Mojave to Kennedy Meadows, 136 Miles

Finally have a chance to post again. We have been going through more remote portions of the trail, and I have found data perhaps 3 times in the last two weeks.
We have reached a major landmark, finishing the first 700 miles and the desert in this stretch.
We’re worn out, but excited for what lies ahead.

Got all your questions and the q&a follows the update!

Day 46, Mojave to Red Mountain, 14.5 miles

After some delicious thai food and more calories than we could’ve imagined eating before this trip, we’re back at it again. Fortunate to get a ride by a local who appreciates hikers right back to the trailhead. Leaving the wind farm, we ascend 3k back into the mountains. As this portion of trail was described in a comment on our GPS app, we hike along switchbacks that seem to be graded for children, as they are so long and flat and last forever.

But these are not your everyday mountains. We have officially reached the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and will soon reach extended altitudes above 10k. Soon, we will have extended food carries of a week and our backpacks will generally be full of more gear for the cold, as well as a required bear canister.
In preparation for this, I switched out my current lighter backpack for a heavier one that is more able to take these loads. Big fan of this backpack, called the ULA Catalyst, and it is rated to be comfortable up to 40 lbs. I have to say that it is the most comfortable backpack I have worn.

Day 47, Red Mountain to Weldon Peak, 20 Miles

A very good day of hiking today. After finishing the second half of a 17 mile water carry, we ventured on for another 9 miles to find a sheltered campsite. I say sheltered because there are forecasted wind gusts of 55 mph tonight, and we want to be on the ground and sleeping soundly. We were camped in a similarly sheltered site last night, and I’m very grateful. Another thru hiker we see frequently said that their tent completely collapsed in the middle of the night, and they had to cowboy camp (camp without a tent) afterwards just not to be blown away by these fierce winds. I can see why they would build a wind farm here. 
Going through the beginnings of the Sierra Nevadas is stunning, with green spiked peaks, canyons and valleys. We are noticing abundant wildlife here as well, and not just during the night, as was common through most of the desert. We saw a doe, countless ground squirrels, and have heard many reports on active mountain lions in the area. Hikers have even begun to report seeing bears, which I would never expect in a climate like this.

Day 48, Weldon Peak to Lander’s Meadow, 15.5 Miles

A brutal start to today’s hiking as we immediately began climbing 1,300 ft in full sun. Encountered a couple of photogenic forest creatures today(ground squirrel and spiny lizard) 
The water carries in this section are intense, and we are about to have to rely on water caches in the following days. After the next water source, it is 37.5 miles before the next guaranteed refill. At altitudes frequently above 6k, with heat and frequent climbs, water is a precious commodity. Looking forward to the cleanest water one can find once in the high sierras, when we’ll be drinking snow melt directly from the source. 
Enjoying the beautiful views through the mountains, valleys and canyons. 

Day 49, Lander’s Meadow to Pinyon Mt, 13.5 Miles

This was one odd and hot day. We left a beautiful pine forest with several flowing streams to enter a wilderness that was described as “god forsaken.” In my own words, it’s a blighted place. It must be in a rain shadow between these high mountains, as it is so dry that even the Joshua Trees are wilting away. It’s hard to imagine that in a few weeks time we will be out of the desert and into the mountains. We’re exhausted from the heat, but pushing on. 
While in Mojave, our resupply box was due to arrive late, so we forwarded it to a future stop so that was not a waste. Inconvenient, but we’re lucky to be able to easily resupply here.
As we left the grocery store, we experienced some of the most intense winds of our lives, with gusts in the 70’s and sand blowing so hard it hurt as it struck our skin.

I’m glad that we were in a motel as the wind storm continued overnight!

Day 50, Pinyon Mt. to Skinner Peak, 15.5 Miles

A very good day of hiking today. Waking up early, we pushed on through the dry country we find ourselves in. Going on, the landscape becomes remarkably beautiful in its total inhospitality to life. Continuously throughout this hike I have come to the conclusion that many of the landscapes we find beautiful or awe inspiring are precisely because they are novel and are not conducive for us to live in. Be it a remote snow capped mountain, a dry desert, or an arctic tundra. 
Passing through closed off canyons, we reach ridgelines opening to views stretching as far as the eye can see. Through all the difficulties, this is an incredible place to be.

Day 51, Skinner Peak to Walker Pass Campground, 17 Miles 

We hiked down 3,000 ft today to reach the Walker Pass Campground. On our way, we passed a small stream by a cabin in the woods, and learned from fellow thru hikers there that there is a waterborne illness that has been spreading, likely from a water source a few days ago. Best guess among us is that it is norovirus, and several hikers have reportedly had to be air evacuated from the wilderness due to its severity. In these moments, I’m very glad for two things. One, that we purify our water with chlorine dioxide, which kills viruses. Hikers more commonly use a lightweight filter called a Sawyer Squeeze that captures everything except viruses, which are rare in North America. Secondly, we enjoy the wilderness for its silence, and tend to keep our distance from other hikers at campgrounds and water sources, which puts us less at risk. Tomorrow, we are heading into the town of Ridgecrest, and look forward to a night in a hotel, clean clothes and a shower!

