PCT Hikers hit mile 485: Squirrels, Frogs and Turtle Parties
Jensen Douillard and Celia Peterson are all smiles on the Pacific Crest Trail. The pair are at mile 485 and have been delighting in the joy of new found friends.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., May 29, 2025 — Despite the attack of surly squirrels and detours around yellow-legged frogs, TDHS Grad Celia Peterson and Jensen Douillard have made it to mile 485 on the Pacific Crest Trail - a 2,650-mile jaunt from Mexico to Canada.
“We’re going slow,” said Celia, comparing herself to other hikers. “All the people around us started two weeks earlier.”
But that has made all the difference.
The couple recently fell into a bubble with four others who are also setting the same pace. They were hanging out in Palmdale, Calif., with four new friends when we chatted on May 25.
“We’re calling ourselves the Turtle Party,” she said.
Part of the Turtle Party enjoying some trail magic at a trail angels home in Agua Dulce, Calif.
“We don’t have trail names yet,” Celia added. “ But we have some good friends, that’s usually when the names come.”
In the past two weeks the pair have made it from Big Bear City, Calif., to a little past Agua Dulce, Calif.
Who? Me?
Outside of Big Bear, they took a day to enjoy the pools at Deep Creek Hot Springs.
But while they were recuperating, the squirrels were hard at work.
“They unzipped our tent,” Celia said laughing. “We we’re warned but I was being silly and left the snack bag out.”
The squirrels chewed a couple of holes in the tent and in Jensen’s sleeping bag before biting into the food bag for tea leaves and hot chocolate powder.
Three days later they ambled into the McDonalds at Cajon Pass where Jensen enjoyed his birthday breakfast… and lunch - the two stayed four hours while charging up their phones and batteries.
The next day they hiked 9 miles and caught a hitch to Wrightwood as there was a fire closure on trail. They headed to the Village Grind and were given a free coffee. Better yet, the seamstress from next door sewed their tent and Jensen’s bag and would not take payment.
“It’s just been like that,” Celia said. “You never know who is going to help you out. She was so sweet.”
From Wrightwood, they began the 16 mile ascent of Mt. Baden-Powell, which sits at an elevation of 9,383 feet.
Sometimes you have to take the high road.
They were literally walking in the clouds.
“It was a good climb and we camped at the top,” Celia said. “It was not windy that night and we could see all the lights of L.A. Awesome.”
Mt. Baden-Powell lived up to the hype on this night.
The next day also brought another detour as a section of the trail was closed to avoid the habitat of the endangered yellow-legged frog.
They ended up at Buckhorn Campground before making it to Highway 14 and a Hitch to Acton, Calif, where they took over the bar at the 49ers Saloon before deciding to hit a hotel in Palmdale.
Taking over at the 49ers Saloon in Acton, Calif.
Back on trail on the 27th for the push into Agua Dulce, and wouldn’t you know it, their new found friends ran into some trail angels.
They opened their home to all of the Turtle Party for the night with dinner, breakfast and a dunk in the pool via zip line.
Sometimes, you gotta let go and see where you land. It can be refreshing.
“Our new friends have the same mind set. It should be fun,” Celia said. “You don’t have to be miserable all the time. You need to take time to relax… if you make it so miserable, you will not be here anymore. Long as we’re still out here, we’re still winning.”
