May 21, 2007

Bruce and I picked up Bison Ed at 6:30 a.m. at the Travel Lodge in Tehapachi.  Bison Ed and I had planned to hike 21 miles with light packs and I would meet up with my husband around 5:00 p.m. and spend the night with him in Tehapachi.  We began our hike from Tehapachi-Willow Springs Road in brutal winds.  Ed and I hiked past several miles of wind turbines.  Between the natural wind and the wind turbines, I was literally being blown off my feet.  Maybe I should have been carrying a heavier pack?  Nah!

After leaving the wind turbines behind, we crossed Highway 58 which is the start of the Sierra Nevada range.  We hiked alongside the highway that smelled like a port-o-let for a mile.  Gross!!!!  Truckers blame the smell on hikers.  Hikers blame the smell on truckers.  The amount of litter and garbage points the finger at the truckers.  Hikers don't litter.  And...hikers wouldn't urinate near a highway.  Hiking on, I saw several jack rabbits and at least three sets of skeletons.  One could have been the skeleton of a cow.  Another could have been the skeleton of a coyote.  And the third could have been the skeleton of a jack rabbit.

Ed and I took a break under a Joshua tree and I enjoyed my pasta-spinach salad I brought with me.  Eating non-processed food is a real treat.  I also packed a bacon-pea salad, an apple, and a Diet Mountain Dew.  I began my climb from an elevation of 3,780 feet to around 5,000 feet when my cell phone rang. 

The call was from Bruce who informed me the road which we had planned to meet was not accessible.  Bruce made a trip to the fire department and the fire department told him last year there was a fire near the Sky River Ranch.  The firemen needed the owner to come down and guide the fire truck up to the fire.  Apparently, the Sky River Ranch is a wind turbine farm with access only to the owners.  The firemen offered to sell Bruce their map for $50.00, but Bruce thanked them kindly and phoned me.

Bison Ed and I turned around and hiked two miles back down --SOUTH--  to the Cameron Road Exit sign on Highway 58.  While hiking southbound, I ran into Clara, Patrick, Mike, and an Aussie.  Bison Ed retrieved his remaining gear and a Gatorade from Bruce's SUV, packed up, and hiked onward.  I went into town with my husband where we will get to share one more night together.  My plan to hike 21 miles today went out the window.  Instead, I hiked 11 miles of which four don't count.  My actual total mileage today was 7.0.  But I'm still having fun!