Category: PCT Thru-Hike 2026

Sunday, May 31, 2026. Clear and 53 going up to 73.

Up at 6:00. On trail at 7:15. I am dying to get into Tehachapi, get real food, shower, do laundry, and relax.

We hiked into the largest wind farm in North America and stayed in that wind farm for the rest of the morning. 

We reached Willow Springs Rd at 10:05 and 9.0 miles. We tried unsuccessfully to hitch a ride. I had no cell service, but Brad was able to contact a trail angel who picked us up and drove us and 2 others to town. We got dropped off at Walmart since we had 4 hours to kill before our hotel was ready.

We walked a block to a laundromat and started our laundry at 11:30. I used their bathroom to strip off all my clothes and socks and put on a pair of shorts and my fleece. Everything went into the wash, and we went next door to a restaurant for a nice big breakfast. I moved the laundry to the dryer during breakfast, and everything was done when we finished eating.  Nice!

We ran into a hiker we met back at Hiker Town. She was doing laundry and waiting for her father to pick her up. He arrived just as we were getting ready to try to hitch a ride from Walmart to our hotel. He gave us a ride to the hotel. Good luck once again. 

We dropped our packs at the hotel lobby at 1:30 and wandered town while waiting to check in at 3:00. That took all of 15 minutes. We stopped at a very old school diner/cafe for a few beers while killing time. Love these kinds of cafes!

We checked into the SureStay at 3:00, and I got my first shower since the LA RV Resort 7 days ago. I soooooo needed that shower! I worked on blogs, and we discussed hiking plans between here and Kennedy Meadows. I am trying to convince Brad to do a short day on Tuesday in order to break up the nasty 24.5-mile hike with zero water that we need to do when we leave Tehachapi.

If we don’t break up that first day, then we have 4.5 days to Walker Pass and our next resupply, followed by 2.5 days into Kennedy Meadows (KMS). KMS is where we need to get our bear cans, micro spikes, and other High Sierras gear and start Part Two of this great adventure.

I decided to not join the gang for an early dinner as I had a bunch of planning to do. I had a nice steak and lobster dinner to celebrate making it to Tehachapi. Then back to the room with some seltzers and watched TV until 10:30.

Technical Notes:

• Protein Shake (10oz): 330 cal, 19g carb, 13.5g fat, 36g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Town food 
• Country fried steak and eggs, OJ, OJ
• Beer x 2
• Big dinner 
• Water liters: 2
• Miles: 9
• Time: 3:10
• Up: 515
• Down: 2638
• Calories consumed: lots
• Calories burned: 1039
• iPhone battery used: 30%

Saturday, May 30, 2026. Clear and 58 going up to 78.

Up at 6:40. We have a lot of boring hiking today with a lot of ascent. We filtered water at the spigot provided by the LA water department by our campsite and got on trail at 7:45. I got a decent but short night’s sleep. 

We hiked the first part of the day through the wind farm that we entered last night. 

Long hard hiking with a nasty 4-mile uphill ending at Mile 549 Bar and Grill for a water cache and a long break. My feet are killing me. Lots of people ended up here around 5:00 as it was the only water all afternoon. We made dinner here then hiked on .7 miles to a tent site for the night.

We made camp at 6:45. It was a difficult tent pitch due to sandy soil. The wind got crazy after sunset and I almost had my tent collapse twice. I had to get out and go find some much bigger rocks around 8:30 to anchor the tent. 

We are really looking forward to a Nero tomorrow then a Zero on Monday in Tehachapi. Our bodies really need the break and recovery.

Technical Notes:

• Protein Shake (10oz): 330 cal, 19g carb, 13.5g fat, 36g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Tortilla: 140 kcal, 24g carb, 3g fat, 4g protein 
• Tuna: 90 kcal, 4-7g carb, 1g fat, 14-16g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5 g fat, 0g protein 
• Beer 150
• Cheap Ramen: 370 kcal, 54g carb, 14g fat, 8g protein 
• Cheap Ramen: 370 kcal, 54g carb, 14g fat, 8g protein 
• Tuna w Oil: 140 kcal, 0g carb, 8g fat, 17g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Water liters: 4
• Miles: 15.55
• Time: 10:24
• Up: 4557
• Down: 1463
• Calories consumed: 3000
• Calories burned: 4124
• iPhone battery used: 50%

Friday, May 29, 2026. Mostly sunny and 45 going up to 60.

