A Romp Through the West
Day 37
Miles: 8
From the mile 549 water cache to Tehachapi willow springs road
The whole crew rolled into the cache last night, then rolled out before we woke up. Bob and the Canadians are gone too. Bringing up the rear again. Wouldn’t want to break form.
We have our rocket boosters on this morning – we speed our way downhill, through more windmills and grass and trees and stuff. Eight miles, bam! We’re at Tehachapi Willow Springs road.
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Day 36
Miles 20
From the aqueduct to mile 549 cache
June 6, 2014
The sun is shining on me and it’s already hot, where I’m cowboy camped next to J on the flat spot next to the aqueduct. Bob is already up and packing, Red is stirring, but J and the other two Canadians are still asleep. It’s only going to get hotter, lying here. I’m tired but I guess I’ll get up.
I added some weird green powder from the Canadians to my power breakfast mix, and now it tastes… green, as well as being a distressing green – brown color. It could use some more brownie mix, too bad. Altogether though, I’m hopeful about the morning. A little ibuprofen, a little caffeine, and I’m ready to take on the day, as if I hadn’t walked 26 miles, or until midnight. Maybe J and I have got this hiking business down after all. Maybe we’ll be able to make the miles to get ourselves to Canada. Maybe maybe maybe.
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Day 35
Miles: 26
From the Rock Inn to the LA aqueduct
The Canadians are up and at ’em at six a.m. If we keep hanging with this crowd we might turn into morning people. Ha! It’s cool and delightful this time of day… maybe that’s why so many get up to hike at the crack of dawn…
It’s nothing but road from here to hikertown, so we start walking. Only notable thing seems to be the difficulty of finding a good place to poop and the number of no trespassing signs. They have a little to do with each other. I wonder what hikers from other countries think when they walk down this nice little country road – no trespassing – attack dogs – armed guard – premises under surveillance – do not enter.
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Day 34
Miles: 16
From the Oasis water cache to the Rock Inn
We’re just getting up when we hear people at the cache. It’s Dan and Sarah, Red, and Bob – a group usually referred to as Bob and the three Canadians. (“It’s the three Canadians and Bob!” Bob will insist. It doesn’t stick.) Avocado and Sarah are soon behind, then Dimples and Snake Eyes. The party arrived after all! I drink a cold cola with my poptarts (breakfast of champions).
Day 33
Miles: 18
From hiker heaven to the Oasis water cache
After wrapping up some loose odds and ends, I’m finally ready to leave hiker heaven. “Do you have a donation box?” I ask Donna.
“Over there,” she points to an ugly vase back in the corner of the garage. The Saufleys can’t possibly be covering their costs. I wonder if it is the transformation they appreciate – watching tired, filthy hikers coming to their respite, only to leave refreshed, clean(ish), and in good spirits. I feel like I might be ready to go on. We get a hug and our picture taken, then it’s time to go. Dimples and Snake Eyes start off with us today – can’t go wrong with some good company.
Based on the reports and hearsay from other hikers about the horrible, dry desert coming up, I keep expecting to be walking through blazing hot, rocky wastes. This hasn’t happened yet. Today we take off into hills that are golden and green. The land here looks rumpled, like an old quilt, patchworked in greens and yellows here, blues tans and greys out in the distance.
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Day 32
Miles: 0
A zero day at hiker heaven
It’s morning and I feel terrible. Everything hurts. I act terrible too. I’m petulant and unhelpful as J tries to get us ready to go. Maybe more obstructionist than unhelpful… We bicker it out to the root cause, which turns out to be a brutal exhaustion that I just can’t shake. I’m really good at putting everything I have upfront, but maybe I should work on keeping a little back for later. (Nah.)
Day 31
Miles: 10
From the Acton KOA to Hiker Heaven (aka the Saufleys’)
The sun is coming up on our hiker sleepover in the gazebo – one early bird packs up and jets, the rest of us gently stir. It’s morning.
We’ve only got ten miles to go today to arrive at the Saufleys’. Located in Agua Dulce, they operate a thru-hiker waystation at their home. Some operation – they ask that no more than 50 hikers a night come through. (!) They also hold mail and send mail for hikers, which is what I’m particularly excited about. Besides a box of extra food that we sent ahead, and our bounce box, which is full of extra gear, and a box of goodies that my mother has sent, I’ve ordered a brand new pack which should also be waiting for me.
Day 30
Miles: 12
May 31, 2014
From sulphur spring to the Mill Creek fire station to the Acton KOA
Pushing miles always sounds good on the day I’m doing it, but I regret it the day after. Today’s the day after… We’re dragging, as usual, and the last ones out of the camping area.
There’s a complicated detour section coming up. From here on there are poodle dog bush infestations. Some of the reports seem greatly exaggerated, others more serious. Then there’s the fact that I’ve never seen a poodle dog bush rash. It’s said to cause bloating, pain, oozing pustules, and itchiness, but these are all second hand reports. That said, I’ve never seen a poison oak rash, but I trust that it’s nasty. Anyhow, some hikers are detouring onto a forest service road right from sulphur springs. Others plan on taking the trail to the Mill Creek fire station then detouring from there. Others are hoping for a hitch.
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Day 29
Miles: 24
From little Jimmy Spring to sulphur spring
When our alarm goes off at the amazingly early hour of 7am, only one other hiker is left at little Jimmy campground. Apparently early has different definitions for different people. Gizmo and Dirtnap, bringing up the rear again.
The trail today has a lot of decisions. Instead of a long, unbroken, dirt conveyor belt to Canada, the trail has closures, road walks, and too many road crossings to keep track of. The decisions start right away, as J and I look up at another crazy climb up a ridge. Highway 2 sweeps around the ridge and connects back up with trail where it comes careening back down. Uphill is always the answer, so up we go. Nothing like a good haul in the morning to remind you that you did the same thing yesterday.
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Day 28
Miles: 14
From Wrightwood to Little Jimmy Spring Camp
I wake up and take another shower. Might as well start off clean for the next section. Don and Yvon feed us breakfast, then Yvon takes us to the store for a new fuel canister and then to the trailhead. Yvon explained last night that get daughter has found surrogate mothers all over the world – so she likes to take care of the children of other people who come their way. These debts and gifts of kindness get passed around in a giant loop all over the world I suppose. My mother likes to take in the children of friends and strangers too. I wonder if it all eventually shakes out even – it seems that those who are better at giving have more room to receive.
