My trip report from 12/31/23 – 1/2/23
Overview
This trail was a perfect shakedown hike to prepare for longer backpacking trips in the future. There were a few water sources (natural and manmade) to get familiarized with filtering and estimating how many liters to carry. The passes over ridges in the morning provided some cold weather extremes to try out warm layers while the canyons felt warmer and drier in the afternoon. Hiking in the winter following a day of rain gave me the opportunity I needed to test the warmth of my new sleep system with some temperatures in the high 30’s and extreme winds. I feel more prepared to confidently hit the PCT this spring after making a few additions to my pack.
This section of the PCT also intersects with multiple roads that provide optional bailouts (Bouquet Canyon Road, San Francisquito, and Lake Hughes Road) if things don’t work out, but plenty of beautiful isolated miles in between. None of the three roads are heavily used but you could still hitch towards SCV or the Antelope Valley. It felt safe but adventurous.
I encountered 5-10 people throughout the full three days and all but one were day hikers within a few miles of the road crossings. The campsites were vacant but this would be VERY different during the spring season when the PCT bubble and section hikers come through.
I had rides arranged for both ends of the trail. Having a Garmin InReach helped for some communication (nearly no cell service at second camp), but there were certainly enough points with AT&T service to coordinate rides near the the first and last few miles of the trail. I looked up the service map to see where to expect coverage and it did seem accurate throughout.
Day 1
Mile 454.5 -> mile 460.6 / Agua Dulce to Tentsite 1
I started my hike at 3pm. The sun sets at about 4:50pm this time of year so I decided to get out there in the evening for a bonus night. The true dirt trail is at mile 456 but I opted to start at my 454 to warm up with a road walk.
The trail blazes appear throughout the town and any significant intersections. Easy navigation!
After a moderate walk for a few miles, the trail begins to gain elevation.
During the first substantial climb, you’ll see the ranch where the movie Nope was filmed! This cloud is really committed to the bit.
The terrain is mostly grassy for this entire stretch up to the tentsite at mile 454. At some I had to push through it to stay on trail.
The tentsites I had chosen to hike to were marked on FarOut and are just beyond the tree below.
I got all set up in my tent (pitching it for the first time) and waited out the evening. I normally wouldn’t sleep for another 8 hours so there was no way around a poor night’s sleep.
However, this site really sucked for two reasons. It was not level and completely exposed. Wind came through all night and eventually my stakes were pulled up. After some failed attempts to re-stake the tent without getting out and losing it to the wind, I gave up and got the best rest I could while being pummeled by the wind in a flattened tent. With weather dipping under 40, it felt wisest to stay warm and wait it out.
The wind will fluctuate, but I would not camp here again because of the incline alone. I was shimmying my sleeping pad uphill the entire night.
All tucked in for a night of pretending to sleep!
Day 2
Mile 460.6 -> mile 474.2 / Tentsite 1 to Tentsite 2
The next morning, the wind was still unrelenting and I had to pack up with cold red-knuckled hands to get moving. I did not get out of the wind for many miles until I passed up and over the ridge.
With clouds blowing over the first summit, the terrain looked more coastal than I was expecting in the Sierra Pelona. The winds were punishing for an hour and a half.
Sweet relief! Immediately after crossing onto the north side of the ridge, the ecosystem shifts from grassland to oak woodland. The trees provide some coverage that was well appreciated and would be a great relief in the hotter months as well.
At mile 463.2 on the PCT, there is a spring that has a pipe for easier bottle collection. The flow rate can be checked on FarOut and seems to be reliable year round with perhaps a very low trickle in the late summer months.
Hoping to get real comfortable with cold soaking and stoveless meals!
On we go! The trail goes down into the valley and crosses Bouquet Canyon to the east of the Bouquet reservoir.
The trail is well graded and incredibly easy to follow. Most of it is a chaparral environment like the one below. The Sierra Pelona range means “bald mountains,” so don’t expect too many trees unless you’re dipping into the north-facing canyons that rarely see direct sunlight. I would probably suffer a bit if I did this during the summer.
