June 14, 2024 - Day 28

We woke up this morning and got moving around 6:30. This was the earliest we were on trail in quite some time. We all were thankful for it as we knocked out mileage early on in the morning and were able to coast into camp this evening.

We had heard of this plant called the Poodle Dog Bush or ‘PDB’ from the beginning. It was described as a flower that causes a rash similar to poison oak or poison ivy. The pollen itself gets on the skin and creates the reaction. Up until today, we hadn’t seen it. From about mile 5 to our campsite, there are fields of it. The plants even blocked our access from a water source. They’re all in full bloom and have caused us to take some very intentional steps. So far, no encounters.

We had quite a hot hike mid-morning, but once we reached the ridge line of the mountain we were hiking, the wind picked up and the temperatures cooled. We stopped for lunch after about 18 miles at a water source. Our hunger had started to increase dramatically and were going through a lot more food than previously. After lunch, we wandered up the mountain some more and hit mile marker 500. Crazy to think we’ve walked all that distance. We’re just under 1/5 of the way done with the hike and we’re all so stoked we have 4/5 of it left. The desert section ends in about 200 miles.

Tomorrow, we’re getting up around 4:30 AM to hike to hiker town, a location where we can resupply and rest before our night hike across the LA aqueduct. We’re stretching and fueling up at the moment. Tomorrow is a big push.

Happy trails…