2018.06.06 - Day #27 - To luxury

To PCT mile 566.5 (stats here).

As usual, I dismissed the alarm and got up 5am. I slept well and felt sleeping even longer, but the stress that soon sun would be up is too much to bear. I wanted to be in Tehachapi as early as possible, so there would be time figure out finally what, when and where to order stuff.

My routine now is that I eat an energy bar before get going, and then the actual breakfast after 10 miles. This way I can get moving fast, and the food does not slow me down.

These are everywhere, of all kinds of colors. Finally a pic from one. If things are all around, you stop noticing after a while.

Just after 15 minutes of walking nature called. It felt good to climb after that, unloaded. And a toilet with a view, is there anything better? The ascend was only 4 miles but felt much longer. Good thing that I did not do it the night before. At the top I saw Red and Bard, just slowly waking up. They had night hiked. Some trail angel had brought chairs and sun umberellas there, and apparently even sometimes gets food there as there was a menu printed out. I thanked for the water also available. Red told about his trip to Finland and akward experiences about sauna. He also donated an earbud to my headphones. I lost one of those already 3 weeks ago, but a chance to buy a new one has not represented itself. Now I do not need to, thanks to Red! Small but big things.

After the morning ascend it was mostly downhill. As usual, I went that fast. I decided to have my brekkie break as I get to the road, which meant 13 miles and about 11am. Down there I met Metric Ton, who had seen Mikko some 5 days earlier. He commented how fast he was, but also that he had some foot issues.

It was too much. But who could resist such a la carte setting?

I ate too much for my breakfast. It meant that the going after that was hard and sluggish, especially as the weather had heated up. Luckily the route went along huge fields of wind turbines, and the wind kept me somewhat cool. I listened to an audio book, and had a goal to be at the highway overpass leading to Tehachapi before 3pm. I had messaged to a local trail angel association of sort if I could get a ride, and they said that they would be there.

When I finally got to the overpass, there were no rides. Messaging to the same number revealed that the trail angel had gone to pick up someone else instead, and it would take time to get to where I was. They suggested taking a bus. Eventually I got a lift from a random person with another section hiker, and we were in the town around 4pm.

Before getting to town I made a round of calls for a hotel. I wanted to have an own room with minimal hassle, as it has been a long time since such luxury. I decided to pay premium in order to ensure smooth experience. Best Western and 110 dollars it was. It included jacuzzi, breakfast, working internet and all that. I even raided the hiker box for dinner.

Meeting some old faces from the same starting day. People have scattered and not many are at the same mileage.

My only venture out of the hotel was to the nearby K-Mart, where I bought jar of ice cream and coke. Not the wisest of choices, but I had the craving and those where easy to consume while writing. And I did not need to resupply and for once did not. I ended the evening by going to the jacuzzi. It was filled with other hikers and some local wind turbine workers. I went to bed way too late, fifteen to midnight. But managed to order a sleeping bag and a smaller charger, which I should get in Ridgecrest.