This post originally appeared on The Trek. Read it here!

Day 15 – 29 May 2026: Surprise Reunion 

📍 Mile 266.1 | 🥾 41.58 km | ⛰️ +1,051m / -1,378m

It was surprisingly cold this morning. I sat in my quilt as I did my morning chores, reluctant to get out of it when I finally started to pack. I told myself to be bold and start cold, but couldn’t muster the courage. In the end, I was glad I didn’t. It got colder as I climbed higher, and on the north facing sides of the mountains there was actually ice clinging to the pine needles, dropping off in the wind and warm morning sun. It was delicately beautiful. 

I didn’t really have a plan for today. I thought maybe I’d get close to the road into Big Bear, then do a HERO (hike in, eat, resupply, out) tomorrow. But the trail seemed to fly by. At lunch, I decided to get ambitious: if I could make it to Highway 18 before 6pm, I’d give hitching into town a go. 

The afternoon flew by, too, as I left the pine trees behind and views of the desert opened up. I made it to the highway within my self-imposed deadline easily, without even trying to pick up my pace. I stuck my thumb out, and was soon joined by two other hikers. Not long afterwards we were in a car and on our way to town. 

I made it to the ITH Hostel just before their reception closed. As the receptionist gave me a tour, I waved hello to the other hikers in the kitchen – only to realise it was Chloe and Alice! What are the chances? They were heading into town for dinner with some other hikers who were staying elsewhere, and invited me to join. I was very happy to accept. 

The evening ended up being a pretty late one by hiker standards. 10.30pm. Everyone was clearly a little overexcited to be in town, especially after the Mission Creek ordeal. We spent hours laughing and chatting about the trail, other people on the trail, the upcoming sections, and life at home. We didn’t even want to leave, but when the staff began vacuuming we took the hint and finally cleared out. 

Day 16 – 30 May 2026: Town Vortex

📍 Mile 275.0 | 🥾 14.14 km | ⛰️ +379m / -254m

Although my tent feels like home now, there’s no sleep that compares to one in a real bed, even if it is in a hostel dorm. I woke up feeling almost hungover, even though I hadn’t had a drink last night. I headed straight for a shower and then put on my laundry before taking advantage of the free breakfast in the hostel kitchen. Other hikers slowly trickled in throughout the morning and it was a great community vibe as we chatted away for hours. 

I started to get a little anxious about not moving, not being productive. But I was held hostage by the laundry: it took HOURS to finish. By the time it was finally done at 10.30am I was practically chomping at the bit to leave. 

It was a Saturday and town was busy. I headed straight for the bus stop, destination: Grocery Outlet. It was a pretty good resupply. Cheap, at least. Dollar Tree was up next, and then finally Vons for a few last pieces. I also splurged on Talenti ice cream, so I could end up with a larger cold soak jar and fit in with all the Americans. By the time I finished repacking my haul – which I did in the parking lot like proper hiker trash – it was almost 2pm. 

I caught the bus out of town, took a short walk to the highway, and got a hitch within 5 minutes. Once again I was getting back on trail in the hottest part of the day. Why do I keep doing this to myself? I realised pretty quickly that I’d misread the elevation profile of this section. All up, it’s downhill. Except for this first section, which is uphill. I moved slowly with my full resupply. I’d been aiming to get at least 17 miles in, but called it a day at 9 instead. Lucky for me, there was trail magic there in the form of zero alcohol beers. It made dinner go down smoothly. 

Day 17 – 31 May 2026: How Do You Hike Your Own Hike?

📍 Mile 298.5 | 🥾 37.81 km | ⛰️ +575m / -1,377m

I woke up to another chilly morning. I could not get out of bed. I made a coffee and put on my socks to try and warm up. Neither helped. I read a little bit of my book on my phone, and then accidentally drifted back to sleep. When I woke again it was much warmer, the sun had finally reached my campsite. I got going at 9am, one of my latest starts yet. 

