Week 6

 

Darrell logged in his longest hike this week...23 miles in one day.  It was supposed to be 21, but he inadvertently hiked a mile off trail and had to turn around and trek back to the trail.  He wasn't a happy camper that night, both figuratively and literally.  But, he did hit another landmark early in the week.

A fellow hiker took this picture.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse taken by the same fellow hiker as Darrell attempts a selfie with the landmark!

 

This is Hiker Town, an oasis between Agua Dulce and Tehachapi.  It has rooms to rent, laundry facilities, and offers the use of outdoor showers.  They provide a shuttle into town so that the hikers can resupply their food.  Darrell arrived here around 11:00 am.  He took a shower outdoors and rested up in a room before he hit the trail once again around dusk.  

Since the daytime temperatures are getting high and there is a long distance between water sources, Darrell set off in the evening to hike in the cooler night temperatures.  The trail led him along the LA aqueduct for 7 1/2 hours that night starting at dusk  He then stopped and cowboy camped (sleeping in the open without a tent) for a few hours in the wee morning hours.   He got up early and proceeded to hike 9 more hours in the daylight.  The aqueduct part of the hike made for a smoother trail and safer hiking at night.  So I guess you could say this was actually his longest hike in one 24-hour period--my estimate is 40 miles.  Fortunately, it wasn't mountainous terrain, and he didn't step on any rattlesnakes cooling off at night, which was his fear.

Hiking through the wind farms outside of Tehachapi.  He experienced about 40 mph winds that pushed him sideways and hit him head on while he was  hiking up the hills.  He had to lean sideways  and crab along like a plane lands in windy conditions to avoid being blown off the trail.

There were warnings to be aware of what is known as poodle dog bush, which is on the trail in the area he has been hiking this week (this picture came from google images).   It is an opportunistic bush that can appear in burn areas.  It secretes an irritant that can cause anything from a mild rash to severe respiratory problems.  And then there are rattlesnakes...and poison oak.

The wildflower color along parts of the trail is spectacular.

Darrell was picked up in Tehachapi by Corey Costelloe, someone he had never met before.  He is a fellow Team World Vision member who heard about his adventure and offered him a good night's sleep and a shower in his home and taxied him to the post office  to pick up the meds and olive oil (his request) that I sent to him via general delivery.  He also took him to the grocery store to stock up on food and dropped him back on the trail the next day.  Corey interviewed him for a podcast that he does.  We will update you on this as we find out more about when this will be available.  We are so thankful for his support.  Darrell is meeting so many wonderful people along the way.

Donations to World Vision for clean drinking water for children around the world can be made on Darrell's Team World Vision page:   https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy

My visual of pennies donated per mile since April 22:  75!  I had to go to the bank and get more pennies, and I'm hoping soon I'll have to get a bigger jar to hold them all!

Since our blog post last week where we estimated we would need 2000 pennies donated per mile to come close to reaching Darrell's goal of $100,000, World Vision has received $1,875 for clean drinking water on Darrell's Team World Vision web page.  That is approximately 75 pennies per mile toward reaching his goal.  We are still praying for 1,925 more pennies per mile as he hikes.