27 May - Day 37 - Out into the Mojave

From above Horse Trail Camp on Saw Mill Mountain (Mile 508.6) to a concrete block access for the LA Aqueduct (Mile 534.6) in the Mojave

Total PCT Miles today: 26

Hiker Town the day we arrived. Photo courtesy of 3Bears.

The cool weather held as we descended the hills, across the San Andreas Fault again, and out over the beginnings of the Mojave. Out on the flats is a place called "Hiker Town" ~ a sort of ersatz old west theme town in a compound -- where, lo! there's a shower, and a lounge room, and a kitchen, and laundry for hikers.

We dried out our sleeping bags &cet (heavy dew last night), and did a little laundry (socks mostly). Then had a pile of spaghetti and salad (yay!) before heading out. Now, it was about 1pm, and other hikers thought it not a good idea to head out in the heat of the day into the Mojave -- but the breeze was cool, the temperatures actually about 81, even though the sun was blazing away and we would have no shade. But we had our trusty reflective umbrellas, and off we went.

We walked the aqueduct itself, and passed along through the sage scrub, past Joshua Trees, and slowly toward the brown foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains. Wind farms are going up ahead of us along our route.

Dionysus and Seano lunching on the LA Aqueduct.

Seano looking for a camping spot as the sun sinks in the west.

Seano's shadow as evening comes on.

Mojave campsite -- and it's getting cold among the windmills.

Finally, we call it a day and camp atop a 20 ft x 10 ft concrete slab that covers access to the aqueduct. Stars come out above us as we snack and laugh about how marvelously weird this sleeping place is. We can hear the water rushing below us even over the wind roaring down onto us. We sleep toes to the wind, and are comfy enough (though Dionysus and I are still struggling with these &*@%$ sleeping pads; Seano made the right choice with his; we are going to order new ones to arrive at Tehachapi).

G'night.