Part 13: Hiker Vortexes, Desert Heat, and Backpack Fitting Crisis

The oasis of serenity

I could spare you the details of the first few kilometers to Agua Dulce, our next stop after Acton, but the start of the day is worth recounting.

Leaving Acton was quite entertaining.

We had absolutely no plan, we knew hitchhiking would probably be difficult, and yet the moment we hit the road, with two other hikers already waiting, a car pulled up and offered a ride for the four of us.

It turned out that the other hikers had called to a trail angel who was already on the way.

Once we reached the trailhead, we thanked our driver and began to gather our gear when a small problem arose: the trunk wouldn’t open.

Unfortunately, all four backpacks were trapped inside.

For about ten minutes, the driver and one of the hikers tried everything: pulling levers, shaking the car, fumbling with various tools, but in the end what solved the problem was a good old-fashioned kick.

The trunk finally opened, freeing our backpacks and our freedom.

Eight miles later we reached Vasquez Rocks and soon after that Agua Dulce.

Our first stop was, naturally, the general store.

We loaded up on lunch, cold drinks, fresh fruit and I treated myself to Mexican rice pudding.

Arms full of food, we walked half a mile to Serenity’s Oasis, where we planned to spend the night, possibly even two.

The place exceeded all my expectations.

A former PCT hiker known as Farmer John had transformed his huge garden into a hiker’s paradise. There were different rest areas, hammocks, games, tables, chairs, showers and toilets.

One room contained absolutely nothing except a powerful air conditioner running non-stop.

Bright.

During the hottest hours of the day, you can simply sit back and enjoy the breathable air.

There was also a small hiker’s tent stocked with all the essentials: dehydrated meals, repair supplies, tools, first aid items, cold drinks, and more.

After checking in, I immediately picked up the three packages I had sent there.

One contained my new Osprey backpack. Another was my bounce box and the third was a package from Amazon with my Cozy Pot, a Fuel Flip adapter, and extra liquid electrolytes.

Everything had arrived safely.

Success.

I immediately celebrated with a cold drink (possibly a soft drink, possibly a beer) and we settled down to enjoy a well-deserved lunch.

Soon we began to see familiar faces.

Penny and Flats were already there. Not long afterward arrived Shepherd, a French hiker we had met briefly at Whitewater Preserve before Mission Creek.

Shakes was there. Gandalf too.

Ruby, who we had met a few days earlier, and Sunshine, an injured hiker from Big Bear Lake, were also there.

Some hikers had already been there for three days.

The Serenity Oasis clearly had a reputation for being a vortex, and it didn’t take long to understand why.

The relaxed atmosphere, the soft reggae music (not exactly my favorite genre, but honestly, who cared?), the hammocks occupied only by pairs of dangling legs, the comfortable sofas and Farmer John himself, smiling and joking with everyone, made the place feel like home almost instantly.

And that was exactly what we needed.

After the mountainous section around Wrightwood, slowing down, enjoying wilderness life, and reconnecting with other hikers was wonderful.

I set up my tent and transferred everything from my old backpack to the new one.

Perfect.

Everything fits.

The team’s review of the previous weeks had clearly paid off.

Only the essentials remained.

I was especially pleased with the electrolytes. Most of the ones I found along the way contained sugar, flavorings, or both, and I didn’t really need any help feeding my growing sugar addiction.

The plain liquid version felt like a small victory.

The Fuel Flip adapter was another nice addition. It would allow me to refill my fuel canister with leftover gas from partially used canisters abandoned by hikers.

Many of them still contained a quarter of their fuel.

It seemed like a waste to leave that behind.

In between conversations, Shepherd, Hummingbird and I accepted Penny’s invitation to have dinner with her at Maria Bonita in town.

The restaurant had built a solid reputation among hikers, and at the very least, we knew there would be cold beer on tap.

Dinner consisted of what hikers usually say:

Fun trail stories, start dates, projected finish dates, gear options, daily mileage, injuries, food and more food.

The food itself was excellent.

It felt good to spend time with other hikers again.

Back at Serenity’s Oasis, the atmosphere had changed to night mode.

There were groups of hikers scattered everywhere, chatting, laughing and relaxing.

I joined Gandalf and two hikers from the Netherlands.

At some point, Farmer John put a cocktail in my hand.

I had promised myself I wouldn’t finish it (nowadays, two beers were usually enough for me), but somehow the glass kept getting emptier.

All around us, people were getting their feet wet, lying in hammocks and sharing stories.

The whole scene seemed a little surreal.

