Night hiking the aqueduct is easy and fun until 1:00am, when I’m worn out. Just three more miles to hit tonight’s target: a bridge and water cache.

Waterbug and I are ahead if the rest of the group when we get to the wind farm. Dozens of red lights blinking simultaneously, a roaring wind, and a continuous whooshing sound. It’s overwhelming. When we reach our goal at 2:30am, we only have enough energy to throw our pads and bags down in the sand and crawl in.

I’m so exhausted that the sound becomes mere white noise. I fall asleep instantly, knowing that I need to get up in two and a half hours to hike six miles to a river and shade where I’ll hide and sleep until sunset.

Wind farm sunrise.