Casa de Luna to L.A.

 Social interactions skyrocketed during this past leg as we moved from the Saufley's, to the Anderson's, to Hiker Town, to L.A. We have been extremely fortunate to have trail angels, other hikers, and friends along the way supporting our cause and welcoming us into their homes. This blog post is a tribute to those wonderful people!

5/23--1 month on the trail
Thanks again to the Saufleys for all their hospitality and generosity while in Agua Dulce. Back on the trail, we cruised 24 miles to another incredible place along the trail, Joe and Terry Anderson's "Casa de Luna". We hung out with about 25 other hikers, ate loads of Terry's taco salad, listened to stories, and passed out in their manzanita backyard.

Chilling at the Anderson's fruit and soda cache

Our new signature?

5/24
After a lazy morning accompanied by coffee and Joe's pancakes, Terry ran Scout, TumTum (our new friend from Nevada who has an appetite to rival Forest), and us back to the trailhead. A massive THANK YOU to Joe and Terry! A relaxed 16 miles brought us to the Upper Shake Campground, a deserted, private campground built in the middle of a grove of Live Oaks. We put down some tuna and stuffing before dozing off under the starlit sky.

Joe Anderson telling stories

Bert and Ernie, Scout and TumTum leaving the Anderson's

5/25
Anticipating hot weather in the desert (Mojave) today, we hit the trail early to beat the heat. By noon, we had our first 17 miles in and relaxed by a shady creek for a peanut butter and cheese sandwich and loaded up on water. After a few hours of relaxation, we moved on for 7 more hot, drab miles to an extremely odd, creepy, yet comfortable break at "Hiker Town". Another trail angel has created a mock village where hikers can stay overnight for a donation. Frightened by the decor, we just took a long break in the hiker lounge for a shower, junk food, and a stuffing dinner before hitting the trail for our first steps into the Mojave Desert. A gorgeous sunset dipped behind the Tehachapi Mountains as we strolled alongside the L.A. Aqueduct. After another 6 miles, we settled in behind a Joshua Tree wind block for another starry desert night. (30 miles)

Overlooking a stretch of the Mojave

Creepy Hiker Town

Mojave Desert Sunset

Mojave Desert Sunrise

5/26
Once again, anticipating heat, we woke at 5 and were hiking by 5:45. It was not hot at all! We shivered the first few miles as the 40 mph wind gusts cooled the Mojave. After 11 miles of hiking into an intense headwind, we took a break at Cottonwood Creek at around 9:30 a.m. We then started a gradual climb into the Tehachapi Mountains. Leaning into the wind, we climbed slowly for about 7 miles until we found some shade to take a lunch and wind break in Tylerhorse Canyon. There, with TumTum, Scout, and  new friends Stormin' Norman and Bluebird, we filled up on water, ate peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, and nearly fell asleep. 7 more miles of intense climbing brought us to a ridge where we found a nice sandy spot to lay our heads. We were in our tent, happy to be out of the wind, by 7:30 p.m. after a tuna, oil, and butter powder sandwich. (25 miles)

Excellent views of the Mojave at 6000 feet

Our funny friend TumTum overloaded with gear

5/27
Once again up by 5, we cruised the last 8 miles to Mojave and caught a quick hitch into town for breakfast. The four of us stuffed our faces at Mike's Roadhouse Diner, made our way to the post office, and then checked in to the Motel 6. We felt bad about how dirty the hotel room got as all of us cleaned up after a week of sweat and dirt. We dined that evening with many other hikers at the local pizza pub and talked about normal hiking things (stench, food, weather, and blisters). (Total: 558 miles)

 Tehachapi Wind Farm

Mike's Roadhouse binge

Our friends Wrangler and Gunner returning with groceries (and the cart...)

5/28
Happy to be out of the wind and sun for a day, we slept in until 6 and lounged as long as we possibly could in the motel room. We were entertained by TumTum and another friend, Sniper, who decided to have a wrestling match. It was all in good fun and hilarious to watch. We are unsure as to how it started, but we think it had something to do with Sniper being jealous of TumTum's Ramen noodle varieties...
We have a few days to kill before we get to Kennedy Meadows and start the Sierra, so we decided to visit some friends in Los Angeles. Scout's friends, Eric and Melissa, were kind enough to drive the hour and a half from L.A. to pick us up in Mojave. Thanks Eric and Melissa! After a dinner at a fabulous Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks, CA, we met up with friends, Mackenzie, Hanna, and Bradley at their apartment.

Round 1 of TumTum vs. Sniper

Round 17 of TumTum vs. Sniper

 5/29
Fortunate to have a free weekend with Mackenzie, Bradley, and Hanna in L.A., we played hard all day! After a tasty breakfast and a relaxing morning with great tunes at the apartment, we discovered a carnival at a local park! A few rides and rigged games later, we strolled back to make some dinner and chill out for the night. A late night dip in the pool and multiple laughter attacks made it easy to pass out in the living room after a long, but extremely fun day.

The L.A. crew (Ernie, Bert, Bradley, Hanna, and Mackenzie)

Ferris Wheel ride

Forest and Bradley very excited for the ride

They stole our camera

Our first vegetables in a month!

5/30

Today we are doing our grocery shopping, updating the blog, and hitting the beach. Life is good in L.A.!

A massive thank you to Mackenzie, Bradley, and Hanna for a great time in L.A! We will miss you all very much as we make our way North. Hopefully, we will see you up the trail!

Itinerary:

Onyx, CA 93255  (June 5th)

Kennedy Meadows General Store (June 10th)
PO Box 3A-5
Inyokern, CA 93527

Much Love,
F+A