June 2, Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Tylerhorse Canyon
Miles: 23

Adrian:
We woke at 4:50 a.m. this morning and 16.5 miles in the bank and earning interest before 11:30 a.m. We hiked along the famous California and Los Angeles aqueducts. The first being an open concrete ditch about 25 feet across and the second a buried iron pipe for some distance and then a buried concrete channel further along.

The walk along these waterways was on dirt roads with a hard packed mud surface. The result of such a hard surface for me was an irritated tendon. I don't know the name of the tendon but its the one that goes up along the shin above the top on the foot. It hurts most on downhills. Advil didn't do much to stop the pain. It's still tender in the tent tonight and I hope it gets better as it's a tough couple days ahead.

Wind was a big factor today and it was in our faces most of the time. After our break at the only shade, under a bridge, we climb out of Antelope Valley and into the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains. The heat was manageable but we literally were blown off the trail many times. I'm guessing sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts into the 70s. Patagonia this spring could not even compare to this. To make matters worse, some of the hike was through burned areas. So really today was not about scenery but rather about getting out of the valley before the heat hit again, and that we did.

Tonight we are camped in burned out Tylerhorse Canyon with Data, Darren and Little Wrangler. The wind is howling and our tent is filling up with sand like on Combs Peak a few hundred miles ago. Tomorrow we hit Tehachapi and leave windy, dry and hot Antelope Valley behind.
Good riddance...

Kirsten:
This hike always offers up little lessons. Today's lesson - patience and tolerance. That's what walking alongside a steel pipe or cemented over aqueduct will do for you. It's boring and with no shade for 17 miles it was barely tolerable.

It was back to the hobo life for us today. Sitting under a bridge. Awesome. Good times.