windmills and trusty shoes

before it got too windy to wear head gear

Greetings from Tehachapi, CA, 558 miles behind me and I only have to do it 4 more times, haha.  This stretch has been a whirlwind of hikers, friendly places to relax, little water, and windmills.  And where there are windmills you can be sure to find wind.  Two days ago we crossed the desert and literally walked on the aqueduct that supplies LA with much of their water.  Yes, we were walking on water and couldn't get a drop to drink as it was completely sealed off.  The aqueduct went on for 17 flat and windy miles as we felt like we were going no-where fast and prayed for a bicycle or something to take advantage of our tail wind.  Then yesterday can be described as nothing short of epic.  The wind shifted direction and kicked up gigantic dust storms in the valley and I felt sorry for my friends behind me down in the valley.  We thought we were safe up on the ridge but as we climbed we realized we could not be further from the truth.  The wind whipped around the ridge at speeds that quite literally knocked us off our feet.  At times it took all my energy and focus to stand my ground and not be thrown down like a sack of potatoes.  At times I was on all fours and I later found out the winds had been clocked at 70-75 mph on the ridges; my sunglasses became important eye protection indeed.  The wind was so loud I couldn't hear myself if I yelled as loud as I could.  I was only glad that it was 50 degrees and dry instead of the same wind in 30 degrees and sleet.  This is the "windy" season down here in southern california and the storm that blew in was not expected by the weathermen but seems to be hanging around for a few days, it seems I'll be going back out on the trail and just hope the next ridge isn't quite the wind storm that we just crawled through.  I will say that whoever put these wind generators here knows exactly what there are doing, lol.

As with most places that we need to re-supply, the trail does not actually go through town.  We emerge from the trail onto a paved road where cars and trucks zoom by on their way to wherever they are going.  Our guidebook is an excellent reference for which way to go to a town and what resources can be found there.  Of course the hiker staples are good food with huge portions (all you can eat is a bonus), post office, laundry, shower, and internet. So I stick out my thumb and hope for the best.  Sure enough, within 10 minutes a local guy who works on the windfarms pulls over and of course I pick his brain about the turbines on the way into town.  Even at normal driving speeds it seems odd after many days of 3 mph.  Tehachapi, like many trail towns, has everything a hiker could want, even a Starbucks for that Chai Latte I've been fantasizing about for those last 8 windy miles.  The Post Office was a little bit of a hike out of town but considering we are walking to Canada, what's an extra mile in the grand scheme of things?  I went to pick up my re-supply package at the post office and was sitting off to the side going through the classic hiker ritual of spreading out all of my worldly possessions and food for the next section to be sure I have everything I need.  Meanwhile, every other person walking by stopped to say hi and talk about the trail, ask how things were going, and ask if I needed anything.  It was incredible.  Within a half hour I had 3 people offer for me to take a shower at their place and use the computer.  As far as trail towns go, this is certainly a place to remember.  They even have a movie theater downtown to indulge in the perfect vegetative activity.  After an incredible evening of good conversation, excellent food, Fast and Furious (6?), and comfy couch to sleep, it is time to brave the winds and head back to the trail.  Tina and Greg are now officially Trail Angels and THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

I see I've been inconsistent on my first person references.  Apologies, english is not my forte.  When I use "we" I'm simply referring to myself as well as the other thru hikers out here also traveling the journey from mexico to canada.  I meet new people every day and have gotten to know quite a few that have been traveling at roughly the same pace and so we are going through similar experiences together.  I am still hiking alone and don't find myself necessarily following others but I certainly end up spending quite a bit of time with other hikers as we wait out  the heat of the day or camp near the same water source.  Just to name a few: Hermes, Lotus, Chad, Pinko, Rafiki, Sansei, Track Meat, Sparkles, Peter Pan, Sagitar, Dragonfly, Beaker, Tortuga, Wild Child, Minor, Whispers, Walkie Talkie, Gummy Bear, MeHap, Egg, Ole, Aloha, Toots Magoots, Tears for Beers, Scones, Doodles, Out'n'About, Sentinal, Sarge, Hooligan, and Rum Monkey.  There are many, many more of course.  But when I say "we" I'm referring to my new family of friends from all walks of the earth all crazy enough to be out here on the same journey on the PCT.  

In 6 days I expect to be at the front door to the High Sierras, Kennedy Meadows.  We are all incredibly excited to be a mere 135 miles from a major high point (both elevation and attraction) of the trail.  We have worked hard to get here and have a lot more work ahead of us but it is so incredibly worth it in every possible way.  

Peace and Love and Happy Trails

~Beads

huge wind turbine

the small section of aqueduct not covered. flat for as far as you can see!

sunset on a pass with wildflowers