Author: Andrew Carter

I just completed a multi-year thru hike (MYTH) of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It took three years. I hiked 1840 miles in 2021, 733 miles in 2022, and 122 miles in 2023. The only reason I had to hike in 2023 was a wildfire closure at the north end of the PCT in 2022. During the past two years, I've also thru hiked other, shorter US trails. I hiked the Benton MacKaye Trail (GA, NC, TN) and the Tuscarora Trail (VA, WV, MD, PA) in 2022 plus the Ozark Highlands Trail (AR) in 2023. I hope to hike the Long Trail (VT) next year and the Colorado Trail at some point in the future. Please note, all content on this site is copyright.

Forest Fire Campsite

c) Andrew Carter, 2021

I left the Antelope Valley this morning and started climbing back into the mountains.

The trail out of the Antelope Valley leading into the Sierra Palona Mountains

I didn’t make it to the ridge until 2:00 pm, but what a view.

Looking north across the Antelope Valley. The PCT came out of the Tehachapi Mountains at the pass between the two humps to the right on the far ridgeline.

After making it to the ridge, I was hiking through partially open meadows and then an oak forest. It was great to see grass and trees after a day and a half in the desert.

I love oak forests

There were no springs, but I was able to get water out of a cistern.

The slanted roof directs rain water into the cistern below it. The cistern was full.

But after all this beauty, I entered into a fire zone from the Lake Fire last year.

All the trees and vegetation on the mountain in the background are gone

I’m camping in that fire zone tonight.

My campsite at the edge of the fire zone

It’s liable to get down to freezing tonight. It’s 41 degrees right now. I’m making hot tea to warm me up. Goodnight, all.

Across the Desert

c) Andrew Carter, 2021

In Southern California, the PCT often has to cross valleys to get from one mountain range to another. That’s particularly the case south of Tehachapi where the Trail has to cross the Antelope Valley.

Looking south across the Antelope Valley

The Antelope Valley is high desert. The altitude where the PCT crosses is 3000 feet plus or minus.

It’s about 17 miles as the crow flies from the Tehachapi Mountains at the north to the Sierra Palona at the south, but 22.5 miles on the Trail because the PCT has to make use of primarily north/south and east/west dirt roads to make a diagonal northwest to southwest crossing.

A dirt road in the Antelope Valley, which also serves as the PCT

Most of the time the road the PCT is using runs right along the concrete-covered Los Angeles Aqueduct.

Wind turbines at the rear, concrete-covered LA Aqueduct in the middle, dirt access road (and PCT) to the right.

Since it took me more than a day to cross the Antelope Valley, I camped beside the Aquaduct one night.

The stacked rocks are an improvised chair I created to make eating and cooking easier

At the south end of the Valley the Aquaduct transitions from concrete vault to concrete pipe to steel pipe to cross the lowest part of the Valley.

Concrete pipe joint. Note the date, 4/2/26. 27 is a sequence number. To the right was joint number 26. To the left (closer to LA) was joint number 28.

This pipe section of the Aquaduct is a siphon which allows the Aquaduct to cross low-lying ground. As we learned in grade school, water always seeks its own level. The altitude at both ends of the siphon is the same even though the altitude in the middle is lower. The water inside the pipe is able to flow from one end of the siphon to the other without any pumping. Heavy metal and rivets are used for the siphon so that the pressure of the water within the pipe doesn’t burst it.

While I’m writing about the Aquaduct, here’s a photograph of a footprint made in the wet cement years ago. The foot and shoe clearly belonged to a big-wig coming to inspect the work progress. He didn’t have the good sense not to step in concrete. I write big-wig because of the smooth leather sole of the shoe. That’s not the sole of a work boot.

The desert is an interesting place. It seems to be where trailers come to die and homes to fall apart.

Not all the homes are in such bad shape, however.

When I move to the dessert, I want a gazebo so I can enjoy a mimosa in the shade at the beginning of the day and a mint julep in the shade at the end of the day.

The geodesic dome home. Never out of style, according to this homeowner.

Even though the Antelope Valley is desert, grazing takes place in the winter.

Cattle pen. The yellow object at the rear is a large water tank on wheels. (Water is brought from elsewhere.) The tank is connected to a trough for the cattle.

As mentioned in another post, I’m staying at Hikertown tonight. I leave the Antelope Valley tomorrow morning.

Getting close to the mountains again

Just before I reached Hikertown, I crossed the California Aquaduct.

One last photograph.

I think its going to take more than Miracle Gro