Day 24Weldon, California

The heat is getting exhausting. Water points are rare and, the night before, I have to go down 1 mile out of the trail and pull it up to get 3 liters. The source appears to be on private property. Two men who train to shoot with rifles and speak only Spanish. Very strange meeting but we meet.

Back in the camp, I find that my gas cartridge is almost empty. There are still 3 nights before Kennedy Meadows, while food, batteries and physical energy also reach the limit. My 2 heels are painful, especially the left and the caloric deficit accumulates.

There’s about 80 miles left. I’m already thinking about the meals I’m taking when I arrive and the full day of rest I need. The end of the desert becomes as mental as it is physical, but it remains manageable.