Stats

Start: Agua Dulche – Mile 454.5
End: Bouquet Canyon Rd – Mile 465.6
Elevation Max: 4,258
Elevation Min: 2,261
Elevation Change: 2,439 up & 2,012 down
Average Heart Rate: 125
Walking Time: 3 hrs 24 minutes
Date: 4/29/2022

The Walk

I woke up in the vacant dirt lot. Tired and just wanting to sleep longer. But the sun was rising and it’s hard to sleep past 6. I laid there for 30 minutes browsing my phone. Phone service at camp is a luxury.

I packed up and wandered over to the breakfast diner around 7. I wasn’t too hungry and ordered a vegetable filled omelette, coffee, and an orange juice. It hit the spot. Ilmg phone was at 75% so I dug into my pack for the charger. It was gone!

I must have left it at the restaurant last night. It didn’t open until 11. I guess I have some time to kill in Agua Dulche. I found a nice spot in the grass by the hardware store and laid down. There wasn’t much to do in the town, and my friends headed out to trail.

At 11 I looked all over the restaurant and it wasn’t there! Sad. Hopefully I didn’t stick it in some other hikers bag. They wouldn’t appreciate the extra weight. Ha.

I bought a cheap charger and power block from the hardware store. I plugged it in and the charge was taking forever! I need to get another fast charger. I hung out with a few hikers outside the Mexican restaurant for an hour. Then around noon I took off for an afternoon of hiking. My portable battery was charged, so my electronics were in decent shape.

I had low energy all day. The late night was wearing on me. But flowers along the trail were really starting to bloom. A burn scar section of trail had California poppies growing through the dead bushes, it was beautiful.

I climbed in elevation and the views opened up. The fresh air was a nice rejuvenating and I took a break on top of the climb with a few friends. Then the trail descended a few miles to a water cache with flat spots for camping.

Thank god for trail angels, there were 3 gallons of water at the cache. I was surprised to see Nimbus, who I met yesterday. And I was sad to hear she hurt her knee. She planned to hitch into town tomorrow to rest for a few days and find out what was going on.

I hiked with Gina the past few days and she rolled her ankle the day before. I had tried to help her wrap it up… 6/10 job, but we did our best. Luckily she was feeling okay after the day of hiking. Then as I was setting up camp Aaron walked by and said his shins were killing him. Crazy! I feel fortunate to still be in good health, and hope I can keep the streak. I’ve had some close calls with slips and rolled ankles but nothing that’s slowed me down yet.

I do expect an injury to come. And I’m ready to take a week or two off to heal if needed.

At camp I put in my AirPods to drown out the noise of passing cars. This is the 3rd night in a row I slept by a Highway. The music was just what I needed. I am glad the day is over, but felt okay. We only stayed up until 10, but it was a long night with a few drinks!

My Garmin said 0% chance of rain so I laid out my sleeping bag to cowboy camp. The other 5 people set up their tents and I’m not really sure why. It takes more time and is a hassle.

But once dusk closed in I was jealous. There were a ton of little bugs flying around. I didn’t see any mosquitos, so I didn’t worry too much. But they were constantly flying around my body and face. On the bright side, I no longer flinch when I see a bug flying toward my face.

I ate pasta for dinner and had some other snacks. It felt good to get the calories in. I didn’t have much of an appetite today after breakfast. But I didn’t hike many miles and I had spent most of the day in town.

I want a big push for a big day tomorrow. 30+ miles. I want to see what’s around the next corner. I’m not looking for anything special. I just want to keep walking. And I don’t feel like slowing down yet. I do want to connect with a few friends behind me. I’ll slow down after tomorrow or spend a few zero days in Tehacachapi.

I laid on my thin plastic sheet as the sun set, listening to music. It was so relaxing. And I could still hear the birds chirping. I appreciate the beautiful night. I’m hoping to get started before six tomorrow, but I won’t set an alarm.