"HIKERS!"

I heard that loud and clear about 3am as a truck drove by, driven by what sounded to be drunk kids. I was camped out of sight of the road but I think someone else was camped nearby. The kids were having a good time waking up everyone as they drove by. The funny part for me is that I woke up and it looked like someone was pointing a flashlight in my face. I started talking to the person and as I slowly came to I realized that it was not a person holding a flashlight, it was just a very bright full moon.

Woke back up and slept in until after 7am, was out of camp sometime afterwards. With coffee of course. Walked down the road and ran into Birdman and did the walk/talk thing with him as I sipped my coffee. Eventually we ran into Sailor Moon and Anastacia. I walked with them off and on until we got to the Cottonwood Creek bridge near the aqueduct.

I saw UB and Muk Muk down in the creek basin and yelled down to them. There ended up being about 10 of us down there making food and whatnot. There was some trash around and as I was finishing my "brunch" I noticed a bra. I picked it up with a stick and everyone laughed. Someone noted the size of the bra.

"Over the shoulder boulder holder", I said. That got a lot of laughs. Thank you McKinley Elementary school playground.

As I was leaving I went looking for the old tap on the aqueduct that was put in shortly before my 1996 hike. Pete Fish and I drove by it when we were driving to Highway 58. I found the tap and it was mostly like I remembered.

I continued on by myself and stopped again to take a HC photo on the aqueduct since the trail was leaving it very soon. I got going again and as I rounded a corner I saw Joey walking back on the trail without his pack.

"Hmmm, looks like you are on a walk of shame", I said.

"Yup", said Joey.

Turns out he had left a two liter water container back at the water cache. I told him his secret was safe with me.

The trail turned off the aqueduct and into a sea of wind turbines. Walking through the turbines wasn't that big of a deal, it was just having to deal with all the wind that they were placed in. It was really hard to be motivated walking uphill in such hard winds.

I saw about five hikers clustered under a single bush. I joined them and plowed through more snacks while listening to the most recent Best Show on WFMU.

Speaking of which, a caller had called in and made a reference to Ray Manzerik (sp) from The Doors passing away. I have hardly kept up with the news since I've been gone.

Finally the trail climbed out of the wind turbines and down into Tylerhorse Canyon. A good chunk of the group was there. As I approached Anastacia asked what it was the Joey had forgotten. Apparently I didn't need to keep it a secret.

As we were all taking one of the Swedes asked "what American Politician had that issue where he was caught in that sex scandal and...". Someone cut him off and said "all of them".

The trail really started to climb after the canyon. Marc Maron's interview with Billy Bragg kept me company the whole way to the top, followed by Uncle Tupelo. I realized I should have listened to UT's cover of "Atomic Power" as I walked through the wind turbines.

Got to the water cache at the top of the mountain range and there were a few people there cooking. I joined them. I saw Luke (whom I went to the store with yesterday) as I was leaving. He thanked me again for the food and said it was good.

As I made dinner a few people oohhhed and ahhed at my vegetables that I was rehydrating. One of the Swedes said "ahh, that must have been your pasta sauce that I got out of the hiker box".

Several folks were finding camp spots on the ridge. We had been all clumped together due to leaving Hiker Town together. It was kind of nice for a change to be traveling with a bigger group. I continued on since I want a little less of a walk to the road where I will hitch a ride to Mojave.

When I got about 1/4 mile away I looked at my hands and couldn't believe how dirty my trekking poles made them.

Where are my trekking poles?

I let out a sigh...mostly because now I had to do the Walk of Shame. As I got closer to everyone I turned on my video camera. Before they could say anything I just said "now it is my turn for the walk of shame!"

I looked at Joey as he was laughing and said "I learned it by watching you!"

He said "Man, I wish when people said that it was for when something good happens". Very good point.

Got my poles and walked about another mile listening to Television's Marquee Moon album (actually I just kept listening to the song "Venus" from the album on repeat).

It was a nice walk...I love walking the last hour before it gets dark. Camped in some trees now as the wind is picking up. Got some good photos of the moon coming up near Lancaster.

Tomorrow I will head in to Mojave. Hopefully my resupply boxes are at the motel. Although I want to hit the trail (and/or go bowling in Tehachapi) I could use part of a day off. It is a 140 mile haul to the next resupply, plus a 20 mile water carry out of Mojave. I hope my pack does not break.