Tehachapi (rest day at the airport campground)
Zero miles on PCT, just a little bit walking around town ---> "zero day" #3 in a row :-)
Plans and intentions are one thing. What you do and what you do not do is what counts, especially on a PCT thru-hike. Yesterday I told other hikers I would be back on trail early morning today. But my legs, my feet and my hips have a different idea. Another day of rest or as hikers say "zero day" with zero miles of hiking is absolutely necessary for my body.
Partially it is because I need more sleep. Last night I couldn't sleep at all, depressing thoughts and bad conscience fighting themselves in my head and moral values trying hard to justify themselves, and the fuzzy reality of life trying to tear all justice apart. Probably the 7 cups of coffee yesterday combined with at least 3 beers have done their job eating away some parts of my neural network in my brain. There is indeed wisdom in the "Word of Wisdom" which I had kept for two years as a BYU student before earning my degree and heading on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Though I predict that it's going to evolve and future LDS leadership are going to change it to "drink coffee and tea sparingly, only in winter and in cold times". And "Do not eat meat. Animals are not yours to kill and exploit. They are God's". Not sure about the future Word of Wisdom on alcohol ..... Maybe for the minerals I'd better drink very light or alcohol-free beer in the next town.
Today at the bakery I get a cup of hot tea for breakfast and chat with hikers who just arrived in town: Turtle and Catepillar. Then I walk over to Albersons grocery store to shop for cheap and healthy food for today's lunch and for the upcoming trail miles. I get hummus (very good spread on the delicious rye bread from the bakery and much cheaper than any kind of cheese or margarine!), canned beans and peas, fresh tomatoes, avocados, flour tortillas, and a couple of "Near East" couscous mixes. On the way back I pass around a mural on a wall showing the life of people who knew how to live sustainably in the fragile desert of today's Southern California.
I also go past a Catholic church and visit the Tehachapi railway museum. A long freight train loaded with truck trailers and pulled by 4 heavy diesel locomotives passes by.
Back in camp an ultralight airplane and a helicopter are taking off. For the first lunch (or actually a very late breakfast) I have a few slices of the delicious Central European rye bread fresh from the bakery with a spread of hummus and sliced tomatoes on top and a little bit of salt. I offer slices of bread to other hikers and all who have tried it say they love it! Bread and salt used to be the traditional meal to show hospitality to arriving guests in my Slavic culture. Now I understand why.
Then I prepare a cheap and healthy lunch by mixing canned black beans, peas, mushrooms, avocados, tomatoes, salsa sauce from hiker box, and filling tortillas with the mix. And also share with a couple of hikers who just arrived and then take a long nap under one of the trees. Around 5 PM Rachel, one of "trail angels" arrives. Trail Angels are especially kind volunteers who live in towns near the PCT and generously help PCT hikers in many ways. Two days ago it was Rachel who gave me a ride to the campground as I was walking with a heavy backpack from the shopping mall towards Tehachapi downtown. Rachel brings a huge bowl of spaghetti, meat sauce, and vegetable salad with cheese. I'm glad I have a big bowl of leftovers from lunch, mix it with a tomato pasta sauce that appeared in the hiker box, and offer it to hikers who can't eat meat and cheese. And it turns that there's two other vegan hikers at campground, Giggles and Dutchman, coming for the dinner. I am thankful to Rachel for bringing the delicious spaghetti and I'm glad I could contribute a little bit so that all of us, non-vegans and vegans, can share a good meal together. In the past three days I have gained back some healthy weight. Now I definitely cannot head on trail tonight. Tomorrow is going to be the day. We sit together, eat, share embarrassing stories from the trail (including my embarrassing story from Oriental Massage) and then I crawl in my sleeping bag, happy to be a part of the diverse family of PCT hikers.
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