PCT Day 27, Mile 430 to Acton KOA (mile 444)

Day 27
Mile 430 to Acton KOA (mile 444), 14 miles
Cost: $15 to camp

It was so cold when I woke up at 5am that it was impossible to get up. I snuggled deeper inside my sleeping bag and slept for another hour before forcing myself to start to pack up. To warm up, I cooked a breakfast of oatmeal (which I usually eat cold) and drank a huge cup of tea.

A hot breakfast

I could hear JBird starting to stir in his tent but he wasn’t in a hurry to get up either and was trying to keep warm.

I eventually left and the goal for today was to get to Acton as soon as possible (only 14 miles away) and relax in the warm sunshine of a lower altitude for the rest of the day.

I was wearing all of my gear for the first 2 hours before it got warm enough to start peeling the layers off. The extra layers were also protecting me through a lot more poodle dog bush – this stuff has been everywhere the last few days!

I could see the campground and hear lots of noise coming from it as the trail winded around the mountains. When the trail hit the main road and I crossed over a car park, a family offered me a bottle of water or Gatorade. I graciously accepted the Gatorade and drank it all down in one go. Thank you to the family who gave me this!

I walked into the campground, saw familiar hiker faces, set up my tent, paid my $15 fee, got laundry detergent and change for the washing machine, pucked up my resupply box and two packages from Howard (thank you!), picked up some hiker loan clothes (left behind by other hikers to wear while you shower/wash your clothes), dropped mine and JBird’s clothes into the washing machine and jumped into the shower.

I bumped into Eyeore and his wife and it was lovely to see him again, I hope we’ll have a chance to walk together again on the trail.

With Eyeore and his wife

A group of us ordered Chinese food for dinner, then I crawled into my tent and called dad from Skype. It was a lovely, relaxing afternoon and evening.