June 1, Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Hiker Town, Lancaster
Miles: 20

Adrian:
We were the last out of camp this morning at 7:30 a.m. Oh well.

We made good time in the growing heat and rolling hills. The trail more or less followed a jeep road and offered great views to Antelope Valley far below and our destination for the night at a place called Hikertown.

We filled our water for a 16-mile stretch at Red Rock water tank. Red Rock is typical of desert water tanks built and stocked with water to fight fires and provide emergency access for outdoors people. A metal hatch is pried from the 10,000-gallon tank to access the water that must be filtered before drunk. The large concrete top also makes a great place to spread out and rest.

After our break we started the steep descent into Antelope Valley. The path followed an unorthodox route due to the Tejon Ranch owners not allowing a more logical way across their land. There are rumors of an agreement in the making that will correct the situation.

After the long descent that included many ascents, we arrived at Hikertown in Lancaster. Hikertown is owned by Richard Skaggs and is cared for by Bob. It includes quirky fake western facades, a few trailers, a hostel of sorts and an outdoor shower. We got a ride a mile down the road and picked up some chips, soda and Coronas. For $10, Kirsten and I got our very own doublewide trailer for the night. Just try and tell me I don't know how to treat my girl!
Bliss...

Kirsten:
Hiking the PCT is sort of like being pregnant. I've never gone through a pregnancy so I'm basing this analogy off of my observations of friends and family.

Hiking the PCT is making me crave certain types of food and drink. I haven't drunk soda with any regularity in years. On the trail, I think about coca-cola classic in a can at least once a day. I also think about beer quite a bit. Adrian says he thinks about hot dogs. Fresh fruit, actually anything fresh, is high on my list. I even dreamt about swimming in a giant bowl of fruit salad the other day.