6) Rain, Aqueduct & 1,000 km

On Thursday, April 17, I left Agua Dulce, where I had spent the night. That day brought my first truly unpleasant weather: fog and light rain accompanied me from early morning. The higher the trail climbed, the colder and windier it became – a rather uncomfortable combination. Rain, wind, and cold make for a nasty mix on the trail.

Oliver and I decided to pick up the pace to reach our daily goal quickly, find a somewhat sheltered campsite, and warm up in our sleeping bags. Fortunately, the bad weather only lasted one day. The next morning there was still some fog, but by the afternoon the sun came out again, allowing us to dry our soaked gear.

The following day we arrived at Hikertown – a quirky but legendary village at the start of the famous L.A. Aqueduct. The aqueduct has been transporting water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles for over 100 years – an essential infrastructure project for Southern California. This section is also famous on the PCT because most hikers cross it at night to avoid the intense heat. For us, it wasn’t scorching, but we still started early at 5 a.m. to get through comfortably.

That morning, we were lucky enough to witness a Starlink launch. At first, we thought we were seeing a meteor – a bright object with a trailing tail in the sky. Then someone explained it was a SpaceX rocket launch. Slightly less magical than a meteor, but still pretty impressive.

Walking along the aqueduct itself wasn’t particularly exciting – long, straight stretches of concrete and gravel – but the moment of finally hiking this legendary section in person was special.

Afterward, the trail took us through one of the largest wind farms in the U.S.: the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm. Over 5,000 turbines stretch across hills and valleys – a massive sight. The wind farm generates around 3,000 megawatts of power, making it one of the most powerful onshore wind farms in the world. Depending on the season, it provides up to 10% of California’s electricity. Hiking among the enormous, humming turbines was impressive, almost surreal.

After a well-deserved zero day in Tehachapi, we continued on – and a few days later, I reached Kennedy Meadows South! This small place is considered by PCT hikers as the symbolic end of the desert and the gateway to the High Sierras. From here on, the landscape, climate, and gear requirements change – instead of cacti, dust, and wind, I’ll encounter snow-covered mountains, alpine lakes, and a whole new set of challenges.

Another milestone this week: I surpassed the 1,000 km mark! That means a quarter of the entire Pacific Crest Trail is now behind me.