Buhhh.

Mile 558.  Mile 530, which we crossed two days ago, roughly marks the 20% mark of this endeavor.  One fifth of the trail, done.

 

It has been an ordeal lately.  A rewarding one for sure, but an ordeal.  We have hit the desert that we've been reading ang hearing about for so long.  The western arm of the Mojave.  Screaming unbelievable winds like from the mouth of an enormous open oven door, or the afterburners of an F-15 but without the kerosene stink.  We're told that the usual heat of this time of year has been late in coming, so when we hike through the burning sands in 95 degrees we ought to be elated.  Left camp at around 4:30am yesterday and hiked until noon to hitch into Tehachapi, where I am now.  Huge windmills above and around us, surreal.  ENRON owned dozens of them before that fiasco and so theirs just sit there motionless, pointless, rusting and creaking in the hot breeze.  The Tehachapi Wind Farm is the second largest in the world with around 5,000 mills.

 

When I leave here I'll go another 144 miles to Kennedy Meadows, known as the gateway to the high sierra.  Should be great to not have to carry 4 liters of water.  Vamos a ver.

 

More soon if I can get back on the computer.

-Bobcat