Day 40 - A Better Day. 672.8 (21.5)

Really took my time in the morning. My back was in pain and very stiff. Had a good talk with Sun Chaser and Alex. Sun Chaser is heading off trail for a short period to regroup. After stretching for a while, I started the long climb (10ish miles... 3000 feet). Listened to some JRE which helped keep my mind off my back.

About 6 miles into the climb, I stopped for lunch I found I had enough cell service to use my 20% off at REI. Two-Tone and Bottomless showed up and it sounded like they had a lot of fun with some of the trail angels in Tehachapi. 

Just around the corner from my lunch spot, I found Alex talking on the phone. He informed me he was hopping off the trail for a little while. He "had to see about a girl" as well as sort of some gear for the upcoming section (Sierra Mtns). 

The next 6 miles were gorgeous. I took a bunch of pictures, as well as added my music to my Spotify playlist (still had cell service). 

The goal for the day was to make it to a water source at mile 670 and then setup camp at the next available spot. I looked and looked with no luck.

Ended up climbing the hill (2.8 miles and 1500'). At the top I found BT, ST, Leah and MC already setup and eating dinner. It was nice to have company at the end of the day. Today was the last long water carry (>15 miles) for a while. 

Day 32 - Hiker Town and a Bit of Craziness 531.5 (21.5)

I set my alarm this morning. It was warm all night long and I wanted to get an early start. I'm glad I did, because even at 6am on the trail, it was very warm. The 7 miles to Hiker Town dragged on for a while. I think it was the heat and I didn't have music to take my mind off of it.  Hiker Town is located in Lancaster and is known for being one of the weirder hostels on the trail. Most of the time, trail gossip is exaggerated or just not true... Hiker Town lived up to the hype.  I arrived around 10am to find Savanna, Greg and Kiwi hanging out. The place is setup just like a town, Hotel, Post Office, Jail etc. I picked up my package from the Post Office.  A little while later, a lady in the Hotel starts yelling at the owner. This goes on and off for the next couple hours. At some point, she calls the cops. When the sheriff arrived, he chats with both parties then appears to hang out. The lady (who called) can't seem to camp down, and ends up getting detained and removed from the property. It was just like we were watching a tv show.  The rest of the early afternoon was pretty relaxing. A trail angel, Rodney Arnold, brought some free beer and pizza for everyone hanging out. He was one nice guy. Evidentially, a hiker had tipped him $80 for a ride, only needing $8 to fill his car, he used the rest to buy the beer and pizza.  Chatted with Savanna, Kiwi, Greg, Bottomless and Two-Tone for the rest of the afternoon. Around 5:00 I was back on the trail. I had great cell service so I made a couple calls home at the same time I was walking along the L.A. Aqueduct (it was only exposed for half a mile or so.  It was a long hike, but the sunset was beautiful and the half moon lit up the landscape. Too bad iPhones don't take great night pics.

What 5 Liters of water looks like.