Nicholas Tierney - PCT Day 28: Wrightwood is really nice ( Mile 266

Date: 2023-06-02
Pct day: 28
Start: Mile 266
End: Mile 269
Distance: 3 Miles
Ascent: feet
Descent: feet
Start name: Blue Ridge Camp
End name: Wrightwood
Wake up: 07:45
Start hiking: 08:20
At camp: 09:25
In bed: 10:46
Where I slept: bed
Shower: yes

Key moments

had a luxurious sleep in
I have now gotten faster at packing up - I forgot a trick I learned hiking the alpine walking track. You just have to take your sleeping bag off of you and pack that away first. Then by the time you do that you take off your camp clothes and shove them in your bed - then you’re in your hiking clothes and before you know if your sleeping mat and things are shoved in your bag.
I was able to have everything except my tent packed up by about 755. So took about 15 minutes to pack up this way
But then theres breakfast and packing up the tent - normally packing up a tent can be a bit of a wet / damp experience but it’s been so dry here that isn’t a problem
the campground had a picnic table - always a really nice luxury. Really though, a level surface to sit on and put your things on, and to be sitting at a table at an even height with others is great
Adam and Amelia had already headed off to town but I saw a new hiker friend, Kristen, and was able to have her witness me finishing the McDonalds challenge; an Apple fritter (not really a fritter, Maccas) and a McMuffin of some kind. It was very smushed.
Honestly I’ve come out of this challenge liking Maccas even more than before. Thought I’d hate it but the food was a Real treat on trail
It was a short walk to the trailhead on the highway - strange walking along ski lifts with no people on them. Felt like some kind of abandoned mall or something
if arranged to stay with a trail Angel in town who could give me a ride from the freeway where the trail meets the road. Unfortunately I didn’t have any reception there - but annoying as I’m paying all this money for ATT
Anyway it was only 6 miles to town so I started walking as some other hikers who walked up to the trail told me there wasn’t much traffic on this road anyway as it had only just recently openened due to snow cover.
After about 10 minutes of walking a nice lady picked me up and dropped me off. She was very kind and told me a story of how she picked up a hiker a few years ago with blisters so bad he ended up drying at her house for a week
People are so kind
I met up with Chopper and Snaps at Grizzly cafe and had a nice breakfast with them before heading out and seeing other hiker friends about town
It was a nice reunion of sorts
The hardware store in town also had “hiker bag parking “ where they let you park your bag next to some cctv cameras and walk around town.
I picked up all my things from The post office - so much new gear!
- Wide sleeping mat
- wide pillow
- New backpack
- New camp shoes
- New thinpad to sleep under my sleeping pad
- Compression bag for my sleeping bag
Adam and Amelia and I went up to our trail angels place, got the tour, and got loaner clothes and got our washing all done while we showered. The trail angels were Mamacita Mama bear and Kittyhawk. They were super nice. And very kind.
after a bunch of planning and sorting through my bounce box, a quick beard trim from my beard trimmers I put in the bounce box, I wa already to go back into town and mail some more things and do a resupply
Had an another hiker reunion with Jeremy and Kristi, it turns out Jeremy found my Toilet trowel i lost! The trail provides.
The local supermarket in town was so well set up for hikers - they rearranged the store so hiker food was at the front of every aisle pretty much.
Everyone in town was very friendly, it was quite humbling