22nd May 2025

The evening before, we had set up camp in pleasant conditions. There was a mild breeze and a warmth in the air even as the sun set behind the horizon. The view from where we sat showed freckles of red lights that was a neighbouring wind farm. Perhaps that should have been the indicator of the storm that would hit camp and leave us with only two hours of sleep.

Not long after settling into the tent did the first gale hit, marking a night of endless assault. We had to repitch the tent four times. My ear plugs were rendered useless against the roar and the whole tent flapped, threatening to take off. By morning it was too bad to ignore as all but one stake had become uprooted. We sat in our flimsy home with legs straddled to keep some kind of frame to the tent so we could pack up. I couldn’t help but notice how the chaos and carnage within the tent was at odds with the beautiful glow of sunrise over the mountains, a vision of tranquility.

The path meandered and snaked its way around hills, ultimately leading us downwards to the dry barren land below. Eventually the path turned into a dirt road that lined agricultural land, taking us towards Hiker Town. This is a small quirky hostel on the PCT and is well known as the departure point for the LA aqueduct. The ‘town’ has a series of sheds decorated as different services you would get in a real town, such as a sheriffs office, doctors, and saloon. We stayed in the bank which had an ATM out front and a wall of BB guns on the inside.

As we walked into Hiker Town we were pleasently surprised to be welcomed in by Dizzy, Twister, Sam, Frodo and Kaleidoscope, our original trail family: we had finally closed the gap! After many excited embraces we got a lift down the road to a store where we caught up over burritos. Sadly, they would be heading out that evening but planning to do short mile days so that we could speed up and join them in Tehachapi.

Back at Hiker Town we waved them off then showered and washed our clothes in buckets, the water quickly blackening with dirt. A meal and several snacks later we retreated to our quarters ready for a much needed night of sleep!