Up at 7:00. Had coffee and a great burrito at the cafe. Everyone is just hanging out at the cafe, eating, charging electronics, and chilling until late afternoon when we will start hiking the LA Aqueduct.

YouTube Video of Neenach Cafe & Market Area

I had a busy morning working on logistics. I ordered new shoes at the gear shop in Kennedy Meadows South (KMS), finalized my inhaler refill for June 5, ordered resupply food items to home so Pit Crew can add them to my resupply boxes in the Sierras, booked a hotel for Tehachapi, planned out my KMS resupply details for Pit Crew to pack and ship next week, added a bit more to my dinners for the next two nights, and uploaded blogs.

I was all packed and ready to go by noon, but we are not leaving for many hours. There is really no reason to night hike with the current weather, but Brad and I want to hang with the big group and they want to leave in the early evening. Normally it would be in the 90s as opposed to the current mid-50s. Stay tuned for more on that!

We hitched back to Hiker Town from the market around  3:00.

Everyone spent the late afternoon getting ready for the Aqueduct Adventure. Glow in the dark face paint, glow sticks, and various lighted doodads. 

The plan was to depart at 4:00, but we did not get moving until 5:10 when we did a conga line out of Hiker Town.

YouTube Video of LA Aqueduct Adventure

Hiking with the group was a blast. Natalie polled the group and put together a massive playlist and she had a big USB speaker. One big rolling party with music playing as we hiked along the LA Aqueduct. We put on our glowing and blinking stuff at sunset and things got more interesting.

The group broke up after about 5 hours and spread out. We enjoyed hiking the last 2 hours alone and in the silence of the desert. The full moon and zero clouds was amazing. Very bright with no need for headlamps. Very difficult to explain just how awesome the desert is at night. Extremely silent other than the wind. 

We stopped about 11:00 for dinner on the side of the dirt road. We reached the wind farm at 11:45 pm. It was a sea of red blinking anti-collision lights. And the sound at night is…odd.

We made camp at 12:30 am. It was a tough tent pitch due to sandy soil and wind, but I made it work. I ate some snacks and finally got to sleep around 1:30 am. What a day this was!

Technical Notes:

• Breakfast Burrito
• Bacon double cheeseburger 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Jerky (2 oz): 140 kcal, 12g carb, 0g fat, 22g protein 
• Jerky (2 oz): 140 kcal, 12g carb, 0g fat, 22g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Fritos (32p, 27g): 160 kcal, 16g carb, 10g fat, 2g protein 
• Water liters: 2
• Miles: 17.54
• Time: 7:35
• Up: 1250
• Down: 1211
• Calories consumed: 2670
• Calories burned: 2900
• iPhone battery used: 40%

Thursday, May 28, 2026. Cloudy, foggy, 35 going up to 55 and windy. Chance of rain.

Up at 6:40. It was COLD last night. And wet. Just above freezing.

Cold windy wet morning. Temps around 38 until we descend below cloud layer later in the morning.

We crossed the 500 mile mark!

Descended below clouds and into sun at 10:40 and 9.5 miles. That sun feels soooooo good!

Took a break at 11:00 and 10.3 miles to dry our gear out and eat lunch. 

The last 5 miles into Hiker Town was frustrating. We could have gotten off trail and road walked and cut off 3 miles. 

We arrived at Hiker Town 3:30. It was very cold, heavy overcast, and crazy windy. It’s going to rain in the next few hours. There is no shelter at Hiker Town. It’s like an old movie set with fake facades. Just tenting and a few exposed gazebos. I put on all my layers to stay warm. We had to wait about 90 minutes for a ride to the Neenach Cafe & Market about 8 miles away.

The market has mediocre resupply options, but I got enough to make it to Tehachapi. The grill is great! I had an awesome double cheeseburger, a sandwich, and fries, and many beers. 

I was dreading pitching a tent at Hiker Town with this wind and cold and rain. Brad and I scored a “room” behind the market. It’s not much, but out of the elements and warm. It’s basically an upgraded garden shed.

Got my resupply all packed up. Confirmed my meds are getting refilled. Started working on resupply planning for the next 4 stops on trail.

In bed at 9:30. Very thankful to be indoors tonight!

Technical Notes:

• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Tortilla: 140 kcal, 24g carb, 3g fat, 4g protein 
• Tuna: 90 kcal, 4-7g carb, 1g fat, 14-16g protein
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Double cheeseburger e bacon
• Large fries
• Ham sandwich 
• Doritos – entire bag
• 6 beers
• Water liters: 2
• Miles: 20.1
• Time: 8:42
• Up: 3081
• Down: 5230
• Calories consumed: lots
• Calories burned: 2200
• iPhone battery used: 30%

Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Cloudy, foggy 43 going up to 55 and windy. Chance of rain.

