MM: 566
Trail Miles: 17
Miles Walked: 18
I forgot to reset my alarm from last night so it went off at 0215. Ugh. And this was a day I could sleep in a bit.
Anyways, I’d enjoyed the Trail Magic last night at Mile 549! Water and cookies. Didn’t need water as I’d tanked up the big climb, but the cookies were great as I was starting to run low on food.
But that was the point of hiking late yesterday- to shorten today and get those 8 miles between the two Tehachapi exits. A lot of folks were skipping them. I didn’t mind doing them. I just wanted to be able to set out Saturday with the rest of the group I’d been hiking with. Not fall behind or be8 miles behind right after a heavy (7day resupply) and 25 miles dry stretch.
I’d camped with Ranger (a retired Army Ranger), Kenny (an engineer for Tesla) and Philipe (the former French Ambo to NATO) — thru hikers are a diverse and interesting bunch!
Ranger breaking camp
It was a windy but fascinating hike through the wind farm.
Rangers wife was meeting him at mile 558 and would have trail magic. The rest of us were exiting via mile 566. I was running low on food so I gladly accepted a banana, 2 danishes and fresh cherries when she arrived. It helped make a hose 8 Miles flyby.
Linda, Ranger and Trail Magic
There were several thru hikers ‘slack packing’ those 8 miles between the two Tehachapi trailheads. They’d exited at Mile 558, gone into town, spent the night and then hiked today without their packs. They’d spend another night and resume the trail at 566. My pack was so light by that point I didn’t mind the extra miles, but slack packing was a smart way to do it.
Fellow hikers Gadget & Patient Zero were slackpacking southbound and offered me a beer. I couldn’t say no.
Philipe and I called the trail Angel hotline and had a ride to town in 15 min. Town was crawling with hikers. There was a farmers market going on with a band playing.
I eventually met up with other hikers for some BBQ after a call to HH and a hot shower. It’d been 7 days since my last one. I can’t describe how wonderful it felt to wash my hair and be clean. Once again, it might be hard to leave!!