Arriving at Walker Pass

I don’t like hiking in the desert: long water carries, snakes, 100+ degrees. It was exhausting. 

I got to the last two days and I needed to hike 50 miles but with the heat of th edesert it became impossible. I needed 2.5 days which meant I missed the bus, had to get the afternoon bus (which I made with only a few minutes to spare), spend the night in Ridgecrest, rented a car and drove to Burbank the next day.

The look on the woman in the car rental agency when I walked in was one of disbelief. I’d just walked 16 miles that morning in 105 degree heat, ridden a bus for 40 minutes, hadn’t taken a shower in three days. I wasn’t in the mood for bad customer service. Instead of asking how she could help me she just stared at me for about 30 seconds until I announced that I was there to rent a car. I was on my way 20 minutes later in a little Ford.