Day 29: Mile 317.9 – 341.2

I woke up from cowboy camping from a dead sleep, which never happens. I think something about the flat, lovely spot contributed to that. I set my alarm a little earlier than the others so I could take more time in the morning, which was perfect, because Rory, Clare, and I were ready to leave at the same time.

The morning hike was fantastic. The mountains were casting shade and trapping cool air on the trail, and the hiking was easy and mostly flat amongst the chaparral. We hiked together, chatted, and played a game where we tried to guess each person’s favorite and least favorite piece of gear in their kit.

I was feeling so good and happy this morning. It was great to hike with my friends, and I was moving so fast after a good rest and the easy hiking. My watch was clocking me at over 3mph, which is really quick for me.

After passing through some industrial area for the Cedar Springs Dam, we started the first climb of the day.

At a certain point, we turned a corner, and there was Silverwood Lake! I can’t explain how nice it is to walk next to water after being in the desert.

We took a long break at Cleghorn Picnic Area, after doing 10 miles before 11am. That was the fastest morning I’ve had yet!! We needed the break so much after pushing that hard. There were so many biting flies, and a State Park employee mowing the grass, which sent dust flying everywhere. We didn’t care. There was shade, picnic tables, a faucet, and a Port-a-potty.

The hike out of the State Park was beautiful in a way I haven’t encountered yet. The landscape had been burned by wildfire (in 2025, I later googled), but there were so many wildflowers blossoming everywhere. The contrast between the blackened trees and the clover, poppies, and wildflowers was striking.

The debate was whether we should push to McDonalds at Cajon Junction today. If we made it there, that would mean hiking 23 miles in total today, which would be my biggest day by a lot. I was really indecisive— did I want to stay with my group? Or not push myself? It felt like the answer to the McDonalds question was no on the uphills and yes on the parts going down. This lasted the whole of the climb and descent out of the state park.

My group officially planned to go to McDonalds after mile 15. I was on the fence. My legs and feet hurt. I didn’t think I wanted to go on. I hiked down in the heat, scoped out tent sites, and the serendipitously ran into Jay. He was pushing for the McDonalds and seemed so excited.

I thought about how lonely I felt the other day, and how much fun it was to hang out with people, and made a split decision to get to McDonalds. It was hot but surprisingly beautiful, and the hiking was not too hard.

I walked under some power lines the made the weirdest noises, and looked up to the ridge to see all my friends cheering me on!

I climbed up the ridge, turned a corner, and arrived at a steep drop. The view of the San Gabriels as the sun was setting, with a steep canyon below me, was one of the most stunning views I’ve seen on trail. It made the push 100% worth it for me.

I called Isabel and chatted with her for the last two miles. The ridgeline trail was stunning, even with the sounds of the train horns and the I-15.

I arrived just as the sun was setting. My feet and legs were absolutely thrashed and I was exhausted.

I celebrated with Rory, Jay, and Clare that we made it. They were so happy to see me and that the group stayed together! They were nervous about leaving their packs unattended before walking down to the highway, so I offered to stay at camp and guard them. I couldn’t really eat much dinner anyways since the vegetarian options are so limited.

I set up my tent in record time, and immediately blew up my sleeping pad so I could be horizontal. I felt my body buzzing with soreness and exhaustion. I couldn’t believe I made it.

I relaxed for a few hours, listening to the sounds of the powerlines, train horns, and highway noises coming from Cajon Junction. At 10pm, my friends arrived back to camp, and Clare dropped off a milkshake at my tent. Just like DoorDash! I drank the milkshake immediately, grateful to have easy, delicious calories.

I’m proud of myself today. It’s hard to know your limits until you test yourself against them, and it’s good information to know that I can do 20+ miles. I don’t think that’ll be the norm just yet, but it really displays how much my trail legs are forming. Plus I’m happy to be sticking with my friends!!

My stomach hurts from the milkshake sugar rush. I’m scared about what my body will feel like in the morning, and absolutely ready to pass out for the night.

Day 31: Mile 341.2 – 353.9

I tossed and turned all night, and had dreams where I was stress hiking. I think this is what happens when I don’t wind down enough before bed out here. I woke up at dawn even though I didn’t set an alarm.

Everyone was still asleep, but I wanted to get an early start to get to McDonalds so I could drink coffee after my bad sleep (and use the bathroom, LOL!). I packed up my stuff and headed down trail.

It really shocked me how beautiful the one mile hike to the McDonald’s was. It was through a rocky canyon with a bubbling stream. It was green and cool, and I couldn’t help thinking about how many times I’d driven through Cajon Pass getting between Las Vegas and SoCal. I would never believe that something so beautiful would be here, right next to the speeding cars and powerlines.

I got off trail and walked on the old Route 66 to get to McDonald’s, an easy .4 off trail.

At last, I reached the promised land— McDonalds!! My aunt Moomie gave me money to treat me to a huge breakfast, for which I was so grateful!!

I sat alone drinking my McCafe latte for a while. It felt absolutely blissful to just sit somewhere, in A/C, and catch up on my blog posts. It was so simple, but I felt endlessly grateful for the hot coffee, even though it was just from McDonalds.

