PCT Day 34 – 37: Wind Turbines and the Aqueduct

Day 34 – Mother’s Day Trail Magic

Despite being a bit rattled from the commotion the night before, we packed up and hit the trail early. It was another hot day, and our goal was to hike about 21 miles. After six miles, we ran into Henry, who told us there was trail magic ahead by the road—which instantly put some pep in our step.

At the road crossing, we met Tara, whose son, Punisher, is attempting a border-to-border Triple Crown FKT. We chatted with both of them while snacking on clementines, Snickers, and Coke. It was incredibly sweet seeing Tara support her son by offering trail magic on Mother’s Day.

After leaving the trail magic, Chowder and I hiked a couple more miles to a spring. We decided to hunker down there for a few hours to avoid the heat of the day. I had been dreading the boredom of waiting around, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! We talked with lots of hikers and even convinced a few to join our siesta.

Around 3 p.m., we set out on a 14-mile push to camp. As we hiked, we could see the Mojave Desert off in the distance—soon to be our next challenge. Along the trail, we navigated around a lot of Poodle Dog Bush, which is highly toxic if touched. Thankfully, we managed to avoid it.

We had dinner on trail and then pushed on with some night hiking. We reached camp around 9:30 and set up in the wind. At first, we weren’t too worried about it, but during the night a stake came loose. Chowder got up and fixed it, but the howling wind kept us up most of the night.

Day 35 – Hanging at the Neenach Market

We woke up groggy at 7:30 a.m. after a rough, windy night. As we descended into the desert, we hiked through oak groves, chaparral, and open desert terrain. Both of us were feeling a little cranky and ready for some town time.

By 3 p.m., we made it to Hiker Town and caught a ride to the Neenach Market and Community Center. We decided to camp there instead of staying at Hiker Town. The market had a small restaurant, some resupply options, and welcomed hikers to hang out. It felt like the place to be—we saw lots of familiar faces and met a few new ones too!

The next day, we planned to start the infamous aqueduct section. While most people night-hike it due to the heat, we saw the forecast—temperatures in the low 60s—and decided it would be safe to hike during the day.

Day 36 – Windy Aqueduct Day

It was another windy night, but our tent held up. Still, gusts and traffic noise from the nearby highway woke us several times.

We packed up around 6 a.m. and lingered in the market for a couple of hours. I had a couple cups of coffee, and Chowder ordered a massive breakfast burrito. We chatted with some friends before trying to hitch a ride back to Hiker Town. After about 20 minutes, a few guys on their way to work picked up us and Gandalf.

The trail follows the LA Aqueduct for a bit, and we walked on top of the pipes for a couple of miles. It was a fun change of scenery at first, but much of the rest of the day was long, flat dirt roads.

We stopped to fill up water and chatted with Turbo Joe, then continued on through a massive field of wind turbines. It was so windy! We eventually made camp semi-sheltered among some juniper trees and decided to cowboy camp. The sound of the turbines made perfect white noise, and I fell asleep quickly.

Day 37 – Mile 549 Bar & Grill

Chowder and I started early to beat the wind. The morning began with a steady climb out of the wind farm. At one point, we walked right underneath a turbine—it was stunning how massive and powerful they are.

We took a break at Tylerhorse Canyon to filter water and chat with friends, then started a long, steady ascent. I put on a podcast to distract myself from my aching quads and hips.

At the top, we stumbled on one of the coolest water caches: the Mile 549 Bar & Grill. A trail angel maintains a pantry stocked with fresh oranges, ramen, and snacks, plus barrels of spring water. There were even chairs and an umbrella! I ate an orange, hydrated, and enjoyed the company of other hikers.

Eventually, we peeled ourselves away—we still had nine miles to camp. After a slow descent, we entered yet another wind farm, even bigger than the last.

We made camp about a quarter mile from Willow Springs Road. Many hikers hitch to Tehachapi from there, but we had a different plan to get into town. We cowboy camped, finished an episode of The Last of Us, and set our alarms for an early start.