Day 46, June 2: Mile 652 to 670
Start: Walker Pass - Mile 652.1
End: Mile 670.0
Miles: 17.9
Ascent: 4158 | Descent: 3676
Because my mom generously offered to drive me up shoes from LA, I had options of where I could get back on trail. I had weighed my decision about it while taking time off in Tehachapi, and ultimately decided I would have my mom drive me to Walker Pass, which meant I would skip around 90 miles of the trail. I wanted to keep up with some of the fun people I had met and not get so far off pace, so it felt like the right decision.
My mom arrived to the empty apartment where I was staying early in the morning on 6/2. It was so great to see her and give her a big hug! I finished tidying and packing up and we were on our way.
We arrived at Walker Pass after an hour of driving. I said goodbye and another thank you to my mom and loaded up on mom hugs (thank you again Momma!!). She kindly offered to bring a hiker named Burn Notice from the pass into Ridgecrest. I know he appreciated not having to wait too long for a hitch!
I set off hiking around 10am, and it was already hot on the immediate climb up out of the pass. I was feeling completely lethargic and out of my groove after a week of sitting still. And my foot pretty much immediately hurt intensely, which was hugely discouraging. Why was I in so much pain when I had just rested and recovered so much? I was bumming out pretty hard and feeling incredibly frustrated that the time off did not seem to do anything.
But hike on I must, so I just kept going as best I could. The day was a painful blur. I got to a water source as the light of the day was starting to fade, and there were a lot of hikers camping near the stream. The flow was low, and a hiker named Wizard let me use his cup to gather water. It made it a lot easier so I was grateful.
I pushed on a little further, hoping to find a more secluded site, but all the camping spots were taken in the area. Wizard said he saw a potential cowboy camping spot far down below the trail, so we hiked down a steep hillside towards it. There was barely enough room for the two of us, but I was exhausted and not picky. I carved out as flat of a spot as I could manage next to his, and fell asleep.