Up at 6:40. Slowly got ready for the day. Wearing rain gear today as it’s drizzling on and off. At least I’m a bit below the cloud layer….call it 500 yards. 

Brad headed out at 7:15. We plan to meet at a campground in 15 miles. I got packed, dried my tent as best I could, and got on trail at 8:00. I called Pit Crew and wished her happy birthday as I had 1 bar of cell service. 

Hiked downhill 2.25 miles to a paved road and had second breakfast at a picnic table blocked from most of the wind. The sun is trying to peek through the clouds. Sticking with my rain gear as all the foliage is wet from the rain. 

I have a steep 3.5 mile climb from the road followed by a steady uphill grade to Sawmill Camp. Should be there around 4:00 this afternoon.

YouTube video Day 34

Walked through a major burn area in the late afternoon. There is a ridiculous amount of Poodle Dog Bush throughout this area. Some is taller than me.

I stopped for a late lunch at 1:00 and 9.83 miles. Back on trail at 1:30.

I met Brad at the turnoff to Sawmill Camp at 4:00 and 15.4 miles. With this nasty weather, we decided to camp here instead of continuing on. We found tent sites on an old sunken road bed that got us mostly out of the wind. 

The wind was very strong all night with rain on and off after 7:30 pm. The temperature dropped to about 33 degrees with a sub-freezing windchill. Coldest night on trail so far. Not pleasant at all! I got in my tent at 5:00 and did not come out until the next morning.

Surprisingly we had two bars of cell service. I have been wrestling with my Insurance in order to get my meds refilled in time to get them shipped to Kennedy Meadows by June 10. They won’t pay for the early refill, but I got a compromise of refill on June 5. If Pit Crew ships my Bear Can that day, it will get there just in time!

I also sent the trail angel in Tehachapi tracking info for my two packages. 

Technical Notes:

• Protein Shake (10oz): 330 cal, 19g carb, 13.5g fat, 36g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Generic Rice Cold Soak: 200 kcal, 45 carb, .5g fat, 5g protein 
• Tuna: 90 kcal, 4-7g carb, 1g fat, 14-16g protein 
• Mango (3-4p, 49g): 140 kcal, 35g carb, 0g fat, 0g protein 
• Fatty: 210 kcal, 8g carb, 14g fat, 12g protein 
• 850 kcal, 34-44g fat, 55-65g carb, 38-44g protein
• Lay’s chips 160×3 480
• Jerky (1 oz): 70 kcal, 6g carb, 0g fat, 11g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Water liters: 2
• Miles: 15.66
• Time: 8:10
• Up: 3323
• Down: 1906
• Calories consumed: 3020
• Calories burned: 3053
• iPhone battery used: 30%

Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Cloudy, foggy, 47 going up to 57, and windy.

Up at 5:30. Icky morning with clouds and wind. We got on the trail at 6:30. 

Absolutely blah day. Walking in the clouds for hours, which makes everything wet. Eventually, we got below the clouds. Cold and very windy with damp clothes.

At 1:00, we reached the Green Valley Fire station. Had lunch and a break for an hour while huddling out of the wind behind a retaining wall.

Hiked 6.5 more miles to the only camp spot we could find that was semi-out of the wind. Next camp spots are 5 more miles. Made camp at 4:30.

Shittiest camp spot I have ever had to use. Literally and figuratively. Some jerk used it as a bathroom and did not bury their shit. It’s a weird size and shape surrounded by nasty scrub. But it’s all there is, and it’s starting to spit rain and getting COLD.

Made dinner in my tent and quilt at 6:00. Hot food, good! Bundled in my quilt and contemplating putting on gloves at 7:00. This is one of those “embrace the suck” days.

Chance of rain on and off tonight. Tomorrow’s forecast is the same, but a bit colder with a 25% chance of rain. I’m hoping to sleep in.

Asleep in the cold at 8:00. Warm in my quilt. It rained on and off from 3:30am until 7:00 in the morning.

