Trail Miles: 22.2
Miles Walked: 22.2
Awoke to a beautiful sunrise.
The trail was pretty through the desert once again – Joshua trees and flowering sage bushes.
The nearby mountains reminded me of the Blue Ridge with their smoky, layered look.
Heard military jets all day and into night. We were close to China Lake.
Trail Magic at Mile 531
Water cache
Fireball, me, Scooch, Cherry Bomb & Smokebeard
Lots of climbing today. Two significant climbs. One climb was 1600 ft elevation over 3 miles; the other 800 ft over 1 1/4 miles in beach-like sand. We’ve been fortunate on the temps so far, but it was a grind. I think of it as more preparation for the Sierras.
We again made it to camp early and had a relaxed dinner. Hiker midnight was a little after 8 pm for me