A New Normal on the PCT

A day in the life

Sometimes thru hiking creates a sense of normalcy that isn’t truly normal. At the start, there is a definite sense of novelty; but it quickly fades into a daily grind of monotony. Time becomes a flat circle: a kaleidoscope of shoes, sage, and sand; spliced with the occasional pop of a distinct memory. Life becomes regular.

“The Store”

As I sit writing this I feel normal. It’s just another day in the life. I’m on hour 10ish of sitting in the Neenach market and cafe, located in the splatter of houses and trailers that make up the “human settlement” (Google’s description, not mine) of Neenach, California. 

Over the course of about a day and half, I’ve  spent far too much money on various double cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, breakfast burritos, and other miscellaneous foodstuffs. Just this morning I was offered a free sample of a new red bull milkshake the cafe was testing out. I happily gulped it down without a second thought. 

The cafe has become a sort of satellite camp for thru hikers; each covered in varying levels of funk and grime. Backpacks are scattered inside and outside the establishment. Each outlet has a tangled spiderweb of cords trailing out of it. For some reason ABBA’s spanish language album is playing on vinyl, followed by some of Boston’s greatest hits, and the occasional medieval flute piece. Locals wander in and out, holding court on topics ranging from Joshua trees and solar farms to the US men’s masters national volleyball team. Thru hiker’s tents are erected out back, between pieces of derelict farm equipment and an old pole barn that supplies shade. 

The edge of the desert

Hikertown

I, and many others, got a ride to “the store” from Hikertown, a hostel directly adjacent to the trail. It’s a cluster of small one room buildings dressed up to resemble an old west town; circled in a horseshoe around a juniper tree, gazebo, and a couple mobile homes. A small pack of dogs roam around the property, with a wide range of sizes and personalities. Marta, a kind of caretaker, will readily drive hikers to the store in a beat up old minivan, which only occasionally needs a specialized screwdriver to properly close the rear passenger side door. The ride is typically uneventful; though Marta does have a bit of a tendency to drift when she gets too engaged in conversation with her riders. 

A few members of the pack of pups

The reason so many hikers congregate at “the store” is because of what lies ahead. Neenach sits at the edge of the Mojave desert, and for the next many miles the trail runs through the desert along the LA aqueduct. There is allegedly little shade and long stretches without water. I, like a lot of folks sitting in the store, am waiting until the sun goes down to start hiking. 

Another day in the life

To me, this feels all too normal. Maybe not a regular day on the pct, but not that far off. Like having to take a detour on your way to work in the morning. 

It only hit me as I got up to take one of several bathroom breaks; that perhaps this type of day is not normal to most of America. It is a bit odd to spend an entire day in a random small town cafe on the edge of the desert; your life’s possessions in a backpack leaned up against the wall; waiting for a middle aged lady with a seemingly shaky driving record to give you a ride 6 miles down the road; just so you can walk 20 miles thru windmills, Joshua trees, and herds of kangaroo rats under the cover of darkness. 

One of said kangaroo rats

I am not quite sure how this situation relates back to real world; other than to illustrate just how relative life can quickly become. Often thru-hiking can be like living a life in an alternate dimension; one that occasionally runs parallel to the regular thread of reality. It gets close enough to see “regular” life, but never actually close enough to experience it. But, whatever normal actually is; this will have to do for now.