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Day 40--Bird Spring Road to Walker Pass (and thence to Ridgecrest CA)

Day 40--Bird Spring Road to Walker Pass (and thence to Ridgecrest CA)

Otter's 2021 PCT Thru-Hike

Written Saturday, 29 May 2021

Windy night. I was cowboy camping, but the nearby tents were flapping so much that I woke up just about every half hour. By 0320, I decided to stop fighting fate. I got up, ate breakfast, did chores, and got on the Trail by 0415.

I realized yesterday that I have am about a day and a half short in my food supply so today I'm going to need to get into a nearby town for a quick resupply. I'm hoping to resupply and return to the Trail tonight.

I know it will surprise you to learn the day began with a big, steep 1,500-foot climb. This is why I start before sunrise!

And a gorgeous sunrise it was today. Really spectacular. It takes my mind off the climb, and I'm over the top by 0545.

The next 14-15 miles are a nice forest walk, on an undulating trail that probably doesn't vary in altitude by more than a 100 feet over the full length of the walk.

I stopped for a snack at 1015, and by the time I started up again at 1030, it was noticeably warmer.

Luckily, the Trail was mostly down hill from there, and by shortly after noon, I arrived at Walker Pass Campground. Since I needed to get to town, I wasn't planning to stop here, but a Trail Angel named Mark was handing out fresh fruit and beers so I stopped for a minute to talk to him (and eat an apple, and an orange, and some cherries...and drink a beer, which is also sort of a fruit).

While there, I met another hiker, named Ethan, who is also trying to get to town so we decide to hitch together. We walk another 0.8 miles to Walker Pass and stick out our thumbs.

Walker Pass was not named after country music star Jerry Jeff Walker, as many believe. It was named in honor of Joseph Rutherford Walker, a member of John C. "Frontier" Fremont's 1843 exploratory expedition to California.

Jerry Jeff Walker has still sold more records.

Not sure if it was the fact that Ethan and I were hitching on a Saturday mid-afternoon of a 3-day weekend or that we just look like potential axe murderers, but no one wants to stop for us. One couple does stop to ask directions to a local attraction. Sadly, we are no help...and they do not offer us a ride.

Finally, after almost 2 hours of futility, a large Ford Econoline van rolls up, and the driver asks us if we are heading to Ridgecrest.

"Yes, ma'am, we are."

"I have 8 of my kids in the back, " she says. "Do you mind riding with them?"

"Uhm, no, ma'am, but we are smelling pretty bad. Are you sure you want us in the van?"

"Ha!" she says. "I've got 8 boys. You can't scare me. Get in!"

So this very nice lady, with 8 of her 12 kids in the van with her carries, two stinky hikers a half an hour to the town of Ridgecrest. Along the way, we find out she's a Navy wife. Her husband is stationed at nearby China Lake, and she tells us everything we need to know about Ridgecrest.

She drops us off in downtown around 1545 and by 1615, I've done my resupply. Unfortunately, we have even less luck getting a hitch out of town than we did getting a ride in. That's to say we have no luck at all.

Finally, we give up and walk to a motel. We check in, get showered, and walk to a nearby Mexican place for dinner. While eating, we finally find a driver in town who will take us back to the Pass in the morning... for the small sum of $60.

Oh, well, I'm safe, dry and warm and full of Mexican food in Ridgecrest CA tonight.


Miles Hiked Today: 21.3 Total Miles Hiked: 652.1


Sea Otter Fact of the Day: Sea otter mothers can become pregnant almost immediately after delivering a pup. However, they can delay implantation of the embryo for up to several months to ensure that the next pup is delivered at a favorable time of year.

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