Waiting out the desert heat

Hey all. I'm having a little siesta under the first tree clinbing out of the desert. Last night I made it about 10 miles along the aquaduct and roads that dip through antelope valley, and this morning I finished the remaining 6 miles to a water source while it was still cool(ish). I had been thinking that was the end of the desert but was off by 7 or so, 9 if the count the two miles I spent on the wrong trail... Only 17 miles remain until my next resupply, so I'll try sending some photos tomorrow. I think I'll take a zero day in Mojave to give my body a break. My legs have been fine with the past 83 miles, but my feet are less than impressed... I made a personal rule to not walk more than 20 miles in a day, but that didn't last long. Yesterday was about 26 I think, and the day before was 22... Thanks for the comments and messages! It's great to have a note waiting when I get service - I'll respond when I have time in town.

26 miles in and still alive

I did about 8 miles out of hiker heaven in the evening with Hawkeye, Whywait, Miss Alaska and Whynot (trail names). We got some cloud cover and the heat didn't feel tooo bad. Just at dusk we reached the top ridge of the big hill we had been climbing for an hour or so and were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and campspot. I left around 5:30 (trying to beat the heat) and ended up leap frogging with them the rest of the day along with Lint, but we all sat down together at the 'oasis' cache. Imagine walking for hours in the hot sun only to stumble upon a shady spot in the rare trees and finding a cooler full of cold beer and pop! Thanks soo much to the Andersons who maintain the cache! after a bit longer I said to hell with the heat - I had plenty of water and nothing to hurry for, so I found a spot to wait out the afternoon heat. Luckily the cool rock wall I found had a big wasp city as they seemed to keep the other bugs and flies away.

26 miles and still alive continued

An hour later down the trail I crossed a road and was met with more trail magic - The Andersons and othe trail angels were shuttling people back to a house for a supper and party night! people are so supportive and nice! Having not even gotten into my hike yet I declined (but accepted a full water bottle top up of non-bleach treated water) And continued up another climb in the cooler evening air. I'm now laying in bed after a huge dinner of instant potatoes with chickpeas and veggies and a much much needed sponge bath. I treated my ass cheeks with hand sanitizer - similar to using rubbing alcohol - And it burned like hell! turns out my 'minor' chaffing is actually two raw ass cheeks that are very tired of rubbing together.... I'm sleeping with a sock stick between my cheeks tonight in hopes of them staying dry and getting better - Wish me luck! Outside of that my body is doing pretty good, a bit of blistering and sore shoulders, but my knee and legs don't mind the miles at all.

A few photos

Resupply for the next few weeks - $55 in postage!

Bye bye Calgary!



These are the mountains I'll be hiking through next week... I think

Hiker Heaven
Flying over Yosemite Valley - I'll be back on foot in a month or so.


Airport

A few photos

~$55 to send out my packages... in order of appearance from the left: Ice axe and cold weather gear + 2days food to Kennedy Meadows (Start of high mountains!), food drop to Vermillion Valley Resort - 4 days food - it costs $18 to receive packages at this remote resort, but still cheaper than buying there I expect and eating at the restaurant), next is a food drop I'll get in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite in a few weeks, then my bear canister going to Lone Pine (law requires bear cans be used to prevent bears getting accustomed to the camp food) and then the home depot can is my bounce box - extra gear and food that I'll send town to town to swap out warn out stuff and to change gear for the different conditions. It also contains extra repair stuff and easily lost stuff like tent pegs.


This is the mountains I'll be walking through over the next couple weeks... I think.


Bye bye Calgary!


Hiker Heaven.


I'm pretty sure that's Yosemite Valley as we flew over - I'll be back there on foot in a month.


Off and away at the airport.

Leaving Hiker Heaven Today

Well, I made it to LA and out to Agua Dulce to "Hiker Heaven" - a surreal dream for hikers in a harsh section of the trail where Donna and Jeff Sauffley have decked out there home to give hikers everything they could want. Laundry (done by Donna), food, beer coolers, big tents with cots for up to 50 hikers, absolutely everything. http://hikerheaven.com/

I spent the day after arriving in LA dragging my 50 pound food box with me on two busses and 4 trains, and the walking needed in between, getting camp fuel and maps and getting to the outskirts of town where 'trail angel' Bill drove me out to Hiker Heaven. Thanks Bill!

I spent last night and most of today so far organizing my mail drops through the remote sections of the Sierra's coming up and have just finalling finish all my logistics for the next while. Now hiking!

It's still pretty hot so I'm waiting around and cameling up until about 4 when I'll head out. Fun Fun - 5 / 6 days to Mojave and through the hottest section of the trail!

Final Prep - I leave tomorrow!

Some final preparations underway. Well, lots of final preparations. Funny how no matter how much time you have you always run out... or is it just me? I fly out in the morning, so I guess I should stop typing and finish sewing up my backpack, finish making my cook stove, patch my pants, pack my couple of food mail drops, decide on... shit... I gotta go!