Hello Everyone,

Well, here I am again laying in my tent sending you all an update on my trek today, Tuesday, April 15. It’s funny that at home we have no cell service, yet I am out here in the middle of nowhere and I have service.

Last night at Swede’s Cut was kind of an unplanned camp spot because I just could go any further and it was getting late. I was pretty tired and went to sleep fairly early but was a little restless from the long hard day. It didn’t help that the moon was shining so beautifully bright and lit up the inside of the tent like there were spot lights on. For some reason I woke up and saw what was a giant, I mean giant, like science fiction giant, spider crawling on the inside of the tent. The tent is lightweight and almost all screen, with a fly over it. At first I thought the spider was crawling on the inside of the screen, and I jumped out of my bag and grabbed the flash light. Lucky for me it was on the outside, but my heart was still ponding, and it didn’t stop for a while. It was a smaller tarantula but looked giant because it was illuminated by the bright moon glow, and my imagination. Then a little later my nephew sent me a text, which woke me up, telling me to go outside and watch the lunar eclipse. I know I should have gotten up looked at it because it would have added to my experience, but my shoes were outside and I wasn’t sure where that spider went. I hate spiders!

I was pleasantly surprised when I started my day and realized that the road was level. I figured I’d have a little climb from 3,400′ to 4,200′ and then downhill all the way to SR138. Wrong! Within a few hundred feet the road start downhill, and downhill, for quite a bit. Finally it started back uphill and by then my trekking program told me I’d gone a mile in twenty minutes. Great time at three miles an hour if I kept it up! But when I looked back I could see Swede’s Cut well above me and my altimeter indicated that I had gone down about 350′. That was before ten and the temperature was already at 85 degrees.

The rest of the day was the same, lots of downhills, followed by lots, and lots, of up hills. My plan for today was to make 11-15 miles and then two choices off of the Old Ridge Route to camp. Well, I didn’t make it. I hit a wall again! I am camped just outside the north gate at the ruins of the old Tumble Inn. It is only 6.89 miles from Swede’s Cut. Yesterday, I had a total of about 3,000′ in overall elevation gain in about 12 miles, and today I had about 2,000′ in elevation gain. I was just too tired to try and make the other spots, and Tumble Inn was actually one of the spots I wanted to camp, but figured it would make my day too short. Ha!

Hitting another wall was actually good. I had left two gallons of water here and had a chance to take a shower. No, not really, but close. It was good because I took my socks off and found I had a big blister between the big and the tall guy toe. I wasn’t sure, what you do with them, so I popped it. I put on a bandage and wrapped it with medical tape. If that tape doesn’t work, I’ll use my duct tape. They say duct tape is good for everything.

Tumble Inn was a hotel, restaurant, and garage, and was considered as having some of the nicest views at the time it was built. The foundation and walls are still here and there is a monument with a nice photo showing people and old cars stopped there. I walked around tonight as the sun was going down and I could just picture what it was like a hundred years ago. It was a very really nice feeling.

I say it again, tomorrow will hopefully be a little less strenuous day? The highest point on the Route is Liebre Summit and it is less than a mile away. After that it should be downhill to SR138. I will shoot for the abandon orchard for tomorrow’s camp spot? That will be my next challenge, the desert winds. That’s what makes this a fun adventure, I don’t know what I’ll find next.

If you Google map my trek from Santa Paula to June Lake, it will show an alternate route besides the Old Ridge Route. The other route is obviously shorter and I knew taking the Old Ridge Route would be a challenge. It has been a lot tougher than I expected, but if I had to start over again, I would take the Old Ridge Route again. I am glade I experienced it.

Hopefully I’ll be able to post my trek tomorrow.

Best to all, and keep good thoughts and blessings going my way,
Ted

Next Post: Day 6