Day 37: The Los Angeles Aqueduct

Date: Thu 5/24

PCT Start Mile: 517.6

PCT End Mile: 541.5

PCT Mileage for Day: 23.9

Total PCT Mileage: 541.5

The Highlights: the LA Aqueduct, windmills forever, bridge siesta, and the race for tent sites.

Today was looooonnnnggggg.

Knowing that we would be walking the long exposed section along the Los Angeles Aqueduct today, when we got our Winnebago shuttle to Wee Ville Market yesterday, we negotiated with the shuttle driver for a 5am return to the trail in the morning.

Everyone wanted to get moving early to avoid hiking this section in the heat. Agreeing to the 5am shuttle to the trail, the man announced that the market would open at 4am for breakfast, because – while nice – they wanted our business after all, the whole reason they shuttle hikers between the trail and their shop.

Feeling an obligation to get the early breakfast since they were opening so early for us and giving us an early shuttle to the trail, we began hearing the sounds of everyone packing up beginning at 3:30am… walks to the bathroom, air mattresses deflating, tents coming down.

The four of us (me, Shawn, Squishy, and LOL) were not actually that hungry so early and had plenty of snacks for the trail, but we shared a breakfast burrito. With 15-20 people getting breakfasts, there was no way the shuttle was going to leave by 5am. The driver was working the register. Once he got a break, LOL started asking him questions about the shuttle and at 5:15am, he fired up the Winnebago and took the first load of us back to the trail.

The day actually started cool and windy and we walked for awhile through field and down country roads before arriving at the main attraction for the day: the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

The Los Angeles Aqueduct is a notorious section of the PCT, the trail following the aqueduct for nearly 17 miles through and open, exposed, and hot corner of the Mojave Desert.

While the walk begins along an aqueduct canal, this eventually becomes a large pipe, which eventually becomes something of a concrete sidewalk through the desert (the water flowing beneath).

*It didn’t take long for us to hike on the gravel instead of the hard concrete. Apparently after weeks of hiking on trail, concrete is very rough on the feet.*

Probably the flattest section of the entire PCT, but it is boring. If you can get past the heat and monotony of the section (difficult), the aqueduct is at least an interesting part of Los Angeles history.

The aqueduct delivers water from the Owens River and continues to be controversial as the diversion all but ended agriculture in the Owens River Valley, and there are continued disputes and court battles over the impacts of the aqueduct on Mono Lake (which was nearly completely drained, but is making a slow recovery) and surrounding ecosystems. Apparently there is a grant in place to reroute this section of the PCT, so one day those hiking the trail won’t have to deal with this section at all.

It was also our first day with Joshua trees along the route.

While the day began cool and windy, by 9:45am, someone had turned the wind off and it was just hot. The ambient temperature wasn’t actually that bad – maybe high 70s – but when you are walking through shadeless, exposed open desert, it feels hot anyway, as the sun fries you.

One perk of getting a 5:35am start was that we hit 10 by 10 (10 miles by 10am). And, we had over 17 in the books by the time we stopped for a long lunch break, seeking respite under the Cottonwood Creek Bridge, which provided ample shaded space over a dry creek bed to rest for the hot afternoon hours. The first water source of the day was also located near the bridge, another reason it was a logical location for a break. We stayed for about 2 1/2 hours, eating lunch and napping.

After LOL had napped for a bit, she began looking at the info for tent sites ahead on the trail, and also running the numbers of how many hikers were under the bridge and how many tent sites were in the next 5-7 miles. We decided we should head out earlier than later if we wanted a good site near the next water source. Though it was still hot, we hit the trail again at 3pm, good winds providing some relief from the heat.

We had entered wind farm territory before our lunch break and continued now through land scattered with hundreds of giant wind turbines. The PCT finally returned to trail after a day full of aqueduct and gravel road walking, weaving its way through the rolling hills of windmills.

Hiking faster, Shawn and LOL went ahead to claim some tent space while Squishy and I followed behind. We were both making good time until the last mile and a half – a tough climb as we re-entered the mountains. Nearing 24 miles for the day, we were all tired and my feet were definitely feeling it.

At camp, Shawn had already set up the tent and I traded him 4 Jolly Ranchers to blow up my air mattress, my least favorite camp chore. My sleep stuff set up and clothes changed, I headed upstream to collect and filter water before returning to our tent site to cook ramen for the night. Camp chores and dinner complete, we were all in our tents well before dark, which of course is getting a little later every night.

A super long day, we are all happy to have that section behind us.

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