Day 51: Mile 652.5 – 660.6

I woke up underneath the Milky Way at Walker Pass Campground to the sound of coyotes howling in correspondence close to camp. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.

I slept in until 7am, when the sun started to hit us and warm my sleeping bag uncomfortably. As all of us got ready, we worried about getting a hitch into Ridgecrest, since we were such a big group and the town was so far away. Then, a huge pickup truck pulled into the campsite. A man named Abel popped out and asked if we were PCT hikers, and offered us a ride. He said that he just thought he would check the campground to see if any PCT hikers were around. Four of us squished in the cab and two piled into the bed. Abel volunteered with the PCTA, and on the forty minute drive to Ridgecrest we talked about the trail work and using crosscut saws. The rest of the group ended up caching a hitch too, and we were off to town!

Our first stop was Denny’s, where we had a huge breakfast. It was milkshakes, coffee, pancakes, galore.

Next on the list was charging devices and a small resupply to get us to Kennedy Meadows. The girls of the group— Clare, Mercedes, Candy, and I— decided we would take a Lyft to Starbucks, which was also near a Walmart. Even though we were dirty and very much focused on trail chores, it was sweet to be hanging out with just the girls at Starbucks, maybe like we would in real life.

After resupplying and going to Chipotle (which reminded me of high school going with my mom and brother all the time!), we met the boys at the library.

We didn’t have a ride back to trail yet. Then, all of a sudden, Clare got a call from Rory who delivered the best news of all time— not only did we have a ride back to trail, but also showers and dinner!

He and the boys had been walking to the store, when a truck pulled up next to him. A lady recognized that they were PCT hikers, and offered them a ride. At first, he said no, since they were close enough to the store. She insisted, and after the short ride together, she also offered to bring them back to trail later and invited our whole group over to her house beforehand. I couldn’t believe it!

We met Rachelle outside of the library, and gratefully jumped into her truck. It was probably about 95 degrees, and we were so hot and sweaty. She brought us to her house, where we were able to shower and hang out for a while, admiring her and her husband’s backyard with crazy vehicles, chickens, and rescued desert tortoises. Her husband Tyler made tacos for us, and we all laughed at his stories. It was an unexpected miracle to be clean, and to be cool when the weather outside was boiling. The two of them were such a sweet couple with a beautiful home, and their generosity and kindness really struck me.

But soon, it was time to get back to trail, at a late 6pm. It was too hot to hike in the daytime anyways. Rachelle and her daughter drove our group back to the campground, and we set off, immediately climbing a huge hill. The sunset was beautiful, but the hiking was hard.

I found myself at the back of the group, worrying slightly about getting left behind and having to hike alone at night. Luckily, Rory waited a bit for me after the worst of the ascent, and soon, we flicked on our headlamps and walked into the night.

We hiked awhile before running into Clare, who was waiting with the others, who were starting to set up camp. All three of us were feeling good, and I wanted to push more miles to get to Kennedy Meadows to see Isabel, so we decided to keep hiking on.

Headlamps on, we hiked in a line, up a steep ridge that ended up being rockier and more technical than I was anticipating. In the parts of the trail that were sandy, there were tiny scorpions that had come out in the night, illuminated by our headlamps. Still, we kept walking, the city of Ridgecrest the only light in the vast desert.

We found a small site on a ridge, and decided to call it a night. All three of us lined up our sleeping bags in a row, and we cowboy camped next to each other, just like sardines. It was special to have found such great friends to share this random spot with, the wind howling and the stars laid out before us.

Day 52: Mile 660.6 – 682.0

We woke up huddled next to each other in the morning. The sunrise on the ridge was magnificent. The heat would be intense today, so I set off as early as I possibly could.

I hiked down from the top of the ridge into a valley, with unexpected shade and oak trees, and then back up to another ridge, with lots of sagebrush and exposed desert.

I was in good spirits, even though it was starting to get hot. I listened to music on shuffle, truly just jamming out. Around a corner, I glimpsed Spanish Needle, a neat looking mountain that promised the impressive mountainous features of the Sierras to come.

I met up with Clare and Rory at the creek, and both of them seemed to be overheating. Lydia was there too, not feeling well, and I exchanged Garmin numbers with her to keep in contact with her as she tried to get off trail. There was a big climb today, and everyone seemed hesitant about tackling it in the increasing heat of the day.

I dipped my shirt and hat in the creek to try to keep cool, and started ascending. It was brutally hot by now, at about noon. I was okay though, just pushing through, not feeling terrible. There was another creek about a mile in, and all of us stopped there. The water from the previous creek had already evaporated from my shirt. Rory and Clare wanted to stay at the creek to try to wait out the heat, but I wanted to try to get the climb over with. I decided to set off on my own, take as many shade breaks as possible, and get it done.

It was steep, and there weren’t many places to stop. I took it in half mile chunks, the temperature soaring. But when I reached the top, I was proud of myself. I really am lucky that I handle heat so well, and really should consider it my hiking superpower.

