So we spent today in the hiker-friendly town of Tehachapi. We have a difficult decision to make over the next week. 2019 turns out to be an unusual year wrt the weather. There has been about double the usual amount of snowfall in the Sierras and ongoing snowfall throughout the California section with colder than usual temperatures and increased rainfall.

We will reach the Sierras before it is safe to pass, even for those accustomed to snow hiking. Once the snow starts to melt the river crossings become dangerous.

One option is to skip past the Sierras to somewhere in northern California but unfortunately northern CA has received 4 times the usual amount of snow and is also hazardous.

We only have a forecast for the next few days and we are expecting thunderstorms here tomorrow followed by 80% chance of rain over the next day or so with temperatures dropping to about 15 degrees.

We have booked to stay here in the motel for another night and then our plan is to hike on to Lake Isabella. We will probably then go north to Dunsmuir (near the northern border of California) and commence a southbound hike at least for a short section of trail, keeping our options open should conditions become unsafe. We think we will then be able tackle the Sierras later in the season.

We headed out under foreboding skies, first a climb into the mountains which fortunately were not covered in snow but the air was cold and we had intermittent rain.

The climb felt more strenuous as we were well loaded up with water for hiking through a dry stretch. When we reached the summit it became apparent that we could make it to the highway crossing by the end of the day rather than requiring another camp.

At the highway we caught up with a couple of young hikers who were married at the end of last year and are spending their honeymoon on the PCT. Steven made a phone call to a trail angel and 20 mins later as we shared a ride into Tehachapi the heavens opened and rain poured down.

We chose the same motel as Steve as it is close to the post office, which we will visit tomorrow to pick up our resupply boxes. We will make this a “zero” i.e. spend two nights here for the benefit of a full day off.

We woke early and got going by 6:20 despite the cold and damp, spurred on by the promise of a hearty breakfast after the first 7 miles. At that point the trail meets highway 138 and we had a phone number to call for a free lift to a resupply store (Wee Vill Market) where we could purchase a meal.

That also included a lift back to the trail so by 10:30 we were off again. This time the trail followed an aqueduct giving us a nice easy path for the next 17 or so miles.

This desert floor section is usually very challenging because of the heat but we are hiking in unusually cold weather. The distant mountains, mostly covered in cloud today were also sprinkled with snow which fell just 3 days ago. Although the black clouds had dissipated by the time we drew near, the wind picked up in ferocity and the sun had no chance of warming the day. I hiked all day in my rain jacket for warmth and Rob kept his thermal top on.

With Rob’s expert tent skills we are snug in our bags listening to the hum of the windfarm turbines all around us.

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.