Note: I am taking the PCT while working full time remotely. I work Monday through Thursday from my RV, run Monday through Thursday nights, and hike Friday through Sunday before returning to base camp. It’s a balance between miles of trails, logistics and recovery; Learn more about how it works here: https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/my-plan-to-hike-the-pct.
Section D was the first time I felt like I was really getting better at this.
Not only survive the road, but adapt to it.
The mistakes didn’t stop, but the consequences began to seem more manageable. The recovery was faster. The decisions were more intentional. And for the first time I could see the gap between where I started and where I am now.
Section Snapshot
- Miles: 342.0 → 453.8
- Start/End: Paso Cajón (I-15) → Agua Dulce
- Conditions: Cold mornings, lingering snow high, desert warming
- Land: San Gabriel Mountains → high ridges → gradual descent into high desert
- Style: Hybrid (RV base + trail running + night)
- Passed: Faster and more efficient, with fewer breakdowns
- RV Campgrounds: Monte Cristo Camp: Thousand Paths Soledad Canyon
Mileage
- Wednesday, April 15, 2026 — Mile 242.0 to 351.8
- Thursday April 16, 2026 — Mile 351.8 to 369.4
- Friday, April 17, 2026 — Mile 369.4 to 383.9
- Saturday April 18, 2026 — Mile 383.9 to 404.3
- Sunday, April 19, 2026 — Mile 404.3 to 418.6
- Monday, April 20, 2026 – Tuesday, April 21, 2026 — Zero days (0 miles)
- Wednesday April 22, 2026 — Mile 418.6 to 436.0
- Thursday April 23, 2026 — Mile 436.0 to 453.8
What defined section D
Section D was defined by contrast.
Cold mornings and snow high above gave way to a dry, rolling desert. The steep climbs in San Gabriel became smoother, more rideable terrain.
It is also a section where small decisions had more weight. It’s not catastrophic, but it’s enough to change my day.
At this point, the basics were already defined and now it was about refinement.
Coming Back Slowly: Just Miles and Wrightwood
The section began with two days of solo advancing north from Cajon Pass.
These miles felt stable and controlled. A combination of hiking and trail running, with terrain that allowed both. The trail gradually ascended into the San Gabriel Mountains and the air felt noticeably cooler than in the lower sections of the desert behind me.
Every night, I returned to my RV instead of continuing on the road.
That pattern continues to shape the way I experience the PCT. I move faster during the day, recover more fully at night, and reset before going out again.
Thursday night I drove to Wrightwood and stopped at a local brewery.
After a day of traveling, sitting down to a hot sandwich and a beer seemed like a completely different world. It’s a strange contrast, going from remote ridges to a small mountain town in the span of a few hours.
Mount Baden-Powell: small mistakes, real consequences
The climb to Mount Baden-Powell was the decisive moment of the stage.
That morning started out cold enough to delay the hike until around 9 a.m. The increased elevation maintained winter conditions and patches of snow covered sections of the trail.
Before starting, I made two decisions:
- Leave my microspikes behind
- Leave my stove behind
Both were mistakes.
As I climbed, the snow began to cover the trail more steadily. Without traction, each step required concentration. Twice I slipped.
Neither fall was serious, but both were enough to get my attention.
In exposed sections, I found myself leaning my body toward trees as I crossed snowy fields, thinking about what would happen if I lost my balance completely. It wasn’t panic, but it wasn’t comfortable either.
That kind of mental load builds up.
Despite that, the summit delivered.
Clear views stretched across the San Gabriels and into the desert beyond. What stood out the most was not the landscape, but the people.
I’d barely seen anyone on the trail all day, but there were about 20 hikers at the top. He felt disconnected from the loneliness of the climb.
Even stranger, I ran into the same hiker I had met my first week.
This was the fourth time our paths had crossed.
The path has a way of rearranging people in ways that don’t seem to make sense.
That night I stayed in Little Jimmy Campsite.
There were about 30 people camped there, one of the busiest nights I’ve seen so far. The temperature dropped quickly and it was another cold night.
But this time something changed.
Another hiker showed me how to properly attach my quilt to my sleeping pad to eliminate drafts.
