After sleeping most of the day in a shady spot by the river in Tylerhorse Canyon, it’s time to head out again.

My goal is to make it to Willow Springs Road and hitch into Tehachapi where my resupply and bounce boxes are waiting for me. It’s good hiking when a beautiful sunset mixes with the propellered wind farms. I’m reminded of the poem “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace”.

I make it to a campground close to the road by 1:15am. Another night of wind farm lullabies.

I get a ride into Tehachapi and head straight for Kelsey’s Diner. I find Duckats and sit with him at the counter, order biscuits and gravy, two eggs, hash browns, juice, and coffee. It’s gone even before I know I ate it. Duckats invites me to stay at the hotel with him, 11, Stealth, V, and Mountain Goat.

 

I pile into the hiker-infested room and shower, do laundry, write some blog posts and talk about the next trail section. Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows is going to be intense! The water report is filled with warnings. We’re going to have to go full “baby vampire” mode: start hiking at sunset, hike until 11pm or 12am, sleep until 4:30am, hike again until 10am, and then hide from the sun. Repeat until the Sierras.