Burn Zones, Trail Names, and the Desert by Night

In these three days, we hiked through green hills and into scorched landscapes, avoided poisonous plants, and faced one of the worst nights of wind on trail so far. But it wasn’t all rough — we hit the 500-mile mark, shared laughs over trail names, and reached Hiker Town, a quirky stop before entering the Mojave Desert. With heat looming, we decided to tackle the infamous aqueduct section at night, fueled by burgers, ice cream, and a growing sense of trail family.

Day 37 – From Green Hills to Burnt Slopes

We started unusually today — by descending first thing in the morning. The trail took us down to a fire station where we could fill up on water. It was still incredibly green all around, which never stops surprising us. Patrik signed us into the trail register, and we bumped into Timo and Lea again.

The climb back up took us toward views of the real desert that’s waiting for us before the Sierra. We crested a ridge, only to descend again toward a creek. A perfect spot for a lunch break — feet in the cold water, sand under our backs.

After lunch, we tackled another steep climb. Looking back, we could see the peak we had just left earlier that day — classic up and down. We loaded up with water for camp and entered a burn zone filled with poodle dog bush — a toxic plant that causes rashes and blisters. We had to watch our step closely, avoiding snakes, rocks, and now this nasty flora too.

At camp, our Swiss friends were already waiting. The options weren’t great: either pitch our tent dangerously close to poodle dog bush, sleep directly on the trail with likely wind exposure, or hike off-trail to a lower camp and climb back in the morning. We decided to stay put.

While cooking dinner together, Lea suggested a trail name for Patrik — “Mashpotatoes”, since that’s all she’s ever seen him eat. He said he’d think about it.

Day 38 – I Am Groot

This night was one of the worst yet. Even before 10 pm, the wind was so wild that sleep was nearly impossible. Our tent inflated like a balloon, flapping side to side like it was trying to take off. The noise was deafening. I’m still amazed we didn’t blow away.

The morning was cold and still windy. Everyone agreed: that was brutal. We skipped breakfast and hit the trail fast, still surrounded by poodle dog bush.

After four miles, we reached a dirt road and had to make a decision. The trail led to a nasty bug-filled water tank, or we could detour to a questionable but “normal” water source — said to require “long arms.” Challenge accepted! We were five now, joined by Queen.

Leaving our packs by the road, we hiked out with bottles. The tank was deep, sealed off, and impossible to scoop water from. We had to improvise. I used my water bladder on a cord, trying to hold it open — Timo handed me a stick, and it worked!

Bladder by bladder, we filled 15 liters. It took a while, but we made it. Back at the road, Lea declared me the hero of the day and offered me a trail name: Long Arm. I hesitated. “Wait!” she said. “You’re Groot! Like the cute tree from Guardians of the Galaxy!” I had to laugh — and accepted. From now on, I’m Groot.

Later, we reached the 500-mile marker — about 800 km in our legs! We played “500 Miles”, danced a little, and marched on. The trail flew by. We even had lunch at a picnic table — tortillas, peace, and a little nap.

Though reluctant to get up, we finished the day with a mostly downhill stretch through a beautiful green forest. This group is starting to feel like a real tramily.

Two miles before camp, we paused for a snack, then made it to camp early. We slept under just our mesh tent, washed up in the creek, stretched, and had dinner with Queen and Presto.

Plans made for tomorrow — lights out.

Day 39 – Burgers, Ice Cream, and Prepping for the Night Shift

We took it easy this morning. After last night’s wind storm, we needed the rest — and some energy for what was ahead. We packed up slow, had breakfast, and to our surprise, left before the Swiss.

The morning brought long desert views, showing us what we’d be crossing later that night. After four miles, we waited for Timo and Lea, and then all five of us — now joined by Presto — headed to Hiker Town.

This stop is… odd. More like a western movie set than a real town. The vibe was strange. Right at the entrance, a woman who barely spoke English ushered us toward the shop. We quickly grabbed our resupply box and met up with Queen outside.

We wanted to go to a better store nearby, one with burgers and a place to rest. We hitched a ride — but, of course, got picked up by someone from the other store. Fellow hikers convinced us it was better anyway — apparently the first place had bad water. So all six of us squeezed into a car and off we went.

At the store, we took over a bench and sorted our resupply, trying to remember which food belonged to who. Burgers and ice cream followed, and we charged our electronics — and ourselves — for the night ahead.

We lay down for a nap in the shade, then packed around 5 pm. Another round of burgers, this time as fuel — but we weren’t the only ones with that plan. The kitchen was swamped, and we ended up waiting longer than we hoped.

Still, spirits were high. Doug and Veary joined us and shared their giant tub of ice cream. Now we were really ready. The night hike across the Mojave awaited.