Today we had lunch at the 500 mile mark. Please forgive all these milestone reports, but you can imagine that a journey like this calls for many sub-goals, even if they are arbitrary numbers.

We have descended from the mountains and tomorrow will go across some flat country before climbing up again towards Tehachapi.

Camped at 510.9 having hiked 22 miles today.

We have been on the trail now for one month. In that time,

– we have hiked 489.4 miles (787.6km)

– we have hiked another 12.3 non-PCT miles

– we have slept in the tent 24 nights, once no tent, and 5 nights in motels

– we have lost weight (not sure how much)

– we have been relatively injury free, just a few blisters and sore shoulders

– we are enjoying the adventure and looking forward to the next months.

Thanks for all your encouraging comments.

One of the few water sources today.

Apparently used in many horror movies, the motel we spent the night in was old and rather dilapidated. Outside the reception area was a telephone booth with a telephone directory hanging loosely by a cord but no phone. A sign at the entrance to the motel indicated that no video or audio recordings were allowed without express permission. You can imagine the disturbance to our sleep when a car pulled into the car park in the early hours of the morning and a drunk man entered an adjacent room singing loudly!

It was raining in the morning and we arranged an Uber ride back into town. Our driver, Jose, was friendly and very interested in the PCT and impressed with our progress.

Another very substantial breakfast helped motivate us to push on and we set off around 11am.

On the upward path we met some day hikers coming back down who warned us that it was very windy and cold, also wet at the top of the mountain. ‘Windy, wet and cold at the top’ is something of a theme for our PCT hike so far so it came as no surprise.

In anticipation of another cold wet night we set up camp early and at a lower altitude and whiled away some daylight eating peanut butter with baby carrots and solving a cryptic crossword puzzle.

Today was a straightforward 18 miles down (and up and down) to some interesting eroded terrain known as Vasquez Rocks. Evidently may western movies have been filmed here.Then we arrived in the small town of Agua Dulce. As we were drinking celebratory milkshakes, a friendly English lady got talking with us, and long story short, she and her husband drove us to a motel about 4 miles away.So we are now showered, laundered and dined and ready for a sound sleep. As a bonus, rain is forecast tonight and we won’t be in a tent!

We spent a very cold and restless night. Inside the tent everything was damp from condensation and outside the tent everything was covered with a layer of ice. Throughout the night we could hear drops onto the tent. Since we were camped under a large tree it was hard to tell if the sleet was ongoing or if it was just dripping from the branches above us.At about 6:30 we decided to get up and make a start despite the cold and the heavy mist. All our gear was damp and we hiked with our thermals, puffy jackets, rain gear and gloves. So much for it being the desert section of the PCT!Anyway, eventually the fog dispersed and we walked through a fine but cool day. At a fire station there was also a parking area and we saw several other hikers eying their gear on the asphalt.The going was good on an easy path – down a mountain, up a mountain, down again, then undulating until we reached the campground beside a ranger station.Here we found we could purchase soft drink and chips from a trail angel for $2 and a sausage and carrot each were thrown in for free!Around the ranger station (and Southern California generally) there is a particularly nasty plant called poodle dog bush (google it) which you definitely don’t want to touch. Here is a photo so you can avoid it.

Not too many photos today as the camera was in a plastic bag most of the day due to rain.

It was raining when we woke up, and we were proud of our willpower to pack up early and start walking. We were thankful that there was little wind. But by 10 it was gusting and very cold. We took refuge in a picnic area toilet where the trail crossed a highway. Rob braved the wind and rain to find a sheltered spot and put up the tent. We waited out the weather warming up in our sleeping bags.

About 12:30 the rain stopped so we packed up again and managed a total of 19 miles. Just got to a tent site at 6500′ at about 5:30pm. It started sleeting as we put up the tent.

Still raining but we had a good dinner and hot chocolate. We are wearing all our clothes in our sleeping bags but still feel cold.

In the morning we ascended the final mile to the summit of Mt Baden Powell and were rewarded with 360deg views. Maybe we will get a mountaineer’s badge!We finally got a picture of a chipmunk.Then down again, more snow, up again, down again and eventually we got to our first PCT closure – closed to protect an endangered yellow legged frog. So it meant a 3 Mile road walk bypass, but we got to a very nice campground.Tonight all our food is stored in a bear-proof locker.

After a comfortable night and a big breakfast we visited the grocery store and the post office and sorted out our resupply packages.We hitched back to the trail – the lady who gave us the lift has a son who is keen to hike the PCT sometime.Then we started a steep but steady ascent of Mt Baden Powell, renamed after the guy who founded the Boy Scout movement. We found a camp site among the snow drifts at 8500′ and expect a cold night. But we have just finished a hearty dinner and have a great view over the lowlands below.Tomorrow we go up to the summit at 9390′ then down the other side like the proverbial bear.

With a 6 am start we proceeded up the mountain again. It was tough with limited water and there didn’t seem any reprieve from the constant ascent. Our campsite was quite high at 6000ft and we reached about 8500 on the hike, followed by a descent to Wrightwood town.

This time there was no problem getting our boxes from the post office and the town appears to cater very well for hikers.

We expect to set off again some time tomorrow afternoon.

We set an alarm for an early start hoping we could get to where the PCT intersects the I5 highway, so we could catch a lift to Wrightwood and get there before the post office closed (to get our resupply packages).

The photo above is Little Horse Thief Creek Ranch – was he a little man, or did he only steal little horses, or is there a Big Horse Thief Creek somewhere?

Photo above: snow covered Mt Baden Powell is our next challenge after Wrightwood.

As we hiked we realised it was Sunday so the post office wouldn’t be open. Nevertheless we pressed on, looking forward to hot shower, clean clothes and comfortable bed. When we got to the I5, there it was – a highway McDonald’s.

Almost every Hiker goes the extra 0.4 miles to sit in air-conditioned comfort and load up on carbs and fat. While there we discovered that this was not the usual exit point to go to Wrightwood, and we really needed to hike another 28 miles (including a climb of about 5500′ and no water resupply points). Obviously this was going to take more than one day so we decided to keep going.

We crossed under the Interstate, under one railway, over another, and climbed up and up the steep sided hills with no camping sites.

Finally we reached a flattish area just after 7pm. Tent is up and we are now in bed. 28 miles today, we should sleep well. (that is 44.3 km, to save you looking up my handy conversion table).