Hello Everyone,

Well, here I am again laying on a bed at the Best Western Motel in beautiful downtown Mojave, California, sending you all an update on my trek today, Saturday, April 19, day 9. Yesterday I didn’t want to assume that I would make it to Mojave, as the days before I failed to make my goals. Today, I just hoped that everything would go well and it did for the most part. I trekked 13.75 miles today, in around 5 hours and 35 minutes, about the same distance as yesterday, but almost an hour and a half less.

I had a nice peaceful camp spot last night and had a fairly good night’s sleep after such a challenging day. I was fairly quiet except for the crackling sound of the high power lines nearby. I just think of it as background noise, like a sound machine to lull you to sleep. I did noticed in the morning that I was also about 200 to 300 hundred yards from a large solar power farm. The entire area of the East Antelope Valley is dotted everywhere with solar farms and countless wind turbines and seems to be rampant.

I woke up before six this morning with no real wind and the temperature at about 55 degrees. The sun was not up yet, but the sky was a bright red and very beautiful and peaceful. I am still trying to get into a better routine because it takes me so long to break everything down and load up the Wheelie so it is balanced. By the time I started the trek at 8:30, the temperature was already at 85 degrees. I figured another hot day. I originally planned the trek for April so I would have cool weather. What happened?

I was still on General Petroleum Road and looking to turn onto the Aqueduct Road, which is the maintenance road that parallels the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The trouble is that there are no signs and all the roads are dirt and several crisscross everywhere. Of course I was stressing out a little because my iPad was down to only 5% charged and I was only turning it on when I crossed a road and wanted to verify it was the right one. I found it within a mile and stayed on it for almost eight miles. It was great road because the aqueduct is concrete and flat, so I could actually walk on top of it like a regular street in most places.

The water actually comes from the Sierras where I hope to end the trek, so I could feasibly follow it all the way up. The whole system is delivered by gravity and there are no pumps. The aqueduct is therefore only slightly sloped and easy to walk with no rises.

I have to say that I had an eye opener walking the back roads here. I had seen the wind turbines, and now the solar farms, from a distance and never paid much attention to them. Some people say they are an environmentally friendly alternative power source, but after seeing them everywhere I realize that they are a blight to the whole desert. As you obviously know, I am not a fan of this desert area, but there is still beauty in every part of the world, including this area. I think one of the problems facing many power companies is the federal mandate that a certain percentage of their power must come from alternate sources. Therefore, they are expanding into unpopulated areas without realizing other consequences. One of the areas that the City of Los Angeles is planning to uses to meet their goal is the area I will be trekking through, the Owens Valley. The City of Los Angeles (DWP) built the aqueduct in the thirties by taping the water from the Sierra drainage, much of it had fed Owens Lake. It has been dry since the thirties and after years of lawsuits, the court has mandated that the city refill part of the lake. It also ordered the DWP to contain the dust in the area, which is considered one of the most toxic air qualities in the country. Now, the city is planning to install square mile, after square mile, of solar farms in the Owens Lake bed. Now instead of seeing the beautiful Valley with the Sierra’s to the west, and Death Valley to the east, you will be able to see the blight of the solar panels in the Valley too. I was disappointed to see the blight of all these solar farms and the wind turbines, and look forward to trekking to my beloved Owens Valley, which many very soon have the same blight. Sorry about ramble, but it is part of my trek and what I am experiencing and seeing on this trek.

I am not a tree hugger environmentalist, but try to do my best to help the environment. Sometimes people carry it to an extreme, and I was actually an example of that a few days ago. As I have mentioned many times in my blog, the winds have gotten to me because they are nonstop out here. Well, I was getting ready in the morning and taking care of my morning toiletries when a big gust of wind blew a clean piece of toilet paper, about the size of a postage stamp, out of my possession. I have always told my kids that you should never throw trash anywhere other than a trash can, so I immediately ran after the toilet paper through the sage brush, without my pants on. The wind was blowing so hard that I must have followed it through the brush for 20-30 feet, or more. It was ironic for me to think about later, because here I was running like a mad man through the bushes, with my only Crocs sandals and a t-shirt, trying to catch a piece of paper the size of a postage stamp, when the entire area in covered in broken bottles, beer cans, spent shotgun shells, and tons of other litter. Well, when the wind paused for a second, I managed to grab that little piece of paper. When I looked down I noticed that my legs were scratched and bleeding from the brush. But, I feel good that I did my deed for the day to help the environment.

The last four miles into Mojave on Oak Creek Road were all downhill. Great I thought. But (there is always a but), going downhill can be bad because most hikers sustain their injuries on the downhill part of their trek. I found myself being like an old stable horse because the closer I got to town the faster I started to walk. Wrong thing to do because now I feel pain in my shins. Shin splints? I hope not.

When I got to Mojave I had a choice of a few motels. Of course I like the best, but always want to pay the least. The Best Western is the best in town, but I was sure the most expensive. I asked the clerk why there was no ramp for handicapped people, because I couldn’t get my Wheelie up to the office. I think that got her in the mood to please this customer. She offered me the corporate rate. Good I thought, but maybe there is more? I then told her I was walking from the Ventura to the Sierra’s, and that I was going to mention the motel I was staying in on my blog. I wasn’t lying. She then offered me the room for $10 less. I wanted more, but didn’t want to push it too far. Hey, bartering is pretty common in most countries, other than here, and I wasn’t born here.

The room was a dream for me. A bed, six pillows, and a shower. This broke a record for me, eight days without a shower. I don’t want to break this record. The bonus for me was that there is a spa here and that was where I went immediately. I could use one every day on this trek because it sure felt good, especially on my shins. Walked to dinner and packed the new supplies Mindee brought me. I am loving it on this bed and thought of taking one more day to heal and get some energy back? I probably won’t, because I’d feel like I am cheating.

I am shooting for Red Rock Canyon tomorrow, which is about 22 miles. I don’t think I’ll make that in one day and will just stop somewhere in between. I’ll be back on a regular highway, so I can start counting the pee bottles on the side of the road again. It will keep my mind off negative things. I did consider some alternate roads and trails along the highway and aqueduct, but after what I have experienced on those unknown and soft sand road may keep me on the highway.

Hope to keep you updated tomorrow.

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

Next Post: Day 10

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