehachapi. As someone who walks a lot (maybe everywhere) herself, she could really appreciate the slowness and connection to nature we find on our hike.
We had a nice conversation about fear and worry and she shared with me about how her son and her sister-in-law have a lot of worries about her. She shared with me that she no longer has any fear in her life since her ex-husband passed awayfive years ago. She shared that she was married when she was 15 years old and that he completely terrified her. She said she could never stop being terrified until she knew he was dead. Her honesty gave me goosebumps. After he's been gone, she said she's the most free she's ever felt. I was struck by her bravery and courage to consciously choose a life free of fear after knowing real fear for so much of her lifetime.
I told her about how I ask my mom to send me wishes instead of worries when she shares concerns for my safety. When I said this, her eyes lit up and she said "You are everywhere" to me. It was such an unusual and amazing compliment. She's planning a trip to Eugene, Oregon this summer despite her sons worries. I suggested she go in July instead of June because hopefully then the rainy season will be over. I told her about how beautiful the roses are in Oregon and showed her some pictures that I had taken in the Portland Rose Garden. When she saw the light purple Sterling Rose, she let out an audible squeal over how beautiful it was. She loves the color purple. As 9am became closer, she got back in line and gave me a hug and said that maybe she'll see me in Oregon. I didn't mention that I will probably still be on the trail but maybe by some miracle I could see her again.
After I left the post office and was walking back to meet Easy, I saw her walking ahead of me on the other side of the road. She was limping and was leaning down to pick up trash. I caught up to her and waved hello. She lit up when she saw me and I was so glad to have the chance to tell her how wonderful it was to meet her. She wished me a wonderful adventure and I assured her that I would!
We made our way back to the trail to begin the next desert section. We hiked 9 miles and found a perfect spot to camp.
Day 51
18 miles
We woke up at 5:30am to begin the 8 mile trek to the water. This section is through more wind farms. We were thrilled to find one last plastic water bottle near the wind farm, most likely restocked by employees at the wind farm. We shared it and guzzled it down in seconds!
We ran into our friends Meagan and Ian near the Spring. It was such a treat to see them. They had taken some time off the trail in Mojave and had just gotten back on trail too!
After a nice break at the Spring, we hiked 10 more miles. Both of my ankles were hurting the last few miles.
I got to thinking today about what makes for a good day while thru-hiking. I began a list, knowing I'd likely think of items to add "down the trail!"
A good day on the trail is a day when...
You don't run out of water or food
You don't pee on yourself
You finally get that piece of jerky out from between your teeth (wheat / straw works best!)
You don't twist an ankle
You don't run out of toilet paper, stove fuel or Aquamira filtering drops
You find a flat camping spot
Day 52
19 miles
Today was one of my absolute favorite days on the trail!
We woke up to a cool, wet morning with lots of fog. There were times that we couldn't even see ten feet in front of us! I loved the mystery of discovering what was waiting for us behind the fog. Easy was excited to wear his bright yellow poncho.
We hit the 600 mark today and we were so happy to get there! The mile markers are always fun to look forward to. We came across the most stunning purple lupine bushes in the evening as the sun began to set. The juxtaposition of the purple flowers against the white rocks was breathtaking.
Day 53
19 miles
In true thru-hike fashion, no two days on the trail are alike. Today was a day I described as "hell" to Easy at one point in the afternoon. I told him it was "hot, hard, and I was hurting." The alliteration helped support my case. This was a true desert day, with tons of Joshua Trees and almost no shade to be found.
There was a lot of sand today, which can be tough in hiking / trail running shoes. Especially when you're getting a ton of sand and pebbles in your shoes, argggg! One section of today's trail had what seemed like large speed bumps! Easy said it must've been from dirt bikes on the trail. Speed bumps while traveling at 2 mph. A first for me!
By the time we got to Bird Spring Road, we were both a bit cranky. When Easy is tired he wants to sit alone and talk to no one. When I'm tired I want to socialize to build up some energy. I was happy to see Meagan and Ian near the road as we walked in. Easy went to sit under a tree in peace and quiet. I was pleased to see some "trail magic" near the road - jugs of water, snacks, even a box full of phone charging boxes and extra toilet paper (surprisingly well timed that day as we had just ran out that morning)!
Not even ten minutes after we got there, a new car pulled up near where we were sitting. It was a current PCT hiker who had already done that section in previous years and was skipping it this year (I can see why!). He was joined by two other hikers who had gotten off the trail early due to injury. They unloaded a cooler of drinks and all sorts of goodies like fresh fruit and apple pie. The 15+ hikers here were SUPER excited! I snatched up a lemon La Croix for Easy as soon as that cooler opened and walked it over to him. He couldn't believe it and was almost shocked because a lemon La Croix was the one thing he was dreaming about all afternoon ("If he could have anything in the world!"). Perfect timing! I went back to sit with Meagan and Ian and found an ice cold ginger beer at the bottom of the cooler. Quite a treat after miles and miles in the hot desert. I stayed with the group until one hiker took off his shoes and his feet smelled so awful I just had to head back to our campsite. As luck would have it, he ended up camping just a few feet away from us... I guess you can't win 'em all.
Day 54
21 miles
Easy had a rough day today. He fell down twice and also somehow managed to sit on a cactus. His first fall was on the switchbacks in the morning on a big climb and the second fall was next to a dirt road after we had to quickly hop onto the shoulder because lots of ATVs were zooming around for Memorial Day weekend. We both concluded it might be time for new shoes with better traction to mitigate the slipping.
In the afternoon we stopped at a spring where many ATVers were having lunch. We could smell the scent of cheeseburgers and secretly hoped they may end up with extra. Sure enough, a woman walked over to us not ten minutes later to offer us a cheeseburger. We offered to split it with the two hikers resting behind us but they declined. The two of us scarfed that cheeseburger down in about two minutes!
When we finally reached Walker Pass it felt great to get to the campground. Meagan and Ian were there and the Trail Magic hiker who brought the treats last night was here tonight! Two ice cold Pabst Blue Ribbon beers never tasted so good.
Day 55 + 56 + 57
Zeroes!
We hitched into Lake Isabella with a section hiker's dad, Jim, who was so generous with us. Right after he pulled over in his truck, he offered us peeled orange halves (delicious)! He knew the Kern Valley well because he had led raft trips in the Kern River. He talked about learning to raft at the age of 52 and how much he loved it. It was a treat to swap stories and share a 20-minute car ride with someone so passionate about adventure.
Jim took us to Nelda's Diner where we enjoyed breakfast, power outlets and a delicious Mocha shake. Later we checked into Lake Isabella Motel and finally got to set down those packs!
We ended up staying two nights in Lake Isabella to relax and recover. On our third day, we realized we somehow misplaced our tent poles. They had been living in the front pocket on Easy's backpack that is open in the top. They could've been stolen when our packs were outside of Nelda's Diner or possibly left at the motel (even though we called). It was very strange because his bag would've had to have been completely upside down for the poles to have fallen out.
Since there is so much snow in the Sierras, we're in no rush. Time to reevaluate our plans and figure out how to either replace our tent poles or tent before we get back on the trail.
