October 15

Distance: 27.7 miles | Ascent: 4780′ | Descent: 4480′

Mile marker: 2030.3

Lunch: J – chicken parm (A-), A – spaghetti mac (A-)

Dinner: J – ramen bomb (B), A – instant potatoes (A)

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There’s a bus with a weird schedule in Kern County. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, it runs twice a day between Ridgecrest and Lake Isabella. We got on after our breakfast and were a little surprised and relieved that it was full of other hikers. In total, there were eight hikers getting back on trail after escaping the rain. With our packs beside us, it felt like we were all headed off to school. The driver stopped at Walker Pass to unload us all and drove away with a nearly empty bus.

Powered by the unexpected rest and real meals of the prior day, we got up the big hill awaiting us on trail with speed. From there, it was dipping and bopping throughout the crestlines until we descended to another pass. Despite the rain/snow yesterday, the trail wasn’t terribly washed out or muddy. We just had to avoid a few puddles in parts. The remaining snow on the ground was insignificant, but pretty!

Suddenly, things became surprisingly foresty. But only for a short while. Then, back to the dry and dusty.

We are truly in the desert now. It was a slower lead-in than we expected, but this is unequivocally the desert. There are new alien-looking plants and creepy-crawlies.

We refilled some water at a cache and powered up the next hills to camp. The setting sun painted the sky with pinks and purples.

The Joshua trees are getting even bigger! Especially when silhouetted, they remind of us of people, spiky hands stretched up to the sky.