Day 36: 506-530
I arrived at the microcosm that is Hikertown before noon. I had a plan to rest for a few hours and then walk down the middle of the aqueduct overnight and get up early the next morning to do a night walk. But since the hikers arrived during the day, they all planned to leave just before sunset and hike through the night. I thought it was safer in a group, so I chose to go with the group. We had just started walking on the curved metal aqueduct when someone saw a baby rattlesnake in the aqueduct, so we all took pictures and slowly walked around it. It was a beautiful sunset when we reached the road hiking section. Even during the night hike to beat the heat, it was still hot and we encountered multiple unexpected gusts of wind that blew sand at us. At midnight we reached mile 530, but we still had 5 more miles to go before we reached a campsite. The big surprise for our tired eyes and legs was finding magical remains of the trail angel sprinter along the way. We continued walking until 2 in the morning and finally camped among the wind turbines, with very windy conditions to set up the tent. I guess I’ll count those five extra miles after midnight towards the 37th.
Day 37: 530-549
By 6:30am, the sun was already over the hill hitting the tent, warming me to the point that I couldn’t really sleep. The plan for the day had over 4400 feet of elevation gain on a hot day with little sleep. I needed some cheering up, so I played some music for the first time on my walk. Two different long breaks helped spread out the day and I was greeted with a wonderful water tank and snacks (fruit and chips) at mile 549. I desperately needed it because it really helped reduce the amount of water I needed for the climb. I walked another half mile and set up camp for the night.
Day 38: 549-566
Today was the day to enter Tehachapi. I walked through some pretty intense wind that tried to blow me off the path. Surrounded by wind farms, it was clearly going to be windy. I found a wonderful magical trail, celebrating the life of Magic Man, a trail angel who had passed away earlier this year. They made breakfast sandwiches and ate tons of fresh fruit. It was really lovely and helped fuel the 7.5 mile drive to Highway 58. I timed it perfectly and my wonderful girlfriend was there to pick me up and head into town for a day of rest.
Day 39: Tehachapi zero
Normal day zero tasks: wash clothes, bottles, filters, restock seven days’ worth of food. And spend time relaxing. I am very fortunate and grateful to be able to spend this time with my girlfriend, as many people who take the tour do not have the opportunity. She has helped me immensely and her dedication to traveling to see me helps me feel like I matter, in a time when I often feel alone and unimportant while walking alone on a trail.
Day 40: 566-573
I was feeling anxious, especially as I was planning the next two or three weeks. I’m already more than a week behind where I expected to be and I let that fear win in that moment and decided to walk that afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather app on my phone did not inform me that there was a high wind advisory. It felt like walking through a hurricane and I was worried that my tent tied to my backpack would fly away. Fortunately, I reached a sheltered camp in the bushes and hunkered down for the night.
Day 41: 573-594
The wind was still present but not as strong. I continued walking as the trail joined dirt roads, passed more wind turbines, and drank water from a nice shady spring. I was stuck in my mind and dealing with a variety of feelings and emotions. The landscapes change but my mind remains disturbed and restless. To end the day I found a campsite in a nice meadow. However, spring water was 2 miles round trip from camp to add miles to the day. Luckily I had service and was able to call a friend to try to distract myself a little more.
Day 42: 594-613
There was a big climb today, but a good reward with a beautiful forest in the afternoon. It felt like a glimpse into the Sierra. More climbing and we returned to the desert landscape. I heard other hikers mention seeing a bear and some footprints, which I didn’t realize. I found a great camping spot on a rocky outcrop. There were many places so I chose a nice one in the middle. While I was enjoying my dinner three other hikers showed up and after looking at the other tents, some of which were partially leaning, they decided to set up a cowboy camp right next to my tent. I was forced to listen to their mundane conversations about hiker gossip all afternoon and morning, while they never bothered to engage in conversation with me. I later found out from other hikers that this group was known for annoying people by talking and laughing late into the night and early in the morning. I come this far in the wild and I still can’t escape the people who might bother you.
Reflections:
Wherever you go, there you are. Meditations of long walks, trying to simplify life, and I am still hit by stress, anxiety and sadness. I can’t escape it; It’s trapped inside me. Loneliness on the road. The feeling of not belonging. Prolonged stress and suffering of the body and mind for miles and miles. Work stress is simply replaced with career stress, not as intense but of a different kind. I see many other hikers feeling the freedom, lightness, and openness of trail life. Although I still often feel the pressure and rush to do kilometers so I can enjoy rest and zero days. My high sensitivity is affected by the constant physical and mental stress of daily/weekly planning. A kind of self-punishment. My nervous system is still on edge and I can’t relax and enjoy the experience. I still enjoy moments of awe and appreciation for the opportunity to be here, but they are quickly replaced with the reminder to keep moving. There is no way to escape life: the path is simply a parallel path. I must move forward and face these challenges as there is always a lesson to learn buried deep within me. One more week to hopefully complete the Southern California section.
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