PCT Day 31

Bushcamp to Bushcamp

18.7 miles

Mile 549.7

Woke up to sweat dripping down my neck as the sun slowly baked me through the thin cubin fiber of my tent. I tore off my suffocating layers before gingerly crawling from my shelter.

Close to 9 o’clock, the sun was already high in the cloudless sky, as my friends around me begun to stir. I was happy to find my body feeling rather refreshed, despite the beating I put it through the previous day.

One by one we set off alone heading towards the water cache a few miles down the trail. Spikes, Mike and Swift left just before I did, leaving KP and Stretch to catch up.

An hour later I found Spikes, Mike and Swift loitering at the cache. Water would be scarce and unreliable until Tehachipi, so I topped off all of my bottles.

We decided to shoot for a tent site about 15 miles away, which would leave us with an easy 9 miles downhill into town the following day. As we sat their chatting, KP and Stretch arrived. We told them the plan before setting off once again.

I walked with Swift for a while, talking about whatever random though entered my mind as we weaved between he looming windmills and Joshua Trees.

Eventually I was ahead of the pack and left alone to my own thoughts As much as I enjoy company while hiking, there’s something about being alone on the trail that I love. I threw on my headphone and jammed out to some folksy alt rock playlist I had downloaded in the last town.

As the day progressed, the sandy trail began a bit of an ascent, slowly transporting me from the desert valley up into a scorched mountain side. It was a hot day, but a steady breeze kept me cool enough.

The going was tough. None of us had gotten enough sleep the previous night, and the trail was more of a sand slide in some places. I left a note in the sand that I hoped those behind me would find some inspiration from.

Less than a mile from my destination I turned a corner to find trail magic in the most unlikely of places!

Tucked between some fallen trees was a desert oasis of water, cookies, apples, juice, eggs and lawn chairs! It was just the thing I needed to brighten the otherwise uneventful day.

I grabbed an apple and took a seat while I waited for my friends to catch up. Before long Spikes and Mike had joined me, along with a few other hikers. While chatting between ourselves, a truck pulled up and two people hopped out.

We were fortunate enough to meet the caretakers of the cache, Robert and Patti. They have a cabin in the area, so swing by a few times a week to restock it.

They gave us the lowdown on Tehachapi. There’s an all you can eat Chinese food joint called The Great Wall, a Thai restaurant and a bakery that makes massive lush salads!

After professing our appreciation, we said goodbye and pushed on the final mile to camp. It was a great secluded spot. While setting up my tent Swift arrived, but said he doubted KP and Stretch would make it tonight.

Chores done, we spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other in conversation while eating.

P.s. Diva is all healed up and back on trail!!!

He’s starting about 100 miles up trail from us so that he can move at his own pace to strengthen his legs as we catchup. Soon we’ll be reunited and we’ll enter the Sierras as a squad!

Cheers!