Lake Isabella
My first attempt at hitching without my secret weapon Cindigo went remarkably well. I stepped off of the trail at Walker Pass and in about 5 seaconds an amazing guy named Rocky pulled over.
Rocky has hiked the John Muir something like six times and had lots of great stories to tell. He dropped me off at the seediest hotel on the trail so far in Lake Isabella.
In a really brilliant move right before climbing into the Sierras, I left my hiking poles in Rocky's truck! Amazingly, Rocky drove all of the way back here to bring me my poles and have breakfast with a bunch of hikers. He was also able to bring Scorpian Eater, who's come down with a mystery illness, back to Bakersfield so he can get home.
People like that make this trail the incredible experience that it is.
