Dirty Girl comes back

DG's back. 

I'm back in the desert - happy I am. I love Portland and studying but after my simple life of walking, eating and sleeping, city life was a bit nuts. Back in the real world made me feel more constrained and smaller. Being in the desert makes me feel  big and wide and I don't mean fat. There's just too much to do in "real" life. The stimulus is different and not much of it is calm or "natural". Crazy, noisy, smelly, fast. It presses on me from all directions. In the wilderness things don't press on me. So that's my 10 second take on life in the city.  Presently we are in the Mojave amongst Joshua trees and sage. We heard a rattlesnake earlier and it sounded just like a rainmaker. I could  not see the snake which made it magical. A beatiful, persistent soft rainmaking rattle being so kind to us. I was touched by the gentleness of the sound. 

      I am so thankful to trail angel Stacy for driving 3 hours to pick me up at the  Burbank airport then driving me another 1hour and 15 minutes to Hikertown in Lancaster. Stacy made it possible for me to go to Portland. Thanking her deeply. That's a lot of driving. She deserves more than a medal. Maybe a new car or RV or something. Thank you Stacy.

 

This is  our tent puffed up by the blowing wind. 

Tidy Camper enjoyed two of her most favorite foods on DG's re-entry into hiker mode - avocado, radish sprouts, green onion wrapped in a nori sheet. This is her food of choice when she can choose. Very basic and very grounding for her. She also enjoyed organic, non-GMO cheese popcorn. It is TC's birthday month so let the games begin. Since shopping opportunities are limited DG must take advantage of every opportunity she gets to buy the unusual hard to find esoteric favorites of her beloved. Seaweed out here in the desert?? Non-GMO anything?? She may have to get on a plane and fly to Alaska next. for some fresh salmon. Don't forget it is Tidy Camper's born g'day month. Surprise her why don't you? 

'

Hiker Town Mile 518

We walked the road today for 15 miles, it was a quiet country road with very little traffic. 

Hiker Town. Kind of a crazy looking place. It's a ghost town set, old west style. 

This is the post office where we pick up our resupplies. 

This is Topo's Flower Shack cubicle for the night. Out of the wind. 

This is where we are headed. Tehachapi Mtns. in the distance. What you can't see  is the aqueduct we will be walking beside     

More of that tomorrow when DG rejoins us. 

Lake Hughes

Starting our road walk. 

The wind is our element today. 

It's a strong headwind. 

Rock Inn. Built in 1929, to withstand fires. Our lunch & lodging for tonight. 

Our day was done @ 11:20, 3 hours to go 10 miles. 

And this is our room above the bar. The band is warming up & I'm putting my ear plugs. 

Casa De Luna, Mile 478, Green Valley

Anderson's water cache is prelude to the trail angels home. 

Complete with water, shade, and depending on when you get there, beer, & soda. 

The reason we will be doing a road walking detour the next 2 days is because of the Powerhouse fire that happened last year. 

The first thing you do when you arrive is put on a Hawaiian shirt so you look relaxed, then you drink beer and BS about the trail. Catch up on gossip. 

Terri our host giving us directions for loading our plates with taco salad. 

The entrance to the enchanting manzanita campground. 

My happy home for the night. 

Once again the generosity of Trail Angels. 

As Terri says she hasn't met a stranger who isn't a friend. 

She greets you with a warm hug, then takes you to her home and feeds you ....hundreds of hikers. 

Amazing!!

This is our crew: Topo, TC, Bulldog2, Frontal Sack, Glitter, Miles, in front Beans.

Mile 468, 32nd hiking Day

Topo & I (TC) started our morning with one last meal at the Mon Amie Bakery. This was not an early start. We have had 2 zero days and we are not walking long days because we need to meet DG before we cross the Mojave. 

(I don't want her miss out on the fun) 

A leisurely 14 mile day through chaparral, juniper, cactus and oak forest, all burn free & beautiful, it doesn't get better than that. Right? 

These are the rolling hills as we head north toward the Mojave. 

Helpful trail angels showing us the way. 

Can you believe this campsite? I am listening to the buzz. It's wild! And creepy!

EMF overdose? Perhaps we will be super charged tomorrow. 

We are camped on the only flat ground on this narrow ridge. 

(We only have to go 10 miles tomorrow...to CasaDeLuna, stay tuned)

This is our view of Bouquet Reservoir,as the sun slowly fades. Somehow seeing water is comforting, even through the screen of power towers. 

More Poodle dog bush stories

TD here, putting down some words. 

I'm hanging out on my cot in the tent and the yard is filling up with hikers as the sun sets. I overhear chatter: did you do the trail or road? Yeah, the PDB wasn't that bad. Oh, I heard some women in a red jacket, older, cut a path through. Cool, wow, that was nice, I guess we should all be doing that....yeah, her name is DirtyGirl & we did see some big branches laying on the ground...the legend begins. 

After DG left, I checked out the Vasquez Rocks Park. Site of backdrop for many Hollywood movies. 

Some of the films. 

Rattlesnake in a cage. 

And one more delicious herb roll soaked in olive oil. 

So many trail names:

Blue yonder

Hemlock

Me Too

Grasshopper 

Jolly

Miles

HalfMile

Glitter

Kimchee

Chinese Rock

Gear Slut

Coaster

Princess 

Mr Sandals

Swig

HotCrossBuns

Purple

P.I.T.A. (Pain in the ass)

Devil fish 

Professor 

Beowulf 

Investigator

Barrel

Zulu

Big ZC

Bulldog2

Peru

Butters

Dirt wolf

Phantom

Shadow fax

Some of folks we have met along the way. 

Still here in Sweetwater...

Hello,

     We're in our favorite cafe eating. I (DG) will be off trail until Monday as I am committed to a two year acupuncture class in Portland. TC will have the blogging machine so you won't be hearing from me for awhile. TC will keep you up to date. 

     One day of rest is enough for TC and me. We're ansy to get back to walking and mind free flow. Topo likes more rest so DG's plans give her an extra day. Tidy insists that DG be present for the grueling Mojave crossing. After that they will all be heading to Tehachapi then soon enough into the grand Sierra. Toodloo and let me say one or two more things about the flora of the last day we hiked. Turning one of those corners was a solitary deep, bright orange 4 petal flower. It looked poppy - ish but wasn't. Some flowers grow in clusters but this flower stood alone but commanded your full attention. DG talked to other hikers and this particular flower was noticed by many. On the poodle dog day DG was so focused and vigilant that even when a gift of pink starburst flowers presented itself to her she  couldn't accept it. The vigilance did not allow anything in. DG noticed that when she was relaxed everything came in. Everything was a gift. She thought of people in her life who are always vigilant - making sure they sAy the right thing, do the right thing, be the right person. It is utterly exhausting. Dirty girl was so innervated after that poodle dog Bush day. She was irritable and kind of unhappy. Constant vigilance is a drag. Always thinking that something is going to hurt you or is harmful is a drag. No wonder so many people are so tired all the time. She can see the flowers again.

Trail Angel Stacy taking DG to the airport.