After a small climb I arrived at a much flatter section of trail with great views over Big Bear Lake. It looked beautiful, gleaming blue in the morning light, boats zipping along its surface. From there the walking was easy. Generally gently downhill through pine forest, and eventually down into scrub. 

All morning I was preoccupied by trying to figure out how, exactly, to hike my own hike. The PCT isn’t my first thru, though it will be my longest. I know a lot about how I like to hike – I like the challenge of big miles, I don’t do well if I don’t eat breakfast first thing, I don’t like stopping for lots of small breaks. But I specifically chose the PCT for the social experience, and it’s starting to feel like my hiking style is getting in the way. I’d been invited to spend a night in Wrightwood with a bunch of hikers I met in Big Bear. But to do that, I’d have to zero – and probably double zero. I find zeros, sitting still, hard. But maybe it’d be worth it if it meant I got the social experience I was after?

Still pondering, I eventually stopped for lunch by a creek, which was unfortunately lacking in shade and very close to a dirt road that was surprisingly busy. My siesta plans evaporated. As I dropped lower and lower in elevation the trail became more scrubby and overgrown. The desert plants are very hardy; this probably shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. They’re tall, too. Their branches whipped me, catching me in the face a few times, and scratched up my pack and my foam pad which is strapped to the outside. But the worst part was that I couldn’t see where I was putting my feet. I prayed that I wasn’t about to accidentally step on a snake. Luckily, I didn’t. 

The shadows started to grow longer just as I finally spotted my destination for the day: Deep Creek Bridge. I crossed it and descended the other side, which was very steep: I managed to lose my footing and almost fall. Of course, this was right in front of people. They were very nice, though, and didn’t laugh at me. They pointed out the flattest tent spot to me and as I pitched we got to know each other a little. They’re a couple from Denmark, Ditte and Benjamin, who spent the first months of the year living in Costa Rica. But darkness descended quickly and we all turned in. 

Day 18 – 1 June 2026: Trust the Process

📍 Mile 318.0 | 🥾 31.13 km | ⛰️ +598m / -994m

This morning’s trail wound high above a valley. It was gorgeous, if warm. I was grateful not to actually be down in the valley floor where it was no doubt even hotter, even if that’s where all the water was. I could hear it gushing all morning. 

Around noon I arrived at the famous hot springs. But I decided to skip a dip in them. The day was already warm, and getting into a warm spring didn’t sound appealing. Plus I had a bunch of open wounds and didn’t want to risk an infection. Who knows what filth resides in those warm pools?

My favourite view of the day came just after the hot springs, when the next mountain range started to appear on the horizon, looking like huge hulking rocks of purple and blue and black. It was nearing 2pm and I was excited to make it to the next water source for siesta, hoping it would have a view of the landscape ahead of me. 

No such luck. The water source actually turned out to be a nice creek but to get there I had to descend through a weirdly almost industrial area. It was surrounded by concrete but I’m not sure what it was; it wasn’t a dam. I thought it was strange. But there was plenty of shade, so after crossing the creek and eating lunch I lay down for a nap. 

At 4pm I got going again, aiming to make it to the next water source where I was planning to camp. There was a little bit of elevation gain involved, which almost drove me wild in the afternoon heat even though it really wasn’t that bad. I was also walking into a headwind which only made me more annoyed. 

When I made it to camp I discovered that not one of the tent sites were wind protected. Fantastic. But Ditte and Benjamin were there, too, and we commiserated over the rough night we were all probably in for. Running into these two felt a bit like a sign to keep hiking my own hike: I really liked them, and we would end up in Wrightwood at the same time – ahead of the group that had invited me to stay with them. The trail provides: maybe I just need to have a little more faith. 

We tried to wait the wind out before pitching, but all grew impatient and set up our tents, which flapped loudly in the wind. Luckily, around 9pm it did finally die off, so we all got a decent sleep. 

