Wednesday July 28, 2021
Start: Walker Pass, Rt 178
End: single campsite by small trickle
Miles: 18.1
Gain/Loss: 6253’/5899″
After getting Toby off to the bus this morning at 7am, I had one last shower, packed up, and checked out before heading to the bus stop myself. My bus arrived on time and I was one of 4 people on board. Over a few hours, we traveled to Lone Pine and beyond. I disembarked in Inyokern at 11:15am, where it was more than 100 degrees. I waited for a few minutes before Tie Dye, a trail angel, arrived to shuttle me up to Walker Pass, 15 minutes away. We had good conversations and I was on trail by 11:45am thanks to his help.
I hiked out with 2 liters, after drinking a Gatorade that Tie Dye gave me in the car. I hiked 12 miles to the first water source, and the 100+ degree heat and ruthless sun beat me down. The trough was 0.25mi off trail and pretty gross, but I made it work. The site was full of ants and it was only 4pm so I pushed onward to the next water source.
Unfortunately, the next two water sources had maybe 1/4 inch of very mucky, oily water and weren’t acceptable sources, so I pushed on. The temperature was going down, which helped. I finally got to a flowing water source around 7:45pm and filtered up 3 liters of water after drinking a liter first.
I finally found a single campsite nearby a tiny trickle of a stream around 8:15pm and set up my tent. I adjusted the tent a few times and then brushed my teeth and headed to bed by 9:15pm.
