Day 30

Mile 535.0 to mile 562.0

PCT Miles: 27 (43.2km)

Total Miles: 562 (899km)

I camped in a big camping area last night and I found it strange that it was so empty (there was just one couple other than me). I got a very nice spot protected from the wind and close to the water!

Soon after midnight people started to arrive 🤨 and then everything made sense: Most hikers are choosing to hike very early in the morning and/or late afternoon/evening to avoid the heat. The aqueduct seems to be a known rough part of the trail (for those who don’t have an umbrella ☂️😉).

I found out that yesterday I entered a wind farm territory that’s open for PCT hikers. I had never heard this term before, but whoever decided to build a wind farm here had a very good idea. It winds a lot.

It was like on the first days of the PCT where it’s not only sunny, hot and shadeless but it’s also dry and the hot wind sucks all the moisture from you. You just sweat and feel thirsty all the time. And usually when you drink, the water it’s lukewarm 🙃.

At mile 549 there was such a cool spot maintained by a trail angel that looks like a bar, with chairs 🪑, a library 📚 with a few games and books, cookies and ramen (!) and most importantly: water. I made my lunch break there and met a few other hikers: Hammer, Chad, Red Lentils and No Map.

Nothing changed for the afternoon: hot, windy and dry. I was literally in the middle of hundreds of wind turbines (or whatever these are called).

The highlight of the day happened 4 miles before my final campsite. Right before a road crossing, this man was sitting in a camp chair by his truck and he offered me a cold gatorade (omg thanks) and we chatted a bit. He, Magicman, does this for nine years: he goes driving from Campo (where the PCT starts) to Oregon stopping here and there for a few days to offer cold drinks to PCT hikers. He stands the freaking whole day by his car where he has giant coolers full of cold drinks and he gives them for free to random stranger PCT hikers because he likes it. He never hiked the PCT himself and he doesn’t accept any kind of donation.

I’m camping tonight in the middle of the wind farm hiding from the wind behind a juniper (?) tree. Now that I constantly now where North is, I know that the wind is coming from West and North-West so I positioned my tent accordingly to be more protected from the wind. I’m feeling like I’m the smartest person alive! But I must say that the wind is quite strong and my tent is unfortunately shaking much more than I wanted.

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Thank you everyone who has been following (and liking and commenting!) my adventure here on Polarsteps for one month already!!! It’s been a real pleasure to share my days and to receive your energy back! Thank you!