Day 19 – 2 June 2026: On Edge

📍 Mile 341.1 | 🥾 37.01 km | ⛰️ +862m / -907m

This morning I played a bit of leapfrog with Ditte and Benjamin as the trail sent us winding along the hillsides and we each took turns stopping for snack breaks. We were briefly deposited down into an industrial area for a little bit of roadside walking before we were back up into the hills once more. 

Then the unexpected: a lake! The morning was warm and the temptation to go for a dip was high. But the algae all along the lake shore was a strong deterrent. Plus the day was only getting hotter, so I decided to prioritise getting the miles done while it was still relatively cool. But the trail wrapped around the lake for several miles, as if to test me. 

When it finally left the lake I was sent into some surprisingly green mountains. Thankfully the climb through them was very gentle. But this is where the bug onslaught started. They were fairly relentless unless there was a gust of wind to blow them off course. My siesta plans once again went out the window; at the water source I simply filled up quickly and pressed on through the heat. 

Then, just as I began to count down the miles to my planned campsite, the landscape shifted dramatically. I arrived on a ridgeline with sweeping views over Cajon Pass. Jagged cliffs, rugged mountains, the heat of the afternoon sun making it all shimmer like magic. My pace for those final few miles dropped dramatically as I gazed open-mouthed at the view and stopped every few steps for photos. I was also held up by a snake on the trail: thankfully not a rattler, but I still didn’t want to take any chances so I backed up and sat in a patch of shade for 10 minutes. When I set off again there was no trace of it. 

I reached my planned campsite fairly early in the evening. I could’ve pushed on further, but decided to hang back because only a mile away was the famous McDonald’s. I wanted to be there for breakfast tomorrow morning. 

But the campsite was a little closer to the road, and civilisation, than I’d have liked. I didn’t love that anyone could easily just walk or drive down a dirt road and find me there. And I was the only hiker there. I remembered that Ditte and Benjamin had said they’d be camping a few miles further back, and I hadn’t seen anyone else on trail today. But it was camp here, or hike another 7 miles or so and skip the McDonald’s. So I set up my tent, hoping that the fact no one could see through the walls and work out whether I was a man or a woman, would provide me with some protection from any random weirdos who decided to turn up. 

At one point I heard a car door slam and some music started playing. I froze up, listening carefully, but the music eventually faded and I suppose the car must have left. I never really felt this anxious or worried about civilisation on Te Araroa. I’m not sure why it feels different here. Maybe it’s just that the New Zealand culture and people feel more familiar to me than American. There’s just something about the Americans that puts me on slightly higher alert. Maybe that’s unfair, but my gut feeling is a security system I won’t ignore. 

Day 20 – 3 June 2026: Loitering

📍 Mile 347.2 | 🥾 11.09 km | ⛰️ +355m / -237m

The promise of a McDonald’s breakfast made it easy to get up and break camp quickly this morning. It was nice not to have to make breakfast, knowing that in only a mile someone else would make it for me. That mile was actually incredibly beautiful, winding through a rocky canyon where the noise of traffic that had been constant all night was completely muffled. 

I arrived at the trail intersection and the Golden Arches came into view. As I made my way towards them I discovered, to my surprise, that I was on the famous Route 66. There were plenty of signs and monuments to distract me. But breakfast called. I stepped into the McDonalds, ordered, and quickly made friends with three other hikers who were already well into their breakfast. They were all college aged guys, on a mission to try and finish the trail before school resumed. They’d decided to take the McDonalds challenge (resupply for the next day and a half to Wrightwood on only McDonalds) to an extreme: they were skipping Wrightwood and resupplying to Agua Dulce, five days away, on McDonalds. Insane.

I chatted with them until they left and I could claim a power outlet to charge my power bank. Then I ordered some more food. Before long Ditte and Benjamin turned up and joined me at the table. We spent several hours chatting, and ordering multiple meals, as even more hikers trickled in and out. A surprising number of hikers came through: I’d seen almost no one over the last few days but the promise of fast food must have motivated some big miles. People had done 20, 25, 27 to make it there. 

