PCT 2023 | DAYS 42-46 ACTON TO HORSE CAMP

DAY 42

Miles Hiked: 10.4 miles

After over a week of zeros to rest my ankle and wait for my trail family, it is time to get back on trail! I started off the morning mostly solo hiking, then hiked with Heather until lunch at Vasquez Rocks, and with Doe through Vasquez Rocks to 2 Foot Adventures in Agua Dulce. It is time for new shoes! My Altra Olympus 5’s held up really well overall, but the tread was gone and the sole was getting thin at the heel — I went up another half-size. Heather, Doe, Bad Ass, and I walked to Serenity Oasis for the night. A great newer trail angel in Agua Dulce. Farmer John’s ‘Serenity Oasis’ offers camping, showers, laundry, resupply (basically a small grocery shed), charging, water, a lounge area, and more. We had an early dinner at Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant.

DAY 43

Miles Hiked: 10.9 miles

A morning of road walking through Agua Dulce, climbs, and lots of tall grass. A huge swarm of bees flew past as I reached the top of the climb. We stayed at Bouquet Canyon and hid under a big shade tree until it was cool enough to set up our tents.

DAY 44

Miles Hiked: 12.6 miles

Bouquet Canyon to Green Valley. So thankful for my sun umbrella. Hopped from stream to stream, every couple miles, soaking my Buff each chance I got. As soon as I was a couple miles from the fire station, I was cruising. It was mostly downhill, aside from one final ascent near the end. I went straight for the shade and picnic area, no other hikers around. I was soon joined by many others and we hitched into Green Valley to buy some cold drinks and ice cream.

DAY 45

Miles Hiked: 14.7 miles

Hot, exposed, and lots of climbing…and did I mention Poodle Dog Bush?

It was an early start out of Green Valley Fire Station. We didn’t have a set camp for the night, but we wanted to make at least 13-14 miles. The miles between Green Valley and Lake Hughes Road came and went with ease, then heat started to kick in mid-morning, with nothing but climbing ahead of us. Most of us continued on, while Heather and Doe stayed back, opting to hitch into Lake Hughes. The climb felt endless, and we were soon desperate to find shade to sit out the afternoon heat. We saw our first Poodle Dog Bush, which multiplied not long after, covering the landscape.

We found shade around mile 489 and spent the next couple of hours taking a siesta. While the heat would linger for a few more hours, Bad Ass, Eagle Eye, and I decided to push on a few more miles to find camp. We road-walked on the dirt road to avoid a thicker area of PDB and found a large campsite at a turnout. There was no shade, but we fixed that problem using my tent,a couple groundsheets, and our three sun umbrellas. There was water, but it was the last thing we wanted to drink (despite being cold). We filtered and then boiled. I only used a small amount for dinner. Luckily there was fresh water about 2.5 miles down trail for the next morning.

DAY 46

Miles Hiked: 15.3 miles

More Poodle Dog Bush to start the day and then like magic…it was gone. Well, mostly. Tree cover and green grass took its place. It was a beautiful trail for much of the day, different from the exposed trail we had come from. Never fear though, the PDB returned.

500 MILES!

We made it to Horse Camp, which was a little sketchier than expected. Some leaning trees definitely made me nervous (luckily the wind died down).