Needless to say, it was a very sweet evening.

Back on the road

The next morning, Knightrider arrived at camp early.

We hadn’t seen it since Big Bear Lake and had assumed it was well ahead of us, so it was a surprise and a pleasure to see it again.

We all headed into town to run some errands: resupply, grab coffee, and, in my case, replace my already worn-out Darn Tough socks thanks to their legendary lifetime warranty.

In the cafeteria we met Michael, a German hiker who we had been jumping with for quite some time. Penny was there too, busy editing videos for her YouTube channel.

After finishing our resupply, picking up lunch, and enjoying a little more time in the city, we returned to the Serenity Oasis.

By then we had already made our decision.

As tempting as it was to stay longer, the trail was calling.

The temperatures were rising every day and we knew it would be easier to make progress if we kept moving.

Our plan was simple: leave around 4 p.m., avoid the hottest part of the day, walk about seven miles uphill to the next water source, and find a nearby dry camping spot.

So we spent the afternoon doing what hikers do best when they’re not hiking.

Chatting.

Hummingbird took a nap, while Knightrider and I tried out the famous “refrigerator room.” We sat there for quite a while, enjoying the luxury of the air conditioning and talking about life on the trails.

Finally it was time to say goodbye.

We thanked Farmer John for his incredible hospitality, shouldered our packs, and headed back to the trail.

Leaving was not easy.

Serenity’s Oasis had a way of making you want to stay just one more day.

And then another.

And probably another one after that.

We started walking with Shepherd, although he was much faster than us.

Still, the trail has a fun way of bringing people together.

We met at the water source and then back at the campsite.

That night, us cowboys camped under the stars.

A quiet end to a relaxing day and the start of another stretch north.

The battle of the backpacks

We had all agreed to wake up at 4:30am the next day to begin another uphill start.

The main challenge of the day, however, was not the climbing or the Poodle Dog Bushes…

It was my new backpack.

After weeks of waiting, failed orders, phone calls, and logistical headaches, I finally had it.

Now I just had to make it fit correctly.

Which turned out to be easier said than done.

Throughout the morning, I continued adjusting the straps, moving the harness up and down, tightening and loosening the hip belt, and generally trying to convince my pack to cooperate.

Each adjustment seemed to solve one problem while creating another.

Too high and my shoulders hurt.

Too low and my lower back complained.

At one point, I tightened my lap belt so much that my stomach started protesting too.

Needless to say, it was a pretty uncomfortable morning.

Hummingbird and I just took a break, squeezed in the shade of a small bush.

Unfortunately, about a thousand flies had exactly the same idea.

We lasted only a few minutes before deciding that continuing walking was actually the more pleasant option.

Finally, we arrived at a ranger station where we knew we could refill our water bottles from the outside taps.

There we met Arthur, a British hiker who apparently had the same mission as us: find water and avoid the heat.

But we soon lost track of him again.

Nearby, we spotted a picnic table and settled down for lunch.

One by one, familiar faces began to appear.

Knightrider joined us, followed by Rabbit and Michael.

As usual, the conversation revolved around the topics that dominate life on the trails: water sources, weather forecasts, equipment problems, daily mileage, and the whereabouts of other hikers.

To make up for the 4:30am wake-up call, I treated myself to a quick nap.

A very successful one.

When I finally opened my eyes, more hikers had gathered and it was already close to 2 in the afternoon.

It’s time to get moving again.

Before leaving I gave the backpack one more adjustment session.

I carefully followed all the recommendations: most of the weight on the hips, the belt positioned correctly, the shoulder straps snug but not too tight, enough room to slide two fingers under the straps.

At least in theory.

The afternoon would be the real test.

The trail continued its steady climb uphill, but fortunately the grade remained gentle.

The temperatures were rising and I carried about three liters of water as well as food for several days.

Not exactly ideal when you’re still negotiating terms with your backpack.

However, surprisingly, the afternoon turned out much better than the morning.

I’m not entirely sure if I finally found the right model or just stopped obsessing over it.

Either way, things got better.

Early in the afternoon we arrived at our camp: a beautiful place next to a small river.

Pastor had already arrived.

After the heat of the day, the cold water felt amazing. We washed up, set up camp, and settled on the sandy river bank for dinner.

Rabbit arrived shortly after, and later Knightrider also joined us.

When the light went out, we sat by the water sharing stories and enjoying the simple comfort of a good campsite.

After spending a day struggling with my backpack, ending up next to a river with friends seemed like a well-deserved reward.