It was hot down in the valley; I could feel the strength of the sun through the windows. The next water cache was only 6 miles away, but after that there was a 2,000 metre climb with no water. No way was I attempting that in the heat of the day, so I simply loitered in the McDonald’s until 4pm when it finally started to cool off. 

The first mile or two of trail after that was pretty industrial, sending me through underpasses where the roar of traffic made it less than pleasant. The roar slowly began to fade as I rejoined the single track and started winding my way uphill. But then I encountered my first rattler. I didn’t actually see it, it just rattled at me from deep within a bush that spilled onto the trail. My gut instinct was to backtrack, even though I knew as I did so that I should’ve just darted forwards. Instead I retreated to a patch of shade to give it some time to move on. But within a few minutes another hiker arrived, and I sent him ahead to clear it for me. But it seemed to have already retreated away. 

We ended up walking together for the next six miles, both gasping for breath as we tried to keep up conversation on the uphill. I was ahead, and spotted another snake – not a rattler – but had my typical shuddering, yelping shudder of horror snake reaction and was promptly laughed at. 

We arrived at the water cache, which was swarmed by bees and other bugs, and so I quickly pitched my tent and dove inside. It was a shame because it was a lovely evening and it would’ve been nice to eat dinner outside as the sun set over the mountains. Instead I turned in early, missing the best of golden hour. 

Day 21 – 4 June 2026: Hiker Clown Car, Jeep Edition 

📍 Mile 369.4 | 🥾 36.17 km | ⛰️ +1,741m / -624m

At 6.30am I was only half an hour into the trail and already drenched in sweat. It was going to be a hot day; the forecast was 31 degrees. I was on a mission to get this 2,000 metre climb, which didn’t offer much shade, done ASAP. The views back over the Cajon Pass valley and surrounding mountains were absolutely worth it though.

After a few hours I started to enter pine trees. The shade was incredibly welcome and I could feel that the temperature was cooler up here. This was an incredible relief. 

All of a sudden I came across a person lying in the middle of the trail. I froze, but then they moved. It turned out to be Alex, a hiker I’d met at McDonalds yesterday, who was just having a little lie down in the shade. We ended up walking together for the rest of the day, chatting easily. Well, he chatted and I listened, as I certainly didn’t have the breath to keep talking on the uphills. 

At the top of the climb we came upon a very welcome sight: a cooler full of trail magic in the form of ice cold soft drinks. It was utterly perfect to receive such a gift on such a hot day. When we set off again I felt completely renewed; my internal body temperature had lowered and I was definitely riding a sugar rush. 

We tried not to inhale too much dust as we traversed a burn area that was being cleared by diggers. Once we made it safely out of there we found a few nice logs to serve as lunch benches. Another hiker soon caught up to us and we all walked the final few miles to the highway together, pausing only when a large bird of prey suddenly descended right in front of us, catching a lizard before taking off. 

The highway had minimal traffic, as it was closed further up. Plenty of trucks went past and gave us friendly honks but didn’t stop to pick us up. After 15 minutes of waiting I decided to walk the 2 miles down to Big Pines in the hope of finding more traffic. But halfway down a two-person jeep pulled over. There were already three hikers in the back but they squeezed me in, too, clown car style. We were delivered right to the centre of Wrightwood. 

I had been planning on a HERO but it was later in the day than I’d hoped. The temptation of a shower and laundry, not to mention not having to tackle any more elevation gain, was great. I headed to the hardware store and contacted a trail angel from their list to arrange a place to stay for the night. Melissa was an absolute legend. I’d only asked for a place to pitch my tent but she ended up giving me her whole Airbnb space since no one was staying there that night. It was utter luxury, a real bed and a proper shower, a perfect end to week 3 on trail.