It seems like the two most memorable parts of the day were the water sources, most likely because of the importance they take on while planning your day. The first of them was Robin Bird Spring, which I was counting on for some good drinking water. After all, in the PCT guidebook it reads, "In 1994 the Forest Service developed this flowing spring, freed it from cattle contaminants, and piped the water, making it easily accessible to you....with a deserved sense of pride, they named this lovely area Robin Bird Spring." Well, 1994 was a long time ago and perhaps the time it was flowing wasn't the fall. I found the area littered with cow patties, the pipe as dry as my chapped lips, and the bottom of the trough below it looking like a rusted tin can. There was a square area behind the trough that was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. The smallest trickle of water coming out of the green grass there at least looked promising. I jumped over the fence to investigate and discovered some more cow pies. Must be an opening in the fence somewhere. Found what appeared to be a contaminant free zone near the low branches of a small alder. Because the ground was relatively flat, it was a tricky proposition trying to fill my water bottle, but I managed. Quite a bit of time and effort just to get a couple of liters, but the next water was nineteen miles away at Golden Oaks Spring. In the interim, I walked through areas of pinyon pine, had some steep uphill trekking on a path through stately oaks, and hiked on a few sections of trail that were only lined with brush. Once, I came out of the trees onto a dirt road, turned right and followed it downhill. After some time without seeing any trail markers indicating where the road and trail diverged, I began to feel apprehensive. Was I going the wrong way? Had I missed something? Stopped to examine the map and read a bit from the PCT guidebook, which, written for northbounders, requires a little mental juggling to translate it into something coherent for a southbounder. Basically, it told me to keep following the road. I did and sure enough, another half mile downhill, I was at the place where the trail turned off into the trees again. I don't particularly care for the longer walks on dirt roads because I always wind up questioning myself in regards to the trail. I surprised a trail maintenance crew of about eight volunteers in a brushy section. They hadn't seen a hiker along this section in the two days they'd been working there. I thanked them for their dedication and effort because a clear trail is infinitely better than one that is overgrown. By mid afternoon, I was on an uphill trail rutted with hoofprints and mined with cow doodies that led to Golden Oaks Spring. When I rounded a bend, I saw a huge host of ravens, some in the air and others lighting on the ground. My arrival sent them all flying. Initially, there were two muddy spots on the trail created by small flows from the hillside. Then a large concrete trough full of water, fed by a white plastic pipe. Yahoo! No extra effort here, simply stick the Platypus under the faucet and watch it fill up. Oh, by the way, not far distant, six or seven cows lay in the shade near the trail.
This was a perfect place to take a breather, snack, and rehydrate, so I made myself comfortable on the wide concrete rim of the trough. While I was eating, I saw some movement near the first muddy spot down the trail. Turning to look, I thought I'd see another cow, but was astonished to see a small black bear drinking water out of a muddy depression. After a few moments of sitting there stunned, I recovered enough of my faculties to reach over and get my camera out of my pack. By the time I had it ready, the bear was walking up the trail in my direction. When it was about ten meters away, it looked up and was just as stunned to see me. It froze for a few seconds before turning and dashing off into the thicket near the spring. Didn't see a bear the whole time I was in the backcountry of the Sierra, but here at this spring, a half day out of Tehachapi, I could have almost reached out and touched one. That was special. In the evening I was out on a high exposed ridge when the wind began to pick up. With few campsites to choose from, I decided to keep going. I was still walking when night fell. From this height I could see the lights of Mojave, Tehachapi and the wind farm laid out before me and the ribbon of highway sporting white headlights and red taillights moving up and down its length. Somehow, the closeness of those lights made me feel less lonely. The steep descent off the ridge was made in the dark with the aid of my headlamp. Once I was down to a flat area not far from the road, I made a cowboy camp next to some bushes that acted as a wind break. Fell asleep to the sound of rushing wind and rushing cars.
Bear at Golden Oaks Spring
37 Miles
This was a perfect place to take a breather, snack, and rehydrate, so I made myself comfortable on the wide concrete rim of the trough. While I was eating, I saw some movement near the first muddy spot down the trail. Turning to look, I thought I'd see another cow, but was astonished to see a small black bear drinking water out of a muddy depression. After a few moments of sitting there stunned, I recovered enough of my faculties to reach over and get my camera out of my pack. By the time I had it ready, the bear was walking up the trail in my direction. When it was about ten meters away, it looked up and was just as stunned to see me. It froze for a few seconds before turning and dashing off into the thicket near the spring. Didn't see a bear the whole time I was in the backcountry of the Sierra, but here at this spring, a half day out of Tehachapi, I could have almost reached out and touched one. That was special. In the evening I was out on a high exposed ridge when the wind began to pick up. With few campsites to choose from, I decided to keep going. I was still walking when night fell. From this height I could see the lights of Mojave, Tehachapi and the wind farm laid out before me and the ribbon of highway sporting white headlights and red taillights moving up and down its length. Somehow, the closeness of those lights made me feel less lonely. The steep descent off the ridge was made in the dark with the aid of my headlamp. Once I was down to a flat area not far from the road, I made a cowboy camp next to some bushes that acted as a wind break. Fell asleep to the sound of rushing wind and rushing cars.
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