Days 38 – 44 (Miles 452.9 – 566)

This is a longer post, covering multiple days, as I am posting once a week roughly. You can subscribe to get an email notification with each new post.

Day 38: 452.9 – 471.8

Amy made a lovely breakfast and then she hiked with us a few miles leaving Agua Dulce.

Saw a snake at 12.45, walked past a beautiful farm and climbed up a hill to the first water source

Many wild flowers in many colors: yellow red purple, flowing grass grass and meadows and Raps (yellow flower I don’t know the English name off).

We hiked until almost till 8pm.

My right foot hurt again – and I have a big blister on my right big toe.

Stats: 
Distance: 19.6 miles
Steps: 43.642
Ascend: 1264m
Descend: 825m

Day 39: 471.8 to 489.6 (18.8miles)

I slept great – 8h garmin said and didn’t wake up till 7am hopefully I’m just used to sleeping on trail now.

Ice left before me and I only had 0.75l of water and next water in 6.4 miles (need 1.5l for that) so I couldn’t make breakfast. I bunked – so hungry. But the trail provides: just when I finally made it down the last mountain to the water source, it was like paradise. Two pick nick tables with lettuce tomato and fruit, vegetables, ranch, drinks, ice and they were making burgers.

There was Trail magic and I ate a Burger at 9 am. Kevin and his Boy Scout Friends + Sons were so nice to us they brought chairs and everything.

We got more water at the fire station and climbed up again and down, to a stream and took a long lunch break, met Ryan and Bianca. At 4pm we left again and hiked to mile 489.6 and are cowgirl camping in this sweet spot where you can see the sunrise and sunset. Had a little whiskey, dinner and went to bed. My sleeping bag is wet on the outside because of the condensation last night but the inside should be fine.

Stats: 
Distance: 18.8miles
Steps: 43.524
Ascend: 1001 m
Descend: 774 m

Day 40: 500 mile marker 489.6 – 511.5 (22.43 miles)

Until 10am, the first 4,5 miles, we hiked in a burn zone, then beautiful forest all day. Was a really beautiful day.

500 miles hiked? I can’t even Imagine this.

Right foot, calf and hip hurt surprisingly bad, got better after I took off the brace and loosened the laces.

I was done after 15 miles but kept going. Now we’re 6.7 miles from hikertown. I went really slow. People passed me. I didn’t think I would see Ice again that day, he was super fast. I almost camped one time on the Mountain at a great spot but kept going. When I got to the campground and water source, Ice was there waiting for me. Yay. Always nice when people wait.

We kept going another few miles to the road and up the hill again. He found one camp spot and I couldn’t go anymore and took it. He kept going but yelled shortly after that he found one.

Stats: 
Distance: 22.43 miles
Steps: 52.950
Ascend: 972
Descend:

Day 41: to Hiker Town / Neenach 511.5 to 517.16 to 522.1

On day 41, I woke up with my Training Status „maintaining“ 😆 wohoo

I had breakfast on a cool hill with a view and then we hiked to hikertown – hot there at 10.30 and I picked up my packages, then we got a crazy lift to neenach (swerved into oncoming traffic) and drank beers, had a shower and did laundry. Also ate a really good breakfast burrito and had a double bacon cheeseburger for dinner, they were very nice to hikers.

We hiked out at 7pm or so to get 5 more miles in without the Heat and wanted to go to the next water source – I smuggled a beer into iceman’s backpack and when he started talking about how he wanted a Beer, I made him have a look in his pack – I had one too so we hiked with beers. 😆

The aqueduct in the sunset was beautiful. It was super fun, I laughed a lot and was super slow cause it was quite late. I saw a coyote and a snake skin and freaked out. We camped illegally at 522.1 next to Joshua trees.

Stats: 
Distance: 10.8 miles 
Steps: 
Ascend: 
Descend:

Day 42: From camping at Joshua Trees at 522.1 to the Creek at 541.5 (19.67 Miles)

Alarm went off at 5am, we left at 6. A bit earlier than usual to beat the heat because the aqueduct section is super exposed, as there are no trees.

Hiked along the aqueduct all day. It was hot. At noon, we finally reached the water source after a 13 mile water carry of 3.5 liters which is alot and heavy since it’s in addition to an already heavy pack.

I sat on the ground in the shade and cooked a warm lunch of a pack of ramen and tuna and some snacks because I was very hungry. We stayed an hour or longer.

Then it became overcast and we started hiking again, the last stretch was uphill and I was exhausted. We drank beers in the afternoon yesterday and hiked 5 miles in the evening, went to bed late and got up early so I was exhausted 🤪

Made tent at 4/5 and just chilled the rest of the afternoon by this beautiful little creek.

I hung out with this beautiful lizard for hours.

It wasn’t a beautiful day, but the first part was interesting.

It is really windy here. My tent stake was just ripped out by a strong gust of wind and I almost spilled my boiling ramen in my lap.

Stats: 
Distance: 19.67 miles
Steps: 43.709
Ascend: 
Descend:

Day 43: Mile 541.6 to 566 Creek to Tehachapi

Woke up at 5.30am and started hiking alone which felt good. Met Josh at the first water source after 8 miles and he was really funny. We had a great time hiking together for 18 miles. In total it was a long hike to Tehachapi, 25 miles in total. 40km, my longest day yet. It did not feel like a lot. I guess i finall got Trail legs.

Ice was an hour behind us so we called a trail angel and rose to town without him. The trail angel Cheryl gave us stickers and brownies when she dropped us off. 🫶

Jason has been accepting packages for me for 6 weeks – I made a post on Facebook when I was in San Diego April 14th that I was looking for a person to accept and hold a package for me in Tehachapi and he reached out. Eventually I sent 8 packages to his house in the last 6 weeks and we texted a lot. He also hosts hikers in his beautiful home so I asked if ice and I could stay here too. He said yes. Jason is so nice; sweetest guy ever, sharing his home with dirty hikers.

Day 44: Zero in Tehachapi at Jason’s and Jens

I sent 10 more boxes up the trail and then wanted to walk from the post office to Albertsons 2miles but the road had no shoulder so I got a bit desperate and walked back to Starbucks.

I asked a lady in Starbucks – named Lisa – and she was so sweet – we took a picture and exchanged numbers.

That’s it for today. Thanks for Reading. 🫶