Ridgcrest to Owen’s Peak, 13 Miles

Some of the best news happened as we were in town yesterday. We are finally vaccinated! It is a huge relief to get the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine as we will be travelling for the next 3 months.
Of course, we are both experiencing our fair share of muscle aches, and this made for excellent hiking today. On top of that, we got above 7k in altitude for the first time in weeks, and 45 mph gusts gave some effort towards blowing us off the mountain.

So, you know,

Pros and cons.

Day 53, Owen’s Peak to Fox Mill Spring, 18.5 Miles

One thing I have noticed over these past two months is that we are definitely getting better at hiking with the constant conditioning we are undertaking. 2 months ago, today’s 5,000 ft of elevation climb and 18 miles would have left us too sore to hike the next day, if we could hike it at all!
The foothills of the Sierra Nevadas are getting ever higher as we begin to reach high country altitudes again. This comes with many perks: clean water and air, cooler temperatures, and beautiful views. 
However, as we experienced today, it comes with its own dangers. Early afternoon, my watch gave me a lightning warning, and sure enough, a storm swept in in a half hour. A hailstorm came our way, and passed over the next hour. We stayed safe and dry in a secure place, where we set up a tent in a sheltered area. 
Thankful that we had plenty of time to get off of the exposed ridgelines that we spent the majority of our hiking on today, and the welcome cold front that this storm has brought behind it. A few days ago, I never would have expected rain or using my cold weather gear, but oftentimes, every day is different from any other out here. 

Day 54, Fox Mill Spring to Kennedy Meadows, 18.5 Miles

Made three notable landmarks today. We crossed mile 700, finished the desert section of the trail and camped just before Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the high Sierra Nevadas and the John Muir Trail. From here, we will ascend to altitudes exceeding 10k for the next couple hundred miles, the trail gets snowy and technical, as well as spectacularly beautiful. With a quick ride into town and a resupply, we’ll receive our ice axes again and set off. The high altitudes have me a bit spooked, but I cannot wait to see what lies ahead.

Day 55, Kennedy Meadows to Lost Creek, 6 Mile

Important errands to run before we head into the mountains. First, I had lost a copy of my PCT Permit, and needed to print a new one in town. Second, I had a painful issue with my braces that had to be resolved by any orthodontist I could find. Luckily, both of these could be resolved going back into the town of Ridgecrest. Luckily, as soon as we reached Kennedy Meadows in the morning, a local asked us if we needed a ride into Ridgecrest!
Very grateful for him taking us on errands, 45 minutes each way at no charge. The roads were also of interest, as the highway down 4,000 ft to Ridgecrest was carved out of the side of a mountain, and across from the LA Aqueduct. We could see the source for what makes Los Angeles capable of supporting its population. With all this completed, we are excited to go onto the John Muir Trail. 

Total Miles: 702

Q&A

1. Fred Asked:

“Hows the tent holding up?”

Fred,

700 Miles in the desert has been tough on it! The silnylon is holding up like a champ, and the only damage that has been done to the frame of my MLD Duomid is when I stepped on it wearing crampons. (We both learned of our inadequate sewing skills here. Thanks to my partner for saving me)
However, sand has gotten into the zipper several times and has begun to cause some damage. I now carry lubricant especially for this, and plan to get it repaired when we can down the trail. Otherwise, it’s doing great, and I love this tent.

On another note, keeping our eyes peeled for ufos. Not much high strangeness yet.

2. Tom Bannister asked: “Even with all of the advance meal planning, are there some things that you’re tired of, and other things you wish you had more of (besides Indian restaurants,  LOL)?”

Tom,

You answered your own question with the Indian food.
Buuuut, we prepared a few snacks that we have gotten sick of, and a few of them are surprising, as we loved them before embarking on this trip. It’s unexpected that we tend to favor the prepackaged foods rather than the meals we prepared and packaged ourselves. When we lost a resupply box in Mojave, it was a nice change to suddenly have to choose all of our own food for the next 6 days, right then and there.
But we’re really glad overall that we planned so much food in advance as well- makes logistics much more simple, and keeps us to a schedule.

Not food related, but we both thought we might have more time or energy to do things along the trail, and I wish I had more time to play the guitar I brought along.

3. Christy Comer asked: “Do you know ahead of time that a trail angel has set up helpful items in certain places or are you pleasantly surprised when you come upon them?”

Christy,

Usually, no. Most times that we have received something on trail, it is spontaneous. One time, a hiker’s family was stopped with their van along a particularly dry portion of the trail, and her children gave us gatorade and fresh fruit in 90° heat.
However, we sometimes know in advance that trail magic has been happening with an app that gives us comments on various landmarks on the trail called Guthook.

Hikers comment on it, usually regarding whether a water source is dry or not. They will also comment on unmarked tentsites, and sometimes trail angels being at certain points who are willing to give rides.

4. Patty Figiel asked: “I am curious about how many other hikers you run across.”

Patty,

It really depends! If we are near a major city, landmark, or popular section along the trail, we will often see 5 to 20 other day or section hikers in any given day. When we’re in more remote areas, we will often only see 1.
However, while thru hiking, you tend to find yourselves in occasional “bubbles” of other thru hikers who are going about the same pace as you. I would not say we’re at all alone out here, but we tend to prefer staying out of groups, as a large reason we are out here is for the solitude. Also, the norovirus case above definitely kept us wary of others!

It can be irritating to be in a bubble, as there can be so many hikers that there are very few places to set up a tent to camp for the night.

If anyone has any questions at any point, please ask in the comments, and I will get to it.