PCT Mile 566 – Tehachapi, CA

 

Alright, so I’ve completed my month-long section hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. I’ve made it with Spoon to Tehachapi, CA and to the house of Randy and Julie Martin who I know from my seminary. Randy is a PCA pastor who has taught as a visiting professor at Sangre de Cristo seminary.
So back to the hiking. Well, first the hitchhiking. We had a scary experience with locals on the way back to the trail. A truck slowed down to pick us up and it already had one hiker, Chad, in the back. It was a small truck followed by a car in the same party of people. So I got in the truck along with my gear and Spoons pack. Spoon got in the car. The truck was very small and old. I got in and had to duck while riding under a ladder. So after a mile these guys realize they had left their dog back where they picked up Chad. Chad has told them this, but they were quite drunk. They offered us beer after beer. The first was nice because it was still warm then at 7 pm. So, they decided to go back for the dog, the car driving in reverse and the truck doing a uturn. Chad and I got out and kept waking but this meant Spoon was alone in the car with the third of these guys. Spoon though he was screwed and that the dog story was fake. But there was a dog, they picked it up and came back down the road. Chad and I got back in the truck and finished the ride to the trail. We banged on the truck when we arrived to the trail and then jumped off once it stopped. We moved from there as quickly as possible while dodging questions for these drunks about our hike. The place was entirely remote.
So we got to hiking. And this was my first ever night hike. We did 12 miles along the Los Angeles aqueduct before camping. It was a beautiful night out I the desert with perfect temps to sleep.
The next morning was hot and we did 6 miles to Tylerhorse Canyon Creek where we found water and shade. We stayed there all day waiting for the sun to go down. That night we hiked again and in the morning finished our hike.
Overall the PCT was a good experience. It wasn’t much like I imagined it would be. We had challenges, and fun too. My goal of seeing hostels in operation wasn’t fulfilled for lack of their actually being hostels! But I’ve maybe gained some “trail cred” for the future. I’ve hiked on the PCT. Maybe someday I’ll come back and hike more if it.
Off to school, to prove to dad I’m not a fool. 9th year of college!
-Banzai