PCT 2023 | DAYS 47-54 HORSE CAMP TO TEHACHAPI
DAYS 47-48
Miles Hiked: 9.4 miles + 0 miles
We got an early start to make it to Hiker Town. All that stood in our way was 6 pointless ups and downs and a little heat. Once we got to Hiker Town, we showered and then hitched to Wee Vill (best decision we’ve made). It took about an hour to get a hitch, but we all squeezed into a small SUV (Avocado, Daisy, Miska, Bad Ass, and I) thanks to a local trail angel. Wee Vill welcomed us with free camping, bucket laundry, air conditioning, good food, and cold drinks. The staff there is so nice and hard-working. We all enjoyed having a dog around—it really brightens the mood and Miska is such a sweetheart. We spent the night and Wee Vill and most of the next day (order the chicken tacos!).
Later that day we hitched to Neenach Cafe to see what they had to offer (lots of expired or almost expired food) and then got a ride back to Hiker Town to pick up our resupply packages. We spent the night at Hiker Town in one of the smaller rooms, keeping the doors open to try and get some kind of airflow on a warm night (didn’t help). After basically no sleep due to the heat and constant flow of bugs…it was time for the Aqueduct!
Recommendation:
Take the time to hitch to Wee Vill (heard they might get showers at some point?). Great environment. Tons of locals stopping by.
SKIP Hiker Town and Neenach Cafe. Stop by and see Hiker Town for the novelty, but it is not worth the stay. I won’t go into details, but it wasn’t a great vibe. Almost everything I picked up at Neenach Cafe was expired (sometimes by more than a year). Bad Ass ordered food there and was ill all night.
DAY 49
Miles Hiked: 17.4 miles
It’s Aqueduct time! Bad Ass and I woke up at 3:00AM after maybe an hour of sleep. With glow sticks, headlamps, and a Spotify playlist to keep us motivated, we mostly kept a 3 mph pace. Making easy miles on the dirt roads as the sun slowly rose over the Joshua trees. The cool night air soon turned to baking heat as the sun moved higher in the sky. Our sun umbrellas were out by 7:45AM. Once we saw the windmills, it was like they never got closer. Each step grew hotter and hotter until eventually, we reached the windmills and Cottonwood Creek before 10:30AM. We spent the day chasing the shade under the bridge, taking naps, and soaking our feet.
DAY 50
Miles Hiked: 10.1 miles
Through the windmills, we go.
We climbed up into the hills, away from the windmills and into new canyons, taking a break at Tyler Horse Canyon, and finding a little shade where we could. Bad Ass got stuck waiting for a Mojave Green Rattlesnake to move away from the trail. We arrived at our planned camp earlier than expected, with the option to do a big climb to get more miles, but we were exhausted from little sleep the past few days. While Bad Ass spent time keeping cool in the small stream, I found a shade tree about 0.1 up trail — a great spot to spend a few hours (aside from the prehistoric-looking ticks: pajahuello tick).
From a hot day to a WINDY night. The wind started to pick up after dinner. More hikers started to join us, some planned to cowboy camp, while another set up his tent.
Bad Ass = 0, Wind = 1 … the wind ended up forcing her to cowboy camp. I’ll leave it at that. It was a very long night with little sleep.
* Side note: Tarptent for the win once again. My tent held up great with the strong wind, even better after I reinforced it with trekking poles.
DAYS 51-54
Miles Hiked: 13.4 miles + Triple zero
The wind won...at least for part of the night. It wasn't a restful sleep. My tent stayed up without issue and Bad Ass was eventually able to set up her tent in the middle of the night. We were both ready for town. All that stood between us was a climb out of the canyon and more windmills. The switchbacks were shaded from the early morning sun until the top. The sun finally came out full force when I reached the water cache at mile 549. Sun umbrellas, water barrels, a hiker box, and more. I topped off my water, expecting the next few miles into town to be hot and exposed. The remainder of the day was mostly downhill, through Joshua trees, windmills, and the occasional shade tree. Once again my umbrella was a lifesaver — the Hyperlite Mountain Gear umbrella has had no trouble with the constant wind on trail. As I approached the last mile or so from the trailhead, I spotted a red canopy by the road. “Trail Magic!” I thought. Oh, how I hoped it was trail magic. I signed the trail register and continued on to the road. Yes, it is trail magic. Such a welcome sight after a few rough nights on trail. Lasagna, a hiker from this year, was taking some time off trail and was making fresh pizza! Cold sodas, chips, and a little shade as well. After enjoying a pizza made using a Roccbox, Lasagna drove Bad Ass and me to our hotel in Tehachapi.
Regarding zeros:
I’m taking things slow this year. The snow isn’t going anywhere just yet. The Sierra snowpack is far beyond my comfort level and NorCal, OR, and WA are still covered in snow
So…we have kept our daily mileage under 20 miles/day and we enjoy our zeros. Because why not?
In town: we enjoyed THAIhachapi, went to a movie, resupplied, ate even more food, watched movies in our hotel room, explored town, took daily epsom salt baths, and just RELAXED.
