PCT Day 24

 

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PCT Day 24, 05 June 2022 (Sunday)

"Gone Was The Wind...Until Today"

Start Location:	Wilderness Campsite	Destination:	Upper Shake CG
PCT Miles Day 24:	25.2	Cum PCT Miles:	493.4
Non-PCT Miles Day 24:	1.8	Cum All Miles:	519.3
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,159.2
Elevation Gain Day 24:	4,389	Cum Elevation Gain:	83,960

Today was kind of a strange day.  Water turned out not to be much of an issue.  Of course, you don’t really know that until you actually come upon water.  There was only one reliable source for today, the Green Valley Fire Station. But as it turned out, several of the less reliable sources did indeed have water, and there was also a very good water cache at a location that was not even listed as a water source.

Then something happened that hasn’t happened yet on this hike, strong winds came up out of the west.  There have been some blustery winds here and there, but nothing that really lasted or that was really that strong.   But the winds today were the first that actually impeded my hiking.

I was afraid it was going to be a problem setting up my tent tonight with these winds.  I ended up camping at Upper Shake Campground, which I thought was a normal campground, and I thought there would be other hikers here.  But this campground is very strange, it feels deserted, there is actually no one else here, and everything looks abandoned.  I know in the last week or so at least several other hikers have stayed here, but there was no word of how strange this place is.

I decided to camp here tonight because the timing of the day was right and there was supposed to be a small stream here.  When I got here I looked for the stream but could only find a dry stream bed.  I looked and looked, and it was getting late in the day, and I finally stumbled upon what looked like a path going down towards what could be a creek bed.  And sure enough there it was, with water.  A very small flow, but enough.

Also, this place is pretty protected from the winds.  I can hear the winds howling through the treetops, but it is fairly calm at ground level.

I gained several more miles over my plan today, so I am about 8 miles ahead.  I am trying to make my hike to Highway 58 shorter on Wednesday when I go to Tehachapi.  The shorter the hike the earlier I get to the highway, and the easier it will be to get a ride into town.  Also it will give me more time to do the things I need to do in town.

A Striped Racer just out for some morning sun

 

 

One last green valley  before the vast desert

 

 

It's not much flow, but if you need water, it'll do

 

A lot of today looked like this

 

 

This looks like it could be from a scene out of Fellowship Of The Ring.  "You must walk through the Burn Forest to get to Mount Doom."  Ok, so when you are walking for ~12 hours a day, there is time for a lot of thoughts to wiggle their way through your brain.
 

 

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