End of the desert, start of snow..?

What a wild ride the last two hundred miles have been. We left Wrightwood later than planned and had a 17 mile road detour ahead of us. The PCT goes over Beden-Powell which was still snow covered so we opted to take the highway detour instead. The highway was closed so it was an awesome experience. Past avalanches blanketed the road, sometimes 10-15 feet deep. Rock slides created obstacles, such a surreal experience! Our feet and backs were grateful to see the camping area, since we had a long water carry and resupplied for 5 days of food, which isn't light. Sitting on a lookout we watched as the lights of Los Angeles illuminated feeling blessed to be out in the wilderness.

The next day was just a short road walk and then back onto the actual trail. Water was mostly plentiful this section which was nice for lighter water carry's. Being out here makes tap water feel so luxurious since it is always there. We hit 400 miles that day and continued to camp.

At mile 444 we stopped at the Acton KOA to pick up a package that my old coworkers sent and were greeted with amazing cards and snacks. The support everyone provides during the trail is truly magical and we couldn't be more grateful. After picking up the package we hitched into Acton to pick up some more homemade dehydrated meals and new shoes that my parents sent to us. Thanks mom and dad (:

We camped in the back of 49ers saloon and had a relaxing morning waiting for the post office to open.

Getting a late start again, we hitched to the trail and took it slow up a climb since it was warming up. We got to hike through Vazquez rocks which is where Star Trek the original was filmed! Agua Dulce was the next town and we stopped at 2 Foot Adventures for Orange to get new socks and I got a ball to roll the feel and calves on. We met Ron who has hiked multiple long distance hikes multiple times so it was great getting his intel. He also convinced us to go to Maria Bonitas for dinner. Dinner was delicious, but we felt like we had to do a few more miles since we only went 10 so far. So at 9 pm we donned our headlamps and ventured forward. It was my first time night hiking and the first 2 miles was road walking which was a little nerve wracking but once we got on the trail I felt better. Around 11:30 I hit a wall and got so tired. We found a spot and fell asleep close to midnight.

Alarm went off at 6:30 am to avoid some eat, which failed since it was already toasty. We drank much needed coffee and set on our way towards a climbing day. I was really struggling that day from the heat and lack of sleep so the miles were slow. We made it 14 and decided to set up camp. A nice long sleep was needed and we both felt so much better the next day. We did a quick hitch into Green Valley for a few more snacks and then hiked 22 more miles. during that part of the hike we encountered so much poodle dog bush which is a poisonous plant so had to avoid those!

The following morning we finally hit 500 miles! This distance felt like such a milestone and I still can't even believe that I have hiked 500+ miles. I am impressed with myself for doing that. That night we hitched to Wee Vill market and camped there with about 30 other tents.

Coming up next was the infamous Los Angeles Aquaduct, which is known for being incredibly hot, flat and boring (which turned out to be mostly true.) Many wait till the evening to hike this section but we didn't want to mess our sleep up so we ventured out during the day. Although it was hot and our feet were screaming at us the views were beautiful and it was a memorable day. Camp greeted us with water and an amazing sunset.

The next morning was a rough one for me, I had a super emotional moment. I was missing my family, not feeling strong and had to remind myself why I was doing this hike. Orange pep talked me through it and I had some snacks and felt way better. The rest of the day was great. Clouds covered the sun on our biggest climb and we even got some thunder. A trail angel named Daniel set up an oasis for hikers with water, chairs and snacks. We got to meet him and hear about his story.

after 14 miles we decided to camp under some piñon trees.

The next morning was a short hike into Tehachapi we're we have been for the last two days. Next up on the trail is the Sierras which got hammered with snow this winter and I personally don't feel safe going through them with the snow and river crossings. We have spent the better part of the last two days figuring out our next steps. We have decided to flip up to Northern California and go north from there to allow more melting. Snow will still be common where we are headed but should be safer. After we get to walker pass we will be taking a few buses to our next adventure! Goodbye desert hello snow!

Talk to you all in Northern California!

Here are some other pictures:

-No Sweat