Hikers started pouring in as the morning progressed. Soon, the whole wing of the restaurant was taken over by PCT hikers. It was so fun to meet new people. The other patrons of the McDonalds came up to us and asked us lots of questions and congratulated us on our journey thus far.

I stayed at the restaurant until noon, which meant I was there for about five hours! Clare and I left together. We crossed below to I-15 underpass and began section D of the PCT.

I loved the landscape west of 1-15. We passed through the Mormon Rocks, which were huge sandstone formations jutting out of the desert between the train tracks. It was breezy, making this typically hot section extremely tolerable for hiking.

Climbing farther away from I-15, I was feeling slight melancholy. Maybe it was exhaustion from our big mileage day yesterday, or the way that the clouds looked over the desert that reminded me of home. I thought about how my mom would take my brother and I to McDonalds down the street when we were growing up, and we’d each get a huge hotcake breakfast. I was missing my family. It’s surprising what can split you open out here, right when you least expect it.

Clare and I took a long break at the water cache, and then started the long climb up the San Gabriels.

The trail would rise over 6,000 feet from the desert floor. I read a quote from John Muir (from my nerdy guidebook!) that made me trepidatious:

“In the mountains of San Gabriel, overlooking the lowland vines and fruit groves, Mother Nature is most ruggedly, thornily savage.”

Although it was all uphill, the coolness of the breeze and setting sun made it a doable experience.

There were so many wildflowers and the hillsides were green with chaparral. I hiked with Rory for a bit, and we chatted for a few miles. The views and the conversation made the time go by quickly.

We hiked into the sunset. It was gorgeous. Our campsite faced the cities of Victorville and Hesperia, and sat underneath an incredible view of Mt. Baldy. It was definitely one of my favorite campsites thus far.

It was late by the time I settled into my tent, after eating dinner. Today had been such a good day. It was full of friends and emotions that made me feel grateful for the people back home supporting me.

Tomorrow, we finish our climb into the San Gabriel Mountains, and will drop into the town of Wrightwood to have a zero day. Today held fewer miles than the last couple of days, but tons of elevation gain, so I’m starting to feel the need for rest.

Day 32: Mile 353.9 – 369.4

I woke up to catch predawn over Hesperia. I’ve started waking up early to give myself more time for breakfast, hot coffee, and getting a head start since I hike a little slower.

I was in a very good mood this morning, excited to get to town and energized by the views of Baldy and the valley below. I started the morning off by listening to “Music From the Big Pink,” by The Band. I really loved listening to it, with “The Weight,” and “To Kingdom Come,” being favorites. Thank you for the recommendation Darla!!

The views in the morning were immediately breathtaking. I turned a corner while hiking along the crest of the mountain, and could see all the way down to San Jacinto, and down to the San Bernardino area, where a low layer of clouds obscured the city below. It made me emotional to see both the beauty and the progress this view represented. I’ve come so far!

Listening to music and climbing, I felt really good. It was consistently uphill, but not steep, and I was just plugging away at it. I couldn’t believe I was almost in the Los Angeles area, and also that it had been one month since I started the PCT. I felt so happy and satisfied to be here. I had made such a good friend in Clare, and was doing really good physically and mentally out here. I walked with an overwhelming sense of pride in myself and the choices I’ve made in my life that got me to this point.

The climb did wear on at a point, especially when I started approaching the burned area from the Bridge Fire in 2024. I vividly remember seeing this fire burn while driving from LA to Montana two years ago, and it was wild to be at the center of destruction. The blowdowns were so bad that I ended up road walking for about a mile instead of following the trail.

I had walked ten miles by the time I made it up the steep hill to Guffy Campground, where Rory, Clare, and Jay were waiting. It was windy, and you could almost see views of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean through the haze. I made a hot lunch and enjoyed bartering with Jay to take some of his McDonalds sauces in exchange for Cliff Bars.

The last five miles were up and down, and I was just so ready to be in town. Coming over the crest, I saw Mount Baden-Powell, which we would climb on Monday! The views were really pretty and open from the fire, and the air was fragrant with chaparral plants and wildflowers.

I was exhausted by the time we made it to the trailhead, where we got a hitch from a section hiker’s wife. We came into Wrightwood in the late afternoon. I checked into my hostel, and ran (more like hobbled) to the grocery store to get my town provisions: blueberries, fancy cheese, and chocolate milk. I met up with the bigger trail family at their AirBnb, and we had a lovely pasta dinner. We talked about how we all felt ready to do big miles, but also wanted to enjoy the little moments here and there during this next stretch of trail.

I went back to my hostel absolutely ready to sleep. I’m ending my first month on the PCT on such a good note with this huge day (15 miles, 4,000 feet) and I’m the company of group that I can see myself hiking with for a while. I see myself as an independent person, but this section of trail has taught me the value of leaning on others. I really loved hiking with Clare, Rory, and Jay this week. Plus, I learned that my endurance and speed is significantly ramping up, and I can handle the miles it takes to hike with this group.

I’m so excited to zero, and I feel like I really need it. Posting might be delayed since I don’t know when my next zero will be, but I appreciate that everyone is keeping up with me and I’ll try to keep up with the blog in a timely manner in return!