Daily Mileage
14.87
Elevation
2303 feet up
1644 feet down
Campsite
Mile 471.4
Total Miles Hiked
326.2
Hours Spent Hiking
5 hours 50 minutes
The Best Part?
🌞Late start (9:45 am), ice cream from the Green Valley Market and a long break
What Did I Learn?
👉Poisonous plants suck
Date Hiked
May 12, 2023
PCT Trail Journal: Day 31 Lake Hughes Road to Mile 471.4
Mentally day 31 from Lake Hughes Road to Mile 471.4 was a complete 180 compared to the day before. I was loving being on the trail! My mood/attitude on the trail was so variable!
We woke up to our tents was full of condensation on the inside. That’s the downside of beautiful campsites by the water. Things needed to dry out so we took it slow. It was book and coffee time.
We finally hit the trail at 9:45 am. Late start! There was a 1200 ft climb that didn’t feel too bad. It was gradual and not too hot yet. There were sections with great cool microclimates and trees. We would walk through one and yell, “AC!”
There was a long down to get to the road to go to Green Valley Market. We knew that we could get a hitch into the market but were like nah, we have enough food. That changed quickly as soon as we all started to get hungry. Conversations turned into what we would get. Basically a lot of ice cream.
We didn’t get to wait long for a hitch. A local named Fred picked us up and offered to drive us back 30 minutes later! Amazing!
The gas station was pretty good with lots of snacks, ice cream and beer. I got Haagen Daz, Starbucks espresso can, a 6 pack, peanut M & M’s, an apple (because I’m healthy), and a Naked juice (also because I’m healthy). We drank coffee and ate our ice cream outside while waiting for Fred. It was great!
We went to the fire station that allows PCT hikers to get water, charge devices, and camp. There were a lot of other thru-hikers hanging out. It was fun! We chilled for 2 hours and then hit the trail.
Feeling like a million bucks coming out of Green Valley
It was pretty hot and we had a small climb. It was gradual and didn’t feel torturous like the climb out of Hikertown. There were a lot of water sources. We also got our shirts and hats wet. That felt amazing.
We also dodged poison oak. There was a lot by all the water sources. Dang poisonous plants! I think I got some on my pants. I’m going to throw these pants out and get new ones in Agua Dulce.
There were 6 miles to our campsite. By the last 2 miles, I was done. My feet hurt and I was hungry and tired. We were arriving pretty late and I was worried about getting campsites. Luckily there were 2 left. Mine is surrounded by poison oak so that’s interesting.
Tomorrow is a town day. It’s 16 miles away so we need to get an early start. I got all my water filtered. I’m ready to go in the morning! The plan is to get up early and leave by 7:30.
We are going to stay at Serenity Oasis in Agua Dulce and eat Mexican food with margaritas. Can’t wait!
Read my PCT Trail Journal Day 30: Bear Camp to Lake Hughes Road here
Read my PCT Trail Journal Day 29: Hikertown to Bear Camp here
Read my PCT Trail Journal Day 28: Mile 528.0 to Hikertown here
Trail Self-Reflection
✨3 Things I’m Grateful For
1. Late starts
2. Easy hitches
3. Coffee and ice cream
✨3 Things I’m Excited About
1. Town day!
2. Mexican food and margaritas
3. Getting hitch for the last 2 miles to Serenity Oasis
🌟How Was Today? Did I enjoy it?
Today was a great day. We had a late start, got ice cream, and had a long break with beer.
⛺How Was My Gear?
More protection from my pants. There was a lot of poison oak today.
💪How did my Body Feel?
My feet were really hurting the last couple of miles. It’s dull achey pain. My back was really unhappy towards the end as well.
🍴How was my food situation?
Good! I had fun treats from the Green Valley Market.
🤔What did I learn and how will I action it?
Long pants are important. I don’t want to be super cautious with every step. When I’m tired I just want to get done. If I didn’t have pants I’m sure I would have poodle dog bush and poison oak already. I know all the folks that love shorts are like I don’t know how you can hike in pants 🤣. I know it’s totally preference!
Map for Hiking the PCT
Maps are fun. Plus you should always have a paper map.
PCT National Geographic Maps
Map pack for the PCT (affiliate link)!
