First creek before Rockhouse Basin

I woke up with the birds. It was overcast. I had slept well, warm and dry.

I packed up and went to the spring-fed branch of the creek, the one with the good flow. I stopped there for breakfast of Grapenuts and lemon pudding. I pretended not to see all the sediment in the water.

I began to climb out of Spanish Needle creek drainage. I climbed up into the fog. At first I could feel drops of condensation from the trees. Then I noticed that I felt more drops in the spaces between the trees. So I put up my umbrella. Then it started to rain much harder, but it was still gentle rain.

The bushes were getting my pant legs wet, so I took off the legs and put on my rain chaps. This ensured I would not get too hot wearing them. I also put on my minimal jacket that has only a light rain resistance. With the umbrella, it was enough. I stayed warm and comfortable.

I felt tired today. I was dragging up the inclines and the declines felt painful. There would be a big climb ahead after the creek at Canebrake Road. But I was falling asleep on my feet just trying to get to Canebrake Road. I couldn't think about that big climb yet.

I wanted to rest a while at the creek but the rain started again. The easiest way to stay dry was to keep moving. So I began the big climb.

Going up was very long, but the steepness was pretty static, so I put it in low gear and chugged away at the hours. I had to stop a few times to adjust clothing and eat. At one point I thought the Data Book said 5 more miles to the summit, but in reality I was almost there.

Then began the relentless 7 mile descent. My back and feet were killing me. I was having thoughts of going home. Maybe this was enough.

At long last I reached the bottom where there was a tiny creek and a large, burned tree. Last year there was a beehive in the tree. I didn't see any bees now. It was almost 5pm. I cooked dinner. I took my shoes off. I promised myself I did not have to go any further than this if I did not want to. It was already 26 miles from where I had slept last night.

First branch of Spanish Needle Creek

I slept really well after such a nice trail magic dinner. I enjoyed the company of the others around the fire and then went to bed between two bushes under my rain poncho canopy.

In the early morning I could hear the commuter traffic on Walker Pass so I decided I had better get out there and hitchhike. I got a ride by 6am after the 5th car went by. My ride was a nice Native American man commuting to his machinist job in Bakersfield. He took me to Onyx.

I was too early for the post office and for the store, but the man who ran the store showed up shortly and as soon as the coffee was ready I stepped in for a cup. I spent the next three hours sitting on the porch drinking coffee and chatting with the locals.

There were three nice women and several interesting men. Lots of mullets and long gray beards. A couple of very handsome cowboys. Lots of laughter and gossip. It was probably the most fun town stop I had had yet, including counting all last year.

It was cold and started to rain. I was grateful there was a dry porch to sit under.

Eventually the Post Office opened and I got my package. I said good-bye to all the nice folks on the porch and set off to hitchhike back to Walker Pass campground. One of the women from the porch picked me up and dropped me off in Canebrake, the next town up. I got another ride there from a retired cattleman. He dropped me off at the campground.

Once in camp, I ate more steak and another one of my extra dinners. I had budgeted 5 days to get to Walker Pass and it had taken me only 3. I figured I needed those calories either way. It was getting really windy up there, so I packed up my things, filled my water at the cattle trough and got prepared to leave.

Clouds were still brewing. The word was that there was a freak cold front and storm, dissipating tomorrow. Another was scheduled for a few days from now. Hopefully I would be snug under the porch at Kennedy Meadows when it hit. At the very least, my tent would be there waiting for me.

At 1:15 I set off after thanking everyone for the wonderful hospitality. It was just too cold and windy at Walker Pass to stay another minute. My plan was to seek shelter at Joshua Tree Spring.

This would be my third time through this area. I took my customary photo of the plaque at Jenkins Peak. I hustled down the trail in the high, cold winds. I eyed a lenticular cloud warily.

I arrived at the junction to Joshua Tree Spring much too early to stop, so I blew by without even taking my customary picture of the sign saying the water was unsafe.

I climbed the big hill before Spanish Needle creek and descended to the first crossing of the creek just after the last rays of sun went behind the hills for good.

I set up my poncho in case of wind or rain but it was calm all evening.

All during my walk today I had been thinking about how different this hike is from last year. I have had much better luck. More trail magic has come my way. I have felt very open to whatever good things are around the corner, whether it may be a surprise koffee klatch with the ladies of Onyx, free steak, or getting a ride when I need one. It felt like the lesson the trail had been teaching me before I got off last year was continuing where it had left off. Trust the trail. Stay open. What you need with come to you exactly when you need it. You will always have exactly what you need. I felt very grateful to be here as I fell asleep with the birds.

Walker Pass

I noticed that I had hiked almost 30 miles the day before. I felt pretty good despite having gone so far.

I worried a little that I might get Hanta virus sleeping in a mouse house. I hoped that I would be ok.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and packed up with my headlamp for light. I was on the trail into the cool morning and made it across the desert to Bird Spring Pass by 8:30am. The desert smelled so fresh and sagey. I had come to make peace with this horrible stretch and it had met me half way, easing my way with rain, rainbows, coolness and the ability to hike evening and morning hours instead of heat of the day hours. I left with an appreciation of the beauty of the area. Next to make peace with would be the high passes of the Sierra.

AT the cache I saw Pockets, TrashMan, Hello Kitty and Matt. I wondered how I had gotten ahead of them. They had started the morning I had gone into Tehachapi and I hadn't seen them along the way.

I climbed out of Bird Spring Pass and back into pinyon pine forest. It was still cool but warming up by 11am. At 11 my stomach was growling. The gnawing hiker hunger was gradually catching up with me. I stopped for cheese sandwiches. Ah, American cheese! Specially forumalted to keep poor kids growing and poor people working another half a shift at the plant. It's what I needed to keep going.

I walked through the dry, oakey forest and emerged into the burn zone with the undulating dirt road. I remembered this road well from last year. I whipped out my umbrella to shield myself from the intense sun. I remembered suffering last year. The umbrella was a huge help. Also helpful was the cool breeze.

Walking the road seemed much easier than last year. Shorter, too. It must be that I wasn't vitamin and calorie deficient like last year.

I decided to make the side trip to McGuyver Spring. I hadn't gone there last year. It was a delighful, pipe-fed spring and an open cabin. There were lots of hikers lolling about. I cooked up an extra dinner and relaxed for a couple of hours.

Soon I was on my way to Walker Pass. The walking went smoothly until near the end when my feet were starting to get sore. I had just walked another 29 mile day.

When I reached Walker Pass, there were some old-timers there cooking barbecue for hikers. Trail magic! Meadow Ed, Stone Dancer, Jellybean's dad had chicken, steak, potatoes, beer, cold drinks and salad for us. There would even be breakfast in the morning. I had heard they would be here on Saturday, but today was Thursday so it was a nice surprise.

I was now in position to get to the Post Office at Onyx in the morning. It was the reason I had hiked so many miles so fast.