Woe to the water! – The walk

Tehachapi to Agua Dulce, Miles 454.5-566.4, October 16-20, 2025

I was walking through the Los Angeles Aqueduct section. This is one of the best-known sections of the PCT. Northerners walk it at night to avoid the heat, making it a fun adventure. It’s just a dirt road next to a concrete slab that stretches for about 10 miles through a corner of the Mojave Desert. There are (presumably) access hatches. They also serve as nice seats to rest on while you walk.

Six miles later, I went to take a sip of this water and immediately choked. It tasted like soap. Doh! I had washed my water bottles in Tehachapi but maybe I hadn’t rinsed them enough. I shook the bottle and sure enough, foam was visible. I tried flavoring the water with a little bit of lemonade mix, but I could still taste the soap.

The irony. I had left Tehachapi the day before thinking I would have to walk 36 miles without water. With my backpack loaded with 5 liters of water, I reached the first water tank in 10 miles. The most recent reports were that the water in the reservoir had run out, but by the time I arrived it had already been replenished. that morning. Oh well, I still had water, so I kept walking and only got a small amount from the cache.

There was also a tap at the north end of the aqueduct. When I left Tehachapi it was reported to be off, but the new updated information was that it was turned back on due to recent rain. The reports came too late for me and I had already brought extra water from Tehachapi, so I skipped the tap.

I am now on the Aqueduct and just found out that I had been carrying 2 liters of soapy water for 30 miles. I had overlooked 2 good water sources (catch and faucet) just so I could carry this soapy water. I could drink Dawn’s infused water and hope it doesn’t cause GI distress, or try to get to the next water source (in about 7 miles) without getting too dehydrated. I threw out all the water and chose the latter, and I’m so grateful for the lovely people who installed a drinking fountain and some shaded benches in the corner of the property.

As if I hadn’t heard it the first time, a day later I got water at the Green Valley fire station and after walking with three liters down a road, I discovered that it tasted a lot like chlorine. It was like drinking from a pool that had been impacted. Again, flavoring the water didn’t mask it. This time I was smart. I threw some, drank some and used the rest to wet my shirt and bra at intervals to keep cool. Combined with an umbrella, I made it to 10 miles away the following spring. Fresh spring water tastes AMAZING, especially when you’re thirsty.

Welcome to the desert, says Mother Nature with a joyful laugh.

Dramatic landscapes

In addition to the Aqueduct, this section had some interesting regions. The Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm has 3,400 windmills (according to Wikipedia), and the trail passes by all of these windmills. Fortunately for me, the wind was minimal. I camped like a cowboy under a juniper tree among the windmills and heard the faint whistling of the blades on my first night.

The trail passes hundreds of windmills.

Then it was the Los Angeles Aqueduct and lastly, Hikertown. Hikertown is hard to describe. It looks like an old west movie set and you can pay a small fee to stay in one of the buildings. When I arrived, it was a ghost town. The only two people I saw were two hikers sitting in front of one of the buildings smoking joints. I was directed to the water tap, rinsed my bottles, closed them and continued. The whole scene was a little creepy.

hiker city

After Hikertown, the trail wound through sandy bush, weaving in and out of valleys. I was able to see, but not touch, the infamous poodle bush (it produces a poison oak style rash). I also saw a lot of hunters, but no wildlife (idly I wondered what they intended to shoot). I passed the 500 mile mark.

Only 500 miles left!

My last night I was lucky. I stayed at one of those perfect campsites that you only find a few times along the way. Flat, protected from the wind, with a beautiful view from the top of the ridge. A fantastic sunset. Once it got dark, I could see a thousand little red lights flashing in the distance to the north. After a moment I realized I was looking at the windmills I had passed on my first and second day of this section (it was now day 4). It seemed like a good ending to be able to look back and see where I started.

Sunset on day 4 of the section

In Agua Dulce my brother met me, bringing TimTams. When we arrived at her house, the freezer was filled with Mint Chip ice cream, the refrigerator with fresh strawberries, and the counter with chocolate chip cookies. I have the best family!

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