Day 146: Resupply Station and Rest Day at White Pass

Campsite under northern end of the Knife Edge ridge in Goat Rocks Wilderness - Village Inn Motel at White Pass
Mile 2277 - 2292
Total 15 miles

The night near the upper tree line just below the Knife Edge was cold, but it was dry. The large and scary looking storm cloud stopped its movement or it was redirected by the knife edge in another direction. In meadows and on exposed location it must have been below freezing, but the ground under the little group of trees where I camped stayed protected from frost. When I look out of my tent, the eastern sky is turning bright. Mount Rainier, the king watching over the PCT in Washington, is visible for a moment without clouds and with a fresh white snowy cap covering his entire summit.


The trail descends downhill into forest, crossing several meadows and streams. The soil is crunching under my shoes on the meadows and smoke is steaming from moist ground, lakes and tree branches as, the sun rises higher.


The well maintained path climbs up on a ridge, where Mountt Rainier can be seen again. Now the mighty volcano is covered by thick clouds. But near the trail it is sunny, a and I use the rare occasion to spread out and dry up my tent, sleeping bag and other wet items. I also cook a big lunch using up the rest of my rice supplies.



Soon after my lunch break I reach today's high point with views of the light blue colored Shoe lake. From there it is seven more miles mostly downhill to White Pass.



Passing a ski lift and little lakes, the trail enters old forest. I meet two hikers going south and a group of elk hunters with bows and arrows. The ground is covered with a half inch layer of hail. The thunderstorm from yesterday night was intense. I have been really lucky that it didn't reach my campspot last night.




Then I meet more hikers with tiny backpacks - a sure sign that civilization is near. Finally I hear the sound of cars ass thee trail emerges at a parking lot with information panels about wilderness ethics and poisonous mushrooms. From there it is just half mile on the road to the Cracker Barrel store where a package forwarded from Cascade Locks is waiting for me.



The store is still open and the package from my good friends Robert and Mary has arrived! It contains walnuts, almonds, raisins, black tea, flavored couscous, trail bars and all kinds of other goodies. The store also sells fresh fruit and fries. When I try to buy them my card is declined. But luckily I have the new phone and I can call the bank. Apparently they thought buying my tickets for Italy flight was a suspicious transaction and blocked my debit card. With the card working again, I order the fries and chat with other hikers and with two bikers, Dave and Kathy from Seattle who are on an eight week bike tour of Oregon and Washington. Time passes fast and it is almost 5:30. In an hour it will start getting dark. Some hikers are staying at the motel next door. I tell the bikers I need go get going and find a spot to camp before night kicks in. Or should I also stay in the motel? Then the bikers tell me: It is cold and wet outside and you should stay under a roof. We also are staying in the motel. We'll pay a motel room for you. I try to refuse but they insist and say I'll do thee same thing when the next opportunity arises. Thankful for the totally unexpected gift, I finally accept, and check in as comfortable motel room equipped with a little kitchen and a big tea pot.



I stay up late into the night, enjoying a hoit shower, drinking many cups of hot tea, measuring my supplies, and catching up on my blog writing. It is long after midnight when I finally snug in the warm and dry bed.

Day 39: Wind Energy

Windy ridge in Tehachapi Mountains - highway 58 at Tehachapi Pass + hitch to Mojave Motel 6
Mile 548 - 566
Total 18 miles

Except for some sand and dust blowing around, the sleep on the windy ridge was comfortable. It was windy but very warm even in the night. With first little light I got up to start hiking. Soon the sky changed its colors as the sun appeared.

Far north more and more ridges and mountain peaks could be seen - some of them must be the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada. And as I descended lower, the sound of windmills could be heard.

The trail gradually descended on a contour of a west facing slope; the above steep slope giving welcome shade long after sunrise. Than it came closer to the gigantic wind turbines.

Under the slope we can see the valley of the currently dry Oak Creek with dark green live oaks on its banks. On the opposite slope, more windmills of different sizes. The wind remained strong and powerful during whole day, giving me energy to keep on hiking in the 100 ℉ (37 ℃) heat.

Under the oaks I met my Czech friends sleeping and relaxing. They bravely hiked the whole mountainous windy section at night and are getting a ride to Tehachapi for a rest day. I sent some packages with maps and new shoes to another town Mojave and I really need good sleep in a real bed; therefore I continued hiking for 8 more miles towards highway 58. The next section on a low grassy ridge is like a walk through the modern history of wind energy development. Various models and sizes of wind turbines rise above the trail.

The flag trees indicate that the strong wind like today is no exception here; cooler airmass from the ocean being transported through the mountain pass towards the hot desert.

Cows graze between the windmills and isolated juniper bushes give a little shade. Partly because of the cows, the area has very little vegetation and the slopes are heavily eroded.

The trail begins a descent in many switchbacks down to the railroad and highway 58 in Tehachapi pass. I called the bus phone number to make sure the bus to Mojave stops for me at the highway exit. It should be there by 2:53 pm.

A road bridge over a dry stream provides welcome shade in the early afternoon heat. Around 2:40 I walked over to the highway exit to wait for the bus. No bus stop sign or shade anywhere, just scorching sun and fast driving cars and trucks. At 3:20 the bus still hasn't come. I called the Kern Transit number again and they said 2:53 was bus departure time from Bakersfield. So I misunderstood about the bus time and it should be at the exit after 3:48. Another half hour to wait in the heat. By 4:10 pm the bus is still nowhere. Did they forget about me? Then a car with some hikers stopped and pulled over asking if I need a ride. And even though the driver headed to Tehachapi, he said he would take me to Mojave. I gladly accepted. The driver's name was Crazy Squirrel, he also started hiking this spring but he was forced to stop due to a leg injury. Now he's in the desert area helping out PCT hikers. Very kind person!

Crazy Squirrel dropped me off in Mojave (11 miles off-trail) at the Motel 6. But it turned out that there are two Motel sixes in Mojave and that I reserved a room in the other Motel 6. Fortunately I called in and they cancelled my reservation, and so I can stay at the same place as few other hikers. I was happy to take a shower, shake off the sand and dust from everything, wash all the clothes and have big fries, chips and salsa at the fast food across the street. The swimming pool was closed - hope they open tomorrow morning. In the windy evening I talked to the other hikers, watched clouds rapidly changing colors, and got busy studying maps of the high Sierras that came in my package and snow reports on Facebook from hikers ahead. It's going to be a big adventure up there.

Finally I got to sleep in a real bed and tomorrow I'm not getting out until noon. All my muscles are stiff and they are asking for a zero day with zero miles of hiking tomorrow.