PCT mm 558.2 – Wind power

The wind farm south of Tehachapi, CA

I got a little bit of a late start since I don’t intend on going into town until tomorrow.  I am camped out right at a road that leads into town, though, so it would be very easy o change my mind.

Waking up to a nice sunrise with the sound of city buses on sticks in the mountains. A wind turbine sounds like a city bus when you are this close to them.

I saw a few other hikers pass by as I was packing, which is unusual.  Usually I am the early one passing others.  Two of them were a couple that hiked all night long and were just then stopping to camp for the day.  I don’t mind hiking a few hours into the night, but all night long is just grueling.  My blog entry last night was brief mainly because I was tired and falling asleep while I was writing it.  And I hadn’t even taken a sleep aid or anything.  It was only 11:00.

There was the first stream in a long time just 2 miles after where I camped and I filled up all bottles.  It will be 20 miles and one night of camping before the next water. As I am filling up, however, I hear there might be a water and food cache at a campsite 8 miles or so ahead. Hmmm.  Better not plan on it.

The 8 miles to get to the campsite was a climb out of the canyon with water, over a ridges, then down the next canyon without water then up to the next ridge again.  It was alot of switchbacks and it’s more depressing when you can see them all from the other side of the canyon.  Like any other hike, it goes by pretty quickly if you just plod along.  I was playing leapfrog with three other hikers on that section.

Once we got to the campsite, it was pretty swank.  They had tons of water, apples, oranges, cookies chairs, and an umbrella.

The other hikers were already there, and enjoying the spoils.  I had an apple and an orange and boy was it good.  Oranges rock while hiking.

Food and Water in a former Pinon pine grove destroyed by wildfires a few years ago.

While we were there, some motorcycles came by and they knew they were not supposed to be on the PCT.  They detoured, then minutes later a truck came by asking about them.  Not long afterwards the motorcycles came back and words were exchanged.  They claimed they were lost but never asked how to get out.  Said they had permits but never showed them.  And they tore up the trail pretty good so the next few miles were difficult hiking.  Jackwagons.

I also learned today that the c actus trees I sought shade in yesterday are Joshua trees.  They are very cool.  Part tree, part cactus.

I went only a mile further to a patch of pines where I took my siesta.  I was there from about 12:30 to 4:00 just snoozing and eating.  Post siesta, the trail hit a second wind farm.  I thought the one yesterday was big, but this one is easily four times larger.  In fact, there are three turbines directly over the campsite.

Tomorrow is a short 8 miles to the other road into Tehachapi and there is a wind farm exhibit I am actually looking forward to.  I have good signal here, but hear the cell signal at the other road is poor, so I will have to exercise my thumb a bit.  It’s ten miles to town, and I do not want to walk that.