Tehachapi.

Boxes. There are two types of boxes that are important on the trail. One is a 'bounce' box. A box that you keep supplies in (like my medication) and you send to yourself general delivery to a post office up the trail. I have been sending mine 200-400 miles up, depending on where there is a P.O. Some places might accept packages but you can't send it on so it limits your choices. The other box is the hiker box and these are a constant source of amusement for me. Hiker boxes are EVERYWHERE! In the hotel lobby, post office, cafes and at trail angel's places. They are where you can find many useless items like half used sunscreen tubes, empty fuel canisters, worn out shoes, bits of string and endless ziplock bags of half eaten trail mix! Ok so useless sometimes but if you need a bit of string or a rubber band then you sift through the hiker boxes hunting for that grail item. Cheryl Strayed found her hiking pole in one. So far I've only found one or two useful things but am starting to see them as a valid way of supplementing my resupply. You can also tell from the hiker box who is ahead of you. For example, Lightning (trail name of course) pre packaged in vacuum sealed bags all of his food. Of course a month in he is totally sick of the daily menu and leaves a lot of stuff in the hiker box. I've come to keep an eye out for his meticulously vacuum sealed bags with cookies in them, a great addition to my pack. While rummaging through these boxes I've realised that you could actually hike the PCT relying mostly on the hiker box. A couple of hikers I've met along the way just use the shoes they find in hiker boxes, swapping them out at every opportunity. 

Ok. Onto some pictures. Again I apologise if they are not strictly chronological.   

A tree near the summit of Mt Baden Powell. I know I've said this before but when you get above 7000 feet the trees are amazing! So old and gnarly they have to be one of my favorite things on the trail...

This one is supposedly 1,500 years old!

A scout leader getting a pic on top of Mt Baden Powell. 

Rebecca. Another scout leader posing on Mt Baden Powell. 

Nathan! You reminded me... This is for you. Vasquez Rocks where Planet of the Apes and Star Trek were filmed. Boy, I'm having massive deja vu so if this is a double post, forgive me!

The aquaduct coming out of Agua Dulce. Looking at the rivets I'm guessing this must have been made in the 1930s..? It runs for about four miles straight. It is one of the iconic sections of the trail. I've seen so many photos and videos of hikers on this section; I was excited to be there in real life! I know that whole simulacra thing again eh... X

This is me and Irene (Dance Magic) on the aqueduct. Photo by Wolf. 

Yet another horny toad lizard. I'm pretty sure that their defence is based primarily on camouflage because when I get close like this they just freeze and only scuttle off if you make a sudden movement or get a bit too close. 

Wolf and Jim enjoying an all too rare moment of (partial) shade and rest at the Anderson's oasis (oasis is a stretch) about eight miles from Casa de Luna. 

Casa de Luna. Ah Casa de Luna the house of the moon. When you line up for the obligatory group photo it all of a sudden makes sense. Casa de Luna was an absolute sanctuary for hikers. Terrie and Joe Anderson who's backyard was our hiker home for two nights do an amazing job keeping us hikers fed and sheltered. I honestly cannot express how wonderful and giving these people are. Thanks Terrie for everything, especially the paddlings! X

Rule number one of Casa de Luna - don't be a dick. Unlike some other trail angel's places, Casa de Luna only had five simple rules. And it works. Oh and if you break a rule (which I did a couple of times on purpose...) you get a paddling! 

The rules. Pretty simple, just don't fuck it up! 

Hikers over the years have painted rocks at Casa de Luna. There is a pile of them out front but also many scattered over the property...

Reminders of home and the logistical nightmare of dealing with the rubbish and recycling from hosting up to 40 beer and nacho hungry hikers! 

Vladimir popped over to force us into entertaining him. Not a great move trying to get tired and dehydrated hikers to drink and be merry on demand... The next photo will tell more as he 'communicates' with his wife down the road... 

Jenni. She is another Aussie and after reading her blog in Oz before coming here I was stoked to finally catch up with her. I'd left a comment on her blog and she'd apparently been asking every Australian she met on the trail (and there's plenty!) if they were 'Richard'!? So when we finally caught up at Acton KOA we fell straight into a hug and easy banter. 

A game of Mafia in full swing...

I can't remember what this game was about!

Oh Benjamin... 

Again... Somethings are just beyond explanation! 

Out if sequence but I love the fact someone out there is still in METRIC!

Naked Dancing feeding at Casa de Luna.

 Coyote, Happy Feet and Tonka.

Happy Feet asked if I could write the name of my blog on her hand. I obliged...

One for the family, they'll get the joke xx

And... Hiker town. A truly bizzare place in the middle of bum fuck idaho (a joke mum!) this is another sanctuary for hikers. However, unlike Casa de Luna, it had the ominous feel of a place a serial killer would feel at home in. We touched base there, loaded up with water, took some pictures and hiked out in the evening to beat the heat. We ended up doing 32 miles in 28 hours...! Not to get away from that place but to get through what turned out to be a not so brutal section... 

TJ. 

Gladiator... (!?) Trail names hold a particular fascination for me, something I will talk about more at some stage but maybe when I wrap my head around it a little more...! Jim just says they are as bad as zany...

One for Dr McBurnie... Miss you big fella! Xx

Wally. My world swings between Skyrim and Fallout 3... Oh and a bit of GTA as we drove into Santa Monica. But seriously my friend it goes from butterflies and luna moths to post apocalyptic in half a day... You spin me round round baby right round! X

Cold Bear getting intimate with an ex-hiker... I still can't understand why I didn't get a kiss... :-(

Eugene's farewell as we departed hiker town...

 

Finally. Some picture of hikers sleeping...

And actually finally (maybe) two things. One, I am now sporting a hiking kilt. I'll leave that to your imagination before I post pics and two; from here in I won't have much wifi. So while this post may be meaty. Tuck in cause it might be the last one for a while! 

Rxx