Technical Notes:

• Protein Shake (10oz): 330 cal, 19g carb, 13.5g fat, 36g protein 
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Mango (3-4p, 49g): 140 kcal, 35g carb, 0g fat, 0g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• Mango (3-4p, 49g): 140 kcal, 35g carb, 0g fat, 0g protein 
• Tortilla: 140 kcal, 24g carb, 3g fat, 4g protein 
• Pulled pork: 140 kcal
• Lay’s chips 160×2 = 320
• Skittles (2.17oz): 250 kcal, 56g carb, 2.5g fat, 0g protein 
• 700-850 kcal, 34-44g fat, 55-65g carb, 38-44g protein
• Lay’s chips 160×3 = 480
• Jerky (1 oz): 70 kcal, 6g carb, 0g fat, 11g protein 
• Water liters: 1
• Miles: 20.92
• Time: 9:50
• Up: 3750
• Down: 3915
• Calories consumed: 3160
• Calories burned: 3533
• iPhone battery used: 40%

Monday, May 25, 2026. Sunny, 55 going up to 75.

Up at 6:45. We are doing a reverse Nero. We plan on 10 miles but not starting until 2:30 this afternoon. That gives time for a real breakfast, lots of planning and shopping while we have good internet service at the coffee shop in town, laundry, and other chores.

A lot of folks are headed to 6 Flags Magic Mountain for the day. After that, they will do triple 20-mile days to get into Hiker Town late Thursday or early Friday. 

The plan is a big hiker party / night hike starting Friday about 7:00 p.m. People try to hike the LA aqueduct section of the trail at night because it is 17 miles of flat Mojave desert with no water and typically heat in the high 90s and zero shade. There should be about 25 or more of us in this group on Friday. Stay tuned!

It will only take Brad and me 3.5 days to reach Hiker Town. That puts us in sometime Thursday without pushing. Hence our late start today. There is nothing to do in Hiker Town as it’s just a collection of glorified sheds  for rent and tenting space with crude showers  in the desert. There is a small store with a grill and a hiker lounge about 8 miles down a side road that offers rides to and from Hiker Town. All that means we need to kill Thursday evening and all day Friday to hook up with the big LA aqueduct party. What the hell, it should be fun. 

I did laundry, finalized my food for the next 3.5 days, shipped my extra food ahead 8 days to Tehachapi, and pretty much got ready to leave the oasis later in the day. We got a late breakfast at the Cowboy Tavern around 10:00.

After breakfast, I got a coffee and hung out at the coffee shop next door to use their WiFi for several hours. I ordered socks, electrolytes, milk powder, and a new sleeping pad from Amazon to a trail angel’s house in Tehachapi. They will deliver it to me when we hit town Monday. 

I also remembered to take care of all the monthly bills back home. I almost forgot about all the real world things that still need looked after. 

I used my account to order shoes and a few things for Brad from REI to Tehachapi. For some reason, all his orders keep getting rejected. Must be a cross-border issue or something odd with his Canadian accounts.

I had a long video chat with Pit Crew and a nice call with my mom. Back to the oasis, finished packing, and we hit the trail at 2:30. Packing our 4 days of food and a big bag of Lay’s chips strapped to the back of my pack.

We had a big 5-mile climb in the middle of our 10 miles today. We wanted to knock that out as part of our short day. 

We got a lot of water about mile 8.5 (after the climb) as we have 15 miles with no water tomorrow. I carried out 5 liters or 11 lbs of water for cooking and camping tonight,  plus for all day tomorrow. Ouch!

We made camp at 6:45 and 9.5 miles. A bit exposed and windy, but not much else around. Fingers crossed my tent stays up tonight. 

I want to give another shout-out to Pit Crew and her unwavering support and encouragement for this little adventure. I could not do this without her. This really hit home the past two days as I saw one person quit their hike today, several people are struggling with the mental side of things as well as family issues. 

Side note…we know of at least three helicopter evacuations over the past 2 weeks.  One of which we saw but didn’t realize what it was at the time.

Side note…we know of at least three helicopter evacuations over the past 2 weeks.  One of which we saw but didn’t realize what it was at the time.

In bed at 7:45 and hoping the wind doesn’t get too bad tonight. My tent is not set up very well, and my fingers are crossed.

Technical Notes:

• 3 eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes 1100
• OJ 350
• Banana Chips (18p, 30g): 150 kcal, 20g carb, 8g fat, 1g protein 
• Skittles (2.17oz): 125 kcal, 23g carb, 1.25g fat, 0g protein 
• Curry noodles 450
• Dehydrated chicken 170
• Lay’s chips 160×3 480
• Water liters: 3
• Miles: 9.57
• Time: 4:15
• Up: 2503
• Down: 1135
• Calories consumed: 2826
• Calories burned: 1937
• iPhone battery used: 35%