Stats

Start: Ridgecrest – Mile 652.1
End: Spanish Needle Creek – Mile 668.7
Elevation Max: 7,317
Elevation Min: 5,165
Elevation Change: 3,377 up & 3,295 down
Average Heart Rate: 134
Walking Time: 4 hrs 55 minutes
Date: 5/12/2022

The Walk

Waking up in a bed is nice. Internet is nice. Being clean and warm is nice. I spent the morning relaxing at Pancakes house.

I got out of bed and walked out to a full breakfast spread. Biscuits and gravy and eggs. It was so tasty.

I relaxed until 10:30 when the second shuttle left for trail. I hopped in and chatted with Speaker. I hadn’t seen him in a week and it’s always nice to see a familiar face.

A row of hikers lined the road next to trail. I didn’t recognize them. So I kept on moving. Jack rabbit and I went right to the trail. There was a 1k foot climb and I was ready to go. After a tiny Nero and a half day off I was antsy.

I went 3.4 miles per hour uphill and enjoyed every minute. The first 7 miles flew by. Jack rabbit and I found a spot to break and eat lunch. Then we kept cruising along. Ran into a few hikers during breaks.

The trail was perfect. The weather was cool, but not cold enough to make me put on thermals. The perfect temp for hiking.

The views were stunning. Mountains stacked behind mountains. And I felt amazing. Especially after a tough desert section with relentless wind. We hiked though wind for the past week in mostly low elevation desert. With little sign of life.

Today was a mix of walking along mountain crests and walking through green forest. The final few miles turned green and leafy. I relaxed and finished the day slow. Without a care in the world.

We hiked 17 miles today and I was ready to sleep. Got to camp and filtered water. Then saw a great campsite with no wind and lots of flat spots.

Hikers filed in and around 15 ended up camping here. I had dinner then caught up with speaker and hopped in my tent. When though it’s light until 8, I bedtime is at 7:30!

A nice cool night to sleep in. Tomorrow will be another relaxed day. I’ll probably push on to a river large enough to swim in. Try to get there by 5, so I can jump in while it’s warm.