Bouquet Canyon Road! Having grown up close to this section of trail, It’s trippy to see signage for the PCT and to know that thousands of hikers have been backpacking through here and sleeping in the hills that were a backdrop to my childhood.
San Francisquito Road will be the next intersection with civilization since the PCT does not cross Spunky Canyon Road. To access Spunky Cyn, you have to split off on another trail at around mile 471.5.
After making it to the less windy canyon and some south facing ascents, it felt like time to finally brush my teath and switch to the ol’ sun hoodie which I have no complaints about. It was cooling and breathable and I will happily wear it on the PCT if it means I don’t have to apply sunscreen on my arms and neck. The hood stays on easily and I sort of forget its there which I appreciate.
You can see the easy grading on the trail below. Nearly the entire trail was comfortably graded and quite easy with very few rocky portions or steps.
Looking west towards the Bouquet reservoir.
Nearly to the campsite!
It was time to get my gear in better shape after escaping the wind at the first site.
I felt much better about this site which was actually level, had plenty of rocks available, and at least some wind break from the shrubs.
If you’re considering a DupleXL from Zpacks, be prepared for the transparency, especially in the white material. Even my iphone could see the bushes through the tent a full 2 full hours after sunset.
Day 3
Mile 474.2 -> mile 485.8 / Tentsite 2 to Lake Hughes Rd.
The hike down towards green valley was expectedly easy. It was nice to start off with a descent first thing in the morning. I was headed towards the fire station just a short walk from the road intersection. According to FarOut, they are cool with hikers using the spigot and even camping off to the right on the property. Taxpayer win!
There’s a cool hiker log right before the San Francisquito road intersection. It’s cool to see how busy the trail is during hiker season and how thruhikers use the logs to communicate. I left a note for when I’m back here at the end of April!
The spigot was available thankfully and I quickly filtered a couple liters for the rest of the trek. The coffee was not missed and I learned that I didn’t want the laxative effects firs thing in the morning but I will give it another go in the future.
Added some packaged chicken to the couscous and it was not half bad! I would kill for some sauce or extra seasoning but it was palatable.
After ascending out of the canyon and up towards Grass Mountain, I could see right where I had camped the night before. Look at how gradual the trails are!
First view of the Antelope Valley! I wasn’t expecting it and it was exciting to look between Lancaster/Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
One thing that I love about the southern California mountains is that they are more lush than you would expect from afar. They are brown, yes, but they’re green in places you can’t see. These lush hillsides of oaks below grow in the winter just 20 feet from dry yucca covered hillsides. As you weave in and out of canyons, the ecosystems change over and over between shady woodlands and dry brush.
As you get closer to Lake Hughes road, the terrain shifts to a crushed gravelly soil which makes the trail a bit easier to slip around on. I was a bit more cautious on this stretch as there were some slides where the trail had eroded.
Finished mile 31 and coordinated my ride back home! I was overall very happy I decided to hike this stretch before hopping on the PCT at the southern terminus this spring.
Closed out the trip at the historic Rock Inn in Lake Hughes and will definitely come back some night for live music and another drink.
What I loved
- FarOut (RIP Guthook’s). I know, everybody knows about Guthooks/FarOut, but I finally took it off the back burner. Now I’m not sure I’ll ever backpack or hike without it! While I have used apps like Gaia with success, the social aspect of FarOut is what sets it apart for me. I think the most important element for me was seeing which water sources were flowing recently. Other hikers had updated the bear creek flow rate within the last week which gave me comfort that I could plan my water usage confidently. The map updated my location just fine when I didn’t have service and would still retain all of the other hiker notes for each blip on the trail.
What I would do differently
- Skip the first tentsite and make this a one-nighter. Now that I know what to expect, I would start early in the day at mile 454 (where the pavement ends) and hike to mile 474.2 where I camped the second night. I appreciated the experience of two consecutive nights since I had mostly new gear to test, but the trail is moderate throughout and can realistically be accomplished with a one night stay. It was never steep and I could handle a 15-20 mile first day on this section.
Tidbits
