Trail Days: Wrightwood to Hiker Town

Back on Trail

Our hike out of Wrightwood started on the Acorn trail, a side trail to get back onto the PCT. With full packs of food we trudged up the 2.1 miles with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. At the start, I felt strong and confident as I lead our group up the trail. This was a big moment for me, I don’t always feel comfortable being at the front of the group. I wouldn’t consider myself a “leader” in any sense. Although I had to take a break due to the relentless heat, this felt like an accomplishment for me.

Submitting to the Summit 

The Acorn trail was really just preparation for our summit of Mount Baden-Powell the following day. This trail is 7.8 miles with 2,775 feet of gain. We woke up early to start our climb. The day was sunny and the energy was full of excitement. Many switchbacks later, the trail became lost under a blanket of snow. We followed the footprints straight up to the summit. Watching my trail family work their way up the mountain kept me motivated to make it to the top. The summit was filled with views of the neighboring mountains and valleys. “We did it!!!!” I exclaimed. We spent a short time basking in our victory before moving down the trail.

Trail Magic

Following our summit of Baden-Powell, we were met with trail magic over Memorial Day weekend! This included a delivery of Pizza Hut (thanks Devilfish!), breakfast burritos at the North Fork Ranger Station, a home cooked dinner at the KOA, and a hotdog cookout. How lucky are we?! This helped keep the moral high as we climbed up and down the desert mountains.

Big Milestones 

Tuesday, May 28th, marked 1 month on the trail! The trail is starting to feel like home. You adapt to new rhythms of the day. I’ve become more efficient at packing up camp in the morning and finding a pace during the day. And I somehow find the energy to set up at night.

The next day we hit 500 miles! When I started the trail it was hard to imagine actually making it that far. But there we were standing next to the rocks outlined in the numbers 500. If you are even thinking about starting the PCT, I promise that you are fully capable of making it happen. This journey has already shaped me in ways I didn’t expect but welcome whole heartedly. Let’s see what the next 2,150 miles hold for me…

With love,

Emma