My reward for getting to the top was taller trees that provided luxurious shade over the rest of trail. I met up with the group for a bit, but hiked on quickly, knowing that it would take me longer to finish the descent. Mike caught up to me not long after, and we talked for a while hiking in almost-golden hour, mostly about peak-bagging and our anticipation for the Sierras. Soon, the rest of the group caught up, and I got to hike with them until we made it to camp. I don’t really get to hike with people that often, since I’m much slower, so it was really nice to be around others and enjoy their fun energy.

It was late when we set up camp at Chimney Creek. Some car campers were there too, and they gave us beers and started chatting with us. Turns out, they were all from Vegas, and one went to my high school, just a year ahead! It was a crazy coincidence, so far away from society. It made me think of how there’s probably so many connections like that to be made in the “real world,” but they might pass by since it’s harder to strike up conversations and discover them.

The mosquitos started swarming, so Candy, Mercedes, and I ate our dinner quickly. Clare satellite messaged me that she and Rory would be night hiking to avoid the heat, so I would see them tomorrow. I was so exhausted, and the fact that I didn’t have to night hike made me very grateful that I pushed through the heat this afternoon.

I ended the night with Mercedes showing me and Candy how to set up a counterbalanced bear hang. It was kind of epic— throwing the rock with the rope, tying cool knots, and watching all of my food ascend into the sky. I definitely needed to practice that.

Today was a good day, albeit hot, and left me feeling proud of my ability to push through discomfort. Tomorrow would be Kennedy Meadows, at last! My last day of the desert was finally here.

Day 53: Mile 682.0 – 703.4

It was another day of waking up well before dawn to get miles in before the sun came up. My alarm sounded at 3:45am. I hoped that with the end of the desert that I could start getting more sleep.

I met up with Rory and Clare at the first water source of the day, a spring just off trail. The big obstacle of the day would be a climb, and then from there it should be smooth sailing to Kennedy Meadows.

I took off alone on the ascent, which started in the shade and then suddenly became exposed as it passed through a burn scar. It was an easy grade though, and went by quickly and easily. I reached the top and was afforded spectacular views of the Sierras ahead of me. The snowcapped peaks didn’t look as distant as before. I felt myself getting emotional, almost teary-eyed, as I gazed ahead. I couldn’t believe that I was almost to the Sierras, and that I walked here myself, through so many wonderful times and hardships. I was so incredibly proud of myself.

The descent to Kennedy Meadows started easy enough, but soon, the temperature started rising, and the endless downhill began wearing on my knees and feet. Biting flies also swarmed anytime I stopped for shade or water. It soon became miserable, and I walked as fast as I could downhill to get it over with.

I took a lunch break with Jay, Clare, Rory, and Wink, huddled amongst willow trees near a creek at the bottom. Morale was low, with the biting flies continuing to torture us as we tried to eat. I kept the break short, hiking out with Jay into the valley of sagebrush, boulders, and the sound of locusts.

I skirted around the bottom of the mountains, until I finally came across the Kern River. It was a real, flowing river, nothing like I had encountered before on the PCT. Seeing so much water, running clear and strong, filled me with appreciation. I was grateful for all of the springs, creeks, puddles, and troughs that got me through the desert, but I thanked the upcoming Sierras for the fact that I would not have to think about water in the same way again.

I met two hikers, Sun Dog and Giggles, at the river. We hiked most of the way through Kennedy Meadows together, and they talked to me about their first two thru-hikes of the PCT, and how things have changed in the years in between. Kennedy Meadows was a vast plain of sagebrush, with towering mountains ahead. Even though it was beautiful, I was exhausted, hot, and ready to be in town.

Once I made it to road, I sat under a tree to collect myself and cool off. I would still have to walk in order to get to town from here. I steeled myself to do it, and then suddenly, a person came up from the other side of trail, and offered me a ride. It was a mom who had just dropped her daughter back off on the PCT. I gratefully accepted, and soon found myself at Grumpy’s Retreat, greeted by other hikers with congratulations. It was exciting and also overstimulating. I bolted for the shower, and then ordered myself food. My friends started arriving, and I started to feel the excitement. We had made it over 700 miles on the PCT, and finished the desert section in full!!

Isabel was also on her way to see me, all the way from Oregon! I was waiting in line for the bathroom later in the night, when all of a sudden, she was there! I gave her the biggest hug of all time. We hung out with my friends for a little while, but soon retreated to our AirBnb to be together. I missed her so much.

I’m so grateful to be ending the desert, even though it’s also bittersweet to be leaving such wonderful memories and breathtaking scenery behind. It’s like everything is staring over— I’m restarting the the clock on being away from Isabel, preparing for a totally new set of challenges in the Sierras, and taking everything I’ve learned and experienced from the desert with me. I’m nervous, but also excited.

Blog posts have been delayed but I’m still trucking along on the trail. Thank you for supporting me and keeping up with my posts!