The alarm went of at 5am but I didn’t move until 5:30. Waking up, packing and setting down the tent took 30 minutes and then I was ready to go.

 

First breakfast gets eaten while walking, toothbrushing is done while walking too.

 

5 minutes uphill, 20 down and then 2 hours of climbing… at least my body got the chance to warm himself up after the 30 miles yesterday.

 

This is the worst trail do hike on, sandy and small bumps. Impossible to get a good walking-rythm…

 

I constantly had the time and the milage in my head to be sure to make it to Coppertone on time.

 

Strange how you arrange 2 days just to get this Icecream at the best possible moment 🙂

 

 

The second watercache was 7 miles into the hike and was well stocked. I took 5 liters and set of for another 2hour climb.

 

After arriving at the top, I was just under my scedule to arrive at 5pm but I needed some backup time if I wanted to have a lunchbreak.

 

So I began stepping up my pace until I was almost flying trough the forest which I was hiking trough.

 

 

Julia was long gone and might only see her again if she does go straight to Kennedy Meadows. Manuel was gone since yesterday around lunch where he didn’t showed up even though I had a 90 minut break there. But I might see him again if his back let’s him hike without pain.

 

I wanted to have lunch at 1pm but the last 30 minuted were horrible. I had already done 20 miles and my legs were complaining about their rest.

 

I found a tiny shady spot barely big enough to fit me and the bagpack. Because there was not enough space to cook in the shade I decided to just eat my bag of cheetos which I carried since Tehachapi.

 

After almost an hour of badly needed rest I attacked the last 7 miles, 5 of then were downhill, so it wasn’t that bad.

 

Seeing that white car from far makes all your pain go away 🙂

 

I had a beer, pretzel sticks, watermelon, icecream and coke. Needless to say that all the pain during the day was worth it 😉

 

But because I arrived half an hour early I was soon well rested and at 6 I headed out again to do 5 more miles to sleep up the ridge of a mountain with 1500feet elevation to climb.

 

Every mile I walk today, I don’t have to walk tomorrow 🙂

 

The tentsite was for 5, but there were already 5 people there. I was lucky to find a small place where I could setup my tent. The couple who was 5 minutes behind me had no luck and had to hike further. Lucky for them that the next one is only .5 miles away.

 

I had Mac&Cheese for dinner, for me the best meal on the trail if the bowl wouldn’t be so hard to clean afterwards.

 

 

And yes, I know, I’m dirty…

 

At 8:10pm everything was done and I had even the timme to watch a movie on my phone.

 

My muscles will kill me tomorrow because I’ve done a 27 a 31 and one 32 mile day without a break. How good that they dont know that tomorrow will be a 28 mile day again ?

 

And oh yes, my legs hate me…

 

I’ve never been up this late, I left the camp just after 7 and everything hurts.

 

The first few miles were uphill, but the view was gorgeous. I even got cellphone signal and I could send a few texts.

 

 

While walking over the first pass for the day I could see the desert on one side and the sierra on the other. It’s almost over with the heat 🙂

 

The watersource was .3 miles steep downhill, but I had to go there because I wouldn’t make the next 5 miles without more water. The plan was having breakfast and leaving quick, but my legs had other plans and 45 minutes later I was back on trail. At least I could wash myself a bit, the water was nice, cold and didn’t smelled wierd.

 

 

I was kind of slow downhill but uphill I was able to push myself. There are not a lot of flat sections today, in fact it will be the day with the most elevation so far. 9000 feet in total, perfect for my damaged legs…

 

At the next watersource I had lunch and a small break for another 45 minutes before starting the harddst climb for today. 3 hours in total, but after the agonyzing climb, a 6 mile downhill section waited for me.

 

 

But my legs motivation faded with time and I got slower and slower. Until I realized that even if my motivation is down I should walk fast because it’ll be over sooner, so I picked up my pace again. Before dinner which I ate 3 miles before my designated tentsite I was able to pass 4 more hikers.

 

Since I started walking faster 4 days ago I passed around 70 hikers and I keep seeing a lot of new faces 🙂

 

The last 3 miles were good because my pack was super light again, just .5 liters of water and food for only half a day left.

 

 

The tentsite was crowded, at least 15 tents were standing around the watersource. I got the last place, set up my tent and while pitching it the couple who just missed the last spot yesterday showed up again 5 minutes to late…

 

But because there will be no tentsite for the next 15 miles they cowboycamped insted of continue their hike.

 

I liked it that I already ate and could go to bed right after finishing pitching the tent. In the sierra this is almost inevitable becauer you don’t want the smell of food next to your tent when there are bears around.

 

The motivation was high in the morning and I was hiking again at 6am. Maybe the two bars I had instead of only one made the difference.

 

Still to late to get to see the sunrise, but hiking trough the forest while the sun is rising is still great!

 

 

It was a 14 mile hike to the Fork Kern river and I said to myself it would be nice to be there at 12h30 to have lunch there and then hike out after that to Kennedy Meadows.

 

But 30 minutes into the hike my legs were yelling “POWWWWEEERRRR” and I was literally flying uphill and I was even faster downhill!

 

 

I arrived at the river just before 11am! Averaging just over 3 miles / 5km per hour

 

 

After so many 20+ mile watercarries and only dripping springs and faucets it is crazy to see that much water in one place. But from now on I’ll have more water than I’ll need 🙂

 

4 more miles and I reached the road to KM.

 

 

People here are hikerfriendly too, without the intention to hitch a lady stopped her car in front of me and offered my a ride to Grumpy Bears Retreat where every hiker has to go here.

 

I got a Burger, Beer, Coke, a shower, my laundry done, a camping spot and my BearCanister as well as my new shoes delivered here.

 

I spent the whole afternoon at the air conditionned bar which was an amazing feeling after a week out there in the desert.

 

Tomorrow I’ll take a zero here and gonna get my food for 200 miles to get to Lake Mammoth in one hile without another townstop.