After picking up my new shoes in Acton, I hiked 110 miles to Tehachapi in four days. My feet are not happy about it, but I'm glad to be off the mountain and in a hotel while this cold storm passes through.  First night I camped right above the Antelope Valley Freeway. My first year out of college I had to drive that thing to work every day. I had to laugh when I woke up the next morning and saw that it was already backed up before 6:00 a.m., just like it was more than 30 years ago. Glad to not be doing that anymore.

I hiked 30 miles that day through Agua Dulce and Vasquez Rocks (lots of famous movie scenes) to Green Valley. I was trying to get to the Smokehouse before it closed that night but ended up being 15 minutes too late. No matter. The owner saw me outside and brought me out a steak tri tip sandwich, and would not let me pay for it. The sandwich was amazing, and I'm amazed by the kindness and generosity that restaurant owner showed to a stranger.  My biggest mile day on this trail so far ended up being 32 miles on the third day, as I did some night hiking to get across the Los Angeles Aqueduct and camped right under a windmill in a wind farm.  But it's obvious to me that even though the rest of my body feels pretty good, my feet aren't conditioned yet to handle these bigger miles and I need to back off a little going forward. No blisters or anything, they just feel tender.  Still not sure yet what I'm going to do about the Sierra. Current reports are snow is still too deep.