What an easy day. I sat around the deck, ate tubs of ice cream, the occasional cheeseburger and planned out my itinerary from here. It has all fallen into place nicely and means I don’t have to race or carry too much food.

The sky was strangely cloudy today and it gathered in the west throughout the evening. With the mountain range turning dark under the clouds and quite a wind going on down here I put up my tent as a precaution but really didn’t want to use it. I can’t explain why but the clouds never seemed to reach us. I slept outside because this cowboy camping has just become the norm, I’m not claustophobic but the outdoors is where it’s at. At one point I could feel a few drops on my face but I could also see about a million stars above so I refused to believe it was going to get worse.

Kennedy Meadows is a slightly strange place. I don’t know how it survives without the hikers, and even then there are only 300 or so of us. The Irelan’s restaurant is an oddity. I think it is a converted bungalow and their menus are only suggestions of food ideas with no relation to what they have available.

More photos of this day’s journey can be found at Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows

From our campsite by the river it was merely 2.5 miles to the store, so I slept in and so did everyone else. When I did get going the trail was mostly easy except where it got into the grassy river banks and other paths intersected and went various other ways. Trusting the book and my compass I got to the road and headed to the Kennedy Meadows General Store. A wooden building very much in the pioneer fashion, it is the last stop before the high Sierras so naturaly attracts a lot of us hiker-trash. There were new faces and some I’d seen before, and some interesting locals including the guy who had featured in a home-made Wanted sign back at Harris Grade. The note had added that California law allows one to shoot in self-defense and if you have to shoot him it might as well be “shoot to kill to save the cost of repairing and detaining him”. He did seem a little odd but wasn’t brandishing a gun or showing any sign of danger today.

Someone just set up a mini internet cafe in their trailer so I did that for a while but mostly sat around talking with others. I ate lots, two pints of Ben & Jerry’s, a hamburger and plenty of pringles. Then we went for dinner at Irelan’s. Good New York steak but it was a little raw. The real attraction was the company. We compared bear stories, water stories, someone even saw a snake catch and eat a mouse. Then Sierra tactics, more logistics and resupply ideas. I know I’m ahead of the herd now, but two who started at the kick-off came in last night and I’m here for two full days. If the herd does catch up they’re likely to also spend time here and I’ll get away again.

There’s a fire over in Kernville and the smoke is wafting over the hills. It’s 64 miles away now so we’re not in any danger now, but it’s something to be aware of.

More photos of this day’s journey can be found at Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows

The wind didn’t stop last night so it was a cold and slow Craig that packed up this morning. I must have gone further than I thought because I was at Canebreak Rd too quickly. There I met Recline, the only other hiker (after Blue Sky and Vortex) I’ve seen on the trail for a week. Fox Mill Spring had good running water but the trough under it was horrendous. Not only did the algae look in various states of death, but it smelt funky. I was glad to be catching water in a bottle and not pumping it out of that.

The valley we were walking up had meadows at the bottom, but up on the sides where the trail went a fire had removed all the cover and only sagebrush and other chaparral had moved back in. The charred remains of the trees stood in twisted forms and did nothing to make the place cooler. The four of us coincided for a snack under one tree with enough branches left to afford some shelter then when Blue Sky mentioned the south fork of Kern River was swimmable we took off at quite a clip. On the way the view of Dome Lands Wilderness opened up before us and it is mighty impressive. Granite domes rolling away into the distance peppered with pine trees and a river running through it (I swear I’m not making this up).

I was the first to reach Rockhouse Basin and made a quick lunch then again we each pushed on towards the river. Like a ‘town day’ drawing me in I felt guilty for not stopping to admire the scenery more but I could see it as I whizzed by and getting to the river was sooooo worth it. I found the perfect spot, with a long log going over all the thorn bushes and right into the water. We all had a bit of a dip and it was good, I may even have a dunk in the morning. Being first I got to discover it wasn’t as deep as we thought. Nevermind.

Now the four of us are less than three miles from the Kennedy Meadows store where ice cream, doughnuts and calories await us in the morning.

With no early start I figured it was safe to stay up late and watch The Matrix on the video iPod from the other two. At some critical point in the story I heard a low rumble that isn’t in the film, then it became a heavy breathing. Oh dear, I thought, a bear is here and I’m on the menu. I paused the movie and the sound came again, the heavy breathing was really close, then it became a snore and bloody Recline had given me a decent scare! Back to the film, Neo takes the red pill and the rest is history.

