Day 48: Listen to Your Feet

Walker Pass campground - Saddle cowboy camp under Owens Peak
Mile 651 - 662
Total 11 miles

In the campground at Walker Pass I woke up unusually late; the sun rays were already lighting up the sharp ridges to our east side. There is a strong flowing spring below the campground, and it was nice to eat and share breakfast together at a picnic table with friendly hikers. The hikers Makeshift and Helen Keller gave me sugar and I gave them hot black tea in turn. Late morning I set off across Walker Pass. The mountain range here is already considered as foothills of the Sierra.

The pass is named after one hiker with trail name "Walker" who walked through here in the 19th century. On slopes the wind strengthens, and views open up down into Mojave desert with its air bases and facilities and Death Valley behind the mountains on the horizon.

The sound of the wind whistles through pinyon pine needles and branches. The only other sound are blue jay birds flying in groups between the trees and rock crevasses. I take a very long break on top of the first climb, then continue on west side and after that on east side of the sharp craggy ridge, perched high above circular shaped fields around Ridgecrest. The yuccas growing in the slopes are a queen species; their spikes are sharper than ever and their flowers are like huge royal crowns. Perfectly protected from any rabbit wanting to chew them.

After a month of hiking blister-free, my left thumb is complaining. At the first break I applied duck tape on it but that only worsened it's situation. It is a nasty sneaky blister, almost invisible, under the thick hoof skin of my thumb. The physical health principle number one on the PCT is: "Listen to your feet!"
So after getting across a high elevation saddle between Mount Jenkins and Owens Peak and finding a wind protected hidden spot a little bit off trail, although the sun is still high, I finish hiking for today, and start the blister operation. The blister resists from popping. Finally after strong pressure it gives up, a smelly red and white liquid reluctantly coming out. After more repeated draining with long breaks in between, the operation is complete. I cook two big dinners with rice and lentils, and fall asleep.