Tehachapi News

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Many California towns help Pacific Crest Trail hikers as they make their way on foot from Mexico to Canada. The Tehachapi area has a group of “Angels” who help these intrepid hikers with rides to and from trailheads during the hiking season from April through October.
The coordination of the Angel Group is done by George and Anne Marie Novinger through the Apple Shed. The list of Angels has dwindled to three persons! More Angels are needed. If you would be willing to be a Pacific Crest Trail Angel, call 822-5379 to have your name and telephone number placed on the list.
Also, if you see tired-looking hikers along Tehachapi Boulevard, 202, Tucker, or Mill Street, usually carrying a backpack or sacks of groceries, consider giving them a ride. It’s a long way from downtown motels to the markets and the post office.
Some of the contacts with hikers are in person, some by phone and some by e-mail. One year, for example, a university professor from the Mid-West e-mailed an Angel asking for help getting himself and two students from LAX to a trailhead near Lancaster during the month of June. He was given information about an LAX-Lancaster shuttle bus and was told that he and his companions could be picked up by an Angel from that location and driven to the trailhead. This arrangement worked perfectly! This gentleman continues to correspond with the Angel even today.
Courageous and energetic Pacific Crest Trail hikers carry heavy packs on their way from border to border, packing everything they need including water. The distance from downtown Tehachapi to the nearest trailhead is 9 miles each way. The trail climbs north from Cameron Canyon 16 miles with no water along the way, and water is heavy. Join the Angel group and give a lift to these interesting folks from all over the United States and other countries. Who knows, you may even try the trail yourself someday!