It worked.
For the first time in cold conditions, I stayed warm enough to sleep consistently, getting between 5 and 6 hours of sleep.
That felt like progress.
Road Trips and Mental Compensations
The next day presented a different kind of challenge.
A four-mile section of the trail was closed due to endangered frog habitat, requiring walking on the road.
Physically it was not difficult.
Mentally it was.
Hard pavement replaced the trail. The landscape flattened. Each step seemed repetitive and my feet began to hurt like they didn’t on earth.
The only thing that made it manageable was the people.
I ended up walking with some other hikers along the trail and the conversation went on for miles. It was one of those reminders that sometimes experience matters more than the terrain itself.
Efficiency versus experience
As the section progressed, I returned to my hybrid approach.
Using my RV as a base, I went back to a lighter setup and started running trail sections again. The difference was clear. I moved faster, felt stronger, and recovered better.
Miles 418 to 444 through the Angeles National Forest were a good example of this.
This section was gentle, exposed in places, but much less technical than the previous sections. The long ridges, gradual elevation changes, and a more consistent base made it ideal for moving quickly. I was able to establish a pace, run on the flat and downhill, and cover distance efficiently without constantly checking every step.
He felt controlled.
But he also highlighted compensation.
I spent more time passing people than walking with them. The conversations were brief, just a few passing words before continuing. I wasn’t part of a group and I wasn’t really building relationships on the trails in the same way.
At the same time, my setup is further shaping that experience.
I have walked many of these miles during the day and returned to my RV at night, especially when the temperatures drop. I don’t enjoy sleeping in a tent in cold conditions and avoiding those nights has made the overall experience more comfortable.
But this raises a question.
Am I skipping something important?
The Sierra is approaching and camping in the cold and outdoors will not be optional there. By avoiding those conditions now, you could be missing out on the opportunity to gain experience when the stakes are lower.
Right now the system works.
But it’s increasingly clear that efficiency and convenience come at a cost.
finishing strong
In the final stretch towards Agua Dulce, something had changed physically.
It didn’t hurt the same anymore.
After longer days of hiking and trail running, my body recovered faster. The same mileage that previously left me sore now seemed manageable.
That doesn’t mean it was easy.
It means I’m adapting.
The terrain began to open up into hills and high desert as I approached the end of the section. The trail seemed less technical, more about movement than navigation.
One of the last highlights was Rocas Vásquez Natural Area Park.
The rock formations rise abruptly out of the desert, angled and jagged, appearing almost unnatural compared to the landscape. It’s one of those places that feels familiar even if you’ve never been there.
An appropriate milestone to close the section.
- Equipment decisions (spikes and stove)
- Key gear left behind to reduce weight.
- It resulted in unsafe and cold walking conditions.
- Lesson: Weight savings shouldn’t compromise safety
- Snow travel without traction
- Increased mental stress and slow movement.
- Lesson: Conditions Matter More Than Mileage Goals
- Fatigue when walking on the road
- It caused foot pain and mental fatigue.
- Lesson: Terrain Type Affects Impact More Than Distance
- Social speed trade-offs
- A faster pace reduced interaction with other hikers.
- Lesson: efficiency changes experience
- There is still snow at the elevation: Even in Southern California, higher elevations like Baden-Powell can retain snow well into spring.
- Cold nights require proper setup: The temperature drops quickly. Small adjustments to sleep systems can make a significant difference.
- Trail closures occur: Detours, including road trips, are part of the experience and should be factored into your planning.
- The hybrid approach is still viable: Frequent road access points continue to support a program of work and walking, but that may change in later sections.
Section D was not about learning new systems.
It was about improving within what I already have.
Fewer errors. Better recovery. More awareness of how small decisions impact the day.
At the same time, a new tension becomes more evident.
Moving efficiently feels good. Covering miles quickly, reducing stress, and staying on schedule makes sense.
But there is a trade-off.
The faster I move, the less I experience trailing with other people.
That balance is increasingly difficult to ignore.
Because at some point the question is not just how I finish the PCT.
That’s how I want to experience it on the road.