More photos of this day’s journey can be found at Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows

Today I crossed the 25% mark so I’ve only got to do the same distance three more times! I’m glad it’s not going to be the same landscape. Right on the 25% mark was the end of the last water alert for 500 miles. An alert is noted in the data book when there is a 12 mile stretch where there is no water within 1/2 mile of the trail. Washington has 3, Oregon has 5, California has 19 (but is also 2/3 of the trail). Enough with the numbers.

At Walker Pass I met two trail workers Bill and Jerry who have already cleared the trail from Spanish Needle Creek to Kennedy Meadows (40 miles) and are about to work their way south from the pass. They gave me water and advice about camping. I knew Joshua Tree Spring was a bad idea because of a nosey bear, but now Spanish Needle Creek is being visited too so my 20 mile day became a 25. And those extra miles were distinctly uphill. I passed Blue Sky and Vortex just before stopping at the creek for dinner. They’re the only people I have seen on the trail since Hiker Town which was a week ago. I wonder if the herd will have faded out by the time it passes me.

I’d already decided where to camp based on the guide book’s note that there were sites and that it’s 10 miles mostly down hill to water tomorrow morning, but when I got here I was amazed as much as I was daunted. Right on a saddle, gentle to the west, perilous to the east which is where the wind is blowing me. I hope that dies down tonight, the tree I am sheltering behind is a noisy one. I just saw sunset and if I were to still be in my bag at sunrise I could watch it from the same spot. My alarm is still set for 4am so I’ll probably leave early again, we’ll see.

Early during the night I woke and looked skyward. I actually said out loud “Holy cow!”. With no moon or haze it was gorgeous. I wish I could have kept my eyes open longer but I drifted back to sleep quickly. Later I saw the moon rise. Through the desert dust it has an orange glow and looked just a little haloweeny.
More photos of this day’s journey can be found at Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows

When I woke at 4am the moon was low but still bright enough for me to eat my pop tart and pack up. I set off early to avoid the heat. As I climbed to the first ridge I kept looking back to the yellowing moon as it set behind me. Every stationary moment was another I’d spend walking in the sun so I moved on and reached Bird Spring Pass ahead of time.

Luckily I wasn’t too early or I would have missed Bruce stashing 30 gatorade bottles for PCTers. Many were still frozen solid! I mixed a small one into my platypus, drank half of one and watered it down, then took a solid one for later. Thanks go out to Bruce, I’ve been thinking of juice for days now and left satisfied.

The next climb was a bugger. 1500ft and it was getting hot. I really don’t think I have sweated so much in my life. Crossing over the highest point before Walker Pass didn’t mean much as the pass is tomorrow and the Sierras are much higher. I slogged on through midday and passed yet another water cache by Cookie Monster (a hiker from ‘05) who has made this section her personal project. This one had 71 gallons when I saw it!

I made it to McIver’s Spring just before Blue Sky and Vortex left and in time to give them the gatorade bottle, now sadly melted, I’d carried here. The hut isn’t in great shape and neither is the spring. It appears a bunch of 4×4 wallies have been driving through above the pipe. I assume they are unaware that it is our drinking water splashing up under their cars. :-/

I’ve debated about posting the following and decided to go ahead. If you’re reading this to know what I’m going through and how it feels to hike from Mexico to Canada then this is as relevant as anything. So…

Sitting at McIver I was having trouble eating lunch. Another 4 Cheese Lasagna by Hamburger Helper and another pre-cooked chicken breast. It wasn’t just that it was a lot of food but a lot of bad, hot food on a hot, dry day and it sent me into a downward spiral. Everything is dry here and everything is dirty and it spreads. I am both, though my shirt is still damp with today’s sweat. I want some water, enough clean water to splash on my face would do but I really want enough to swim in. To dive, to splash, to wash away four long days of hard work and grime. When I start thinking like that I know I’m in trouble. I’ve got no external sources to distract me. No one to talk to at the moment and I was looking at the ground so hard I missed the turning off the dirt road and then had to back track to it. So I had to break out of it. I looked across to the next mountain range. Section G which stretches all the way to Mt. Whitney’s doorstep. There’s water there, there are meadows, pines, grass, and my dad. As father/son camping trips go this is a pretty good one. So I walked on another three miles and found a spot slightly out of sight from the trail. Where I can happily let my clothes dry on my pack cover and blend in with nature as the sun sets. Here’s to tomorrow. May it be as tough and testing as today, and may I end it with smile.
More photos of this day’s journey can be found at Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows