I woke up excited to get into town. It was a little chilly and quite windy at our site in the grove, perched 3,000 feet above the floor of the Mojave. Jon wakes and I also rise to the sound of wind blowing through the conifers. It was such a treat to sleep under the trees. We say good morning to Chef and Siriacha and agree to meet at the road, 9 miles down the trail. We all plan to save some money and split a hotel room for the next couple of nights in Tehachapi.
My poison oak rash is itchy and starting to spread, making me feel a little grumpy. We have been extremely careful to avoid poison oak, but in the last section of trail climbing out of Green Valley it was everywhere. It must have gotten on my clothes, but how?! I feel so frustrated. Luckily, neither Cactus, Chef, or Siriacha have any rashes. I’m really living up to the reason for my trail name. Lupine: a resilient, but delicate little flower.
I make some coffee and breakfast, it warms and fills our bellies and before long we are back on the trail, plopping along. It occurs to me that I’m so used to getting up and walking that I don’t really think about it anymore. Walking is just part of my routine now. I love that.
It’s just 9 miles to the road which takes us to Tehachapi, a small town nestled among dry mountains in rural Kern County.
We walk through the windy desert scrublands and under rotating wind turbines. There are large turbines, stoic and strong, and little turbines, spinning frantically, as if they are trying to take off. We joke that the big turbines are teaching the little ones how to be a turbine. Don’t worry, little one, you’ll get used to the constant spinning, before long you won’t even notice! It reminds me of the relationship between our two dogs back at home. Toby, our older dog, shows our younger dog Frieda how to be a good dog. Lay by the fire to get warm, bark at the door when someone knocks, never pee on the rug!
We reach the road and see a list of Trail Angels offering rides. One note says “rides before 5pm, 420 friendly”. That’s not quite the hiking experience we are looking for, so instead opt for the nice older couple.
Ted and Cheryl arrive and we greet them with thanks and enthusiasm. Ted exudes sincerity and kindness. His son lives in Seattle. He’s been retired for almost 20 years and seems to take great pride in this community in the desert. They drop us off at the post office to get our resupply, then ferry us to downtown Tehachapi. Ted mentions that vaccinations have been low in town, and there are often extra doses left. We make a mental note, to check-in with the local pharmacies.
As we wait for the hotel room to be ready, we eat at the BEST bakery on the trail thus far, Kohnen’s Country Bakery. It’s a traditional German bakery known as “the gem of Tehachapi”. My senses are so overwhelmed and excited it’s hard to decide what to order. I choose a reuben on freshly baked rye with fresh sauerkraut, a dunkel beer, a couple Brötchen, and boysenberry mini pie. It is so incredibly delicious that I feel giddy. The sauerkraut is pleasantly tart and gives a satisfying crunch when I bite into it. The pie is sweet and perfectly crumbly.
This is the best day ever, I tell my companions. After all, there is no greater joy than eating your first meal off trail (especially from a German bakery) when thru-hiking!
Later, I go back into the bakery to buy späztle, a German egg noodle, and fresh sauerkraut. It reminds me of my time spent in Austria and Germany. I plan on making it for my hiker friends tomorrow.
Our hotel in Tehachapi is clean and spacious, with a laundry room and continental breakfast. We take turns showering and laundering our filthy clothes. So much dirt comes off it’s startling.
Siriacha and I pick up some tequila, lime juice and margarita mix from the liquor store, and make some “trail margs” in the hotel room. We cheers to the trail. I laugh at the never ending stream of jokes and commentary from my friends and relish in the simple joy of not moving.
We decide to eat dinner at a local pizza place, it’s Saturday night and bustling. Siriacha says that it’s supposed to rain and then possibly snow over the next couple of days. We feel lucky the cold weather coincides with our days off.
Overall Tehachapi is a friendly, walkable little town. It has surprisingly great food, accomodations, and kind people. I think it’s my favorite town so far.
We settle into our hotel beds. It feels funny to sleep inside.
Heck yeah! You guys earned those margs! Sounds like a perfect end to a perfect day! My attempt at the PCT thru hike is still a ways off, a couple of years roughly..but I have plans for a 5 week visit to California for the first time this summer. Thanks to you guys, Kohnen’s is on the list for when I’m near that area lol! The description of the food… then that picture with those pies…looks so yummy! Enjoy those r&r days!
Awesome. Tehachapi was actually a pretty cool town, we thought. One of our favorite trail towns, and some of the best food. Enjoy Kohnens!
We feel honored when we get to serve PCT hikers. You guys ate celebrities for your passion, endurance and hardships. Oh how I wish I could join you on the trail. Thanks for all the love for our bakery. Truly appreciated.
Thank you Colleen! You’ve created an amazing place! Far down the trail we still compare the local trail town food to the “German bakery in Tehachapi” and it’s yet to arise to the bar you’ve set. I doubt it ever will. Cheers!
Love Tehachapi and the people there!! The weather can be amazingly volatile though. Warm and sunny in the morning, snowing by evening and vice versa. It is dry this year but spring usually finds the hills full of thick weeds, wildflowers and grasses. Kohnen’s, Petra Mediterranean, 4 Seasons Cafe and Red House BBQ are all fabulous restaurants. Thee are actually several great restaurants on Tehachapi but these 4 are exceptional.