May 29

653-665

In the morning I finish working on the blog as amber and Craig lounge by the pool. Too quickly we check out of our motel, resupply, and return to the trail at Walker Pass. We try to talk Craig into staying longer, but he had family commitments back in Northern California. It felt like he was a small town sheriff banishing us from town, as he drove us back to a godforsaken trailhead in the middle of the desert.

As we walk we discuss our regrets over all the food we did not eat in town. On the Southern end of the Sierra Nevada Walker Pass is the first real opportunity to cross over the mountain range, and thus has been used by humans since history began. Native Americans would us this route to get to the Kern River for summer fishing, before passing through again to winter on the coast. In the 1800s sheepherders would drive sheep up to the high country for summer pastures using this pass. We use it to continue our trek up to Canada.

After a hot climb we are on a ridge overlooking the Mojave, our frequent companion. We see some of the best agave blooms we have ever seen. They look like alien beings.

Off the ridge we pass by Joshua Tree springs. In drought years it is the only water source for 20 miles, so thirsty hikers flock to it. There are a few tradeoffs though- the spring is considered unsafe for human consumption due to having an unsafe amount of uranium in the water, and in previous years it has traditionally been the home to a problem bear who is notorious for stealing hiker’s packs for the food inside. In 2013, weighing the positives and negatives, I decided to pass. Many make a different choice- the pull of quenching your thirst supercedes the risk of radiation poisoning and bear muggings. There is a commentary here about maslov’s hierarchy of needs.

Fortunately we have enough water to pass this source as well. We camp in a little ditch on the side of the trail. Since it is relatively flat, I call this a win in our nightly game of campsite roulette.