Day 5 - In the Sun

Day 5 - Monday, April 30
Pioneer Mail (52.7) to Rodriguez Spur (68.4)
Miles today - 15.7

I didn't sleep well last night. The dryness here makes my nose stuffy so I have to breathe through my mouth, but then my mouth gets bone dry in seconds. Also, I think I'm allergic to something here. I was sneezing all night. When I did actually get a little sleep I had one of the worst dreams I think I've ever had. I was happy when morning came around.

I hiked almost the entire day with Charles. He's in his 50's and from San Antonio. I think we're going to head into Julian tomorrow. It was warm and sunny all day again, and the only relief I had in the shade was when I took a break behind a water tank. No natural shade anywhere.







We didn't see many hikers on the trail, but there's a whole bunch of us camping together. When there aren't many water sources around, everybody seems to make them their destination for the day.

Day 4 - Mount Laguna

Day 4 - Sunday, April, 29
Long Canyon Creek (38) to Pioneer Mail Picnic Area (52.7)
Miles today - 14.7

Today picked up where yesterday left off - going uphill. The trail climbed into a nice line forest which provided some shade.



At the top of the climb I stopped at the Mount Laguna store for some snacks and a Gatorade.



There were a few other hikers there. The owner said there could be 50 hikers there at one time tomorrow, so it's nice to be ahead of the herd for now. It's like we're fighting for resources and campsites the first few weeks until everybody spreads out a bit.

The hiking this afternoon was awesome. There were great views of the Anza Borrego Desert thousands of feet below. Looks hot down there.



I spent most of the afternoon leapfrogging with Lester, Charles, Doug, and Kip. We hiked together a little, but mostly just stopped for breaks at the same spots. We're all camped in a picnic area along with Andrea, Bert and his daughter, Samwise who I met at the airport and also stayed at Scout and Frodo's, Fall Risk who I met at kickoff, as well as a few others.

Day 3 - Into the Desert

Day 3 - Saturday, April 28
Lake Morena (20.6) to Long Canyon Creek (38)
Miles today - 17.4
I was on the trail at 9:00 after having a bagel for breakfast and getting everything packed. I think leaving today was smart. I only saw a small handful of hikers. Finally a bit of solitude.

The trail was uphill for most of the day. What made it hard was just the lack of shade. There is no escaping the sun out here and it is pretty warm. The bad news is that it will get much hotter than this. I really hate the heat.

I found a place to camp around 6:00. There's a girl named Andrea here as well. After a quick dinner I'm ready for bed. It's been a tiring first few days.
My journal entries don't seem very interesting so far. I've been so tired at the end of the day that I just haven't been in the mood to write. Also, I know people are waiting for me to post my entries to my blog, but I havent had much cell service yet. Hopefully I can get them posted soon.

Day 2 - Kickoff

Day 2 - Friday, April 27
Lake Morena (mile 20.6)
Miles Today - 0

I spent most of the day wandering around kickoff. I attended a presentation about desert hiking in the morning, took a much needed nap in the afternoon, and then went to the water report for updates on the desert water sources. They served burritos for dinner. I hung out at the bonfire for a bit and caught part of the PCT short film festival. I'm getting to bed a lot earlier tonight.



Kickoff officially goes until Sunday but I think I'm going to hike out tomorrow morning to get a head start and avoid the crowds. It's been an interesting experience and most of the people have been nice, but kickoff just isn't for me. I'd rather meet people out on the trail.

Day 1 - Canada, Here I Come

Thursday, April 26
Mexican border (mile 0) to Lake Morena (20.6)
Miles Today: 20.6

My hike on the PCT has officially begun. People started getting up between 4:30 and 5 for an early breakfast and were then piling into cars before 6:00 for rides to the border. I got a ride from Boomer, a former PCT hiker who worked as a cook at the Antarctica research station for seven months.

We got to the border around 7:00 and after snapping some pictures I was on my way.



It was chilly with a misty rain for most of the day, but I'd take that over the heat that this area usually gets. John and I hiked together for the first 15 miles or so. There were a ton of other people on the trail, but it didn't feel crowded. It seems like we're one big family already and everybody gets along instantly.



Most of the hiking today was really easy. The first serious climb came in the last five miles and I struggled. I guess it'll take a week or two before I get my trail legs.



Eventually I made it to Lake Morena and checked in for the Annual Day Zero PCT Kickoff (ADZPCTKO), a yearly gathering of past and current thruhikers, as well as trail angels, volunteers, and gear vendors. There are hundreds of people spread out all over the campground. I've never seen anything like it. I'm up way too late after spending most of the night in the party area. It's been a good start to the hike.

San Diego

Wednesday, April 25
I made it to San Diego! The flight over was kind of long and boring, but I was glued to the window as we flew over Colorado. I recognized all the major mountain ranges and some of the major peaks as well as Durango. It brought back fond memories of my hike on the Colorado Trail last year and it was cool to see it all from the air.
I'm staying as Scout and Frodo's tonight along with about 40 other thruhikers. I didn't see this many thruhikers in five weeks on the CT. It's a little overwhelming, but everyone seems nice. John, who I met on the CT is also staying here. Good to see him again and to see a familiar face. He's starting the PCT tomorrow as well, as are most of the people here.
Scout and Frodo hiked the PCT and have been hosting hikers at their house for seven years. I'm really impressed by how organized they are to be able to host so many people every year. There were ten trips to the airport just today to pick people up, and then they provide dinner for everyone. Tonight we had spaghetti with meat sauce and salad.

There are people spread out all over the house. I'm sleeping in the garage with a few others. We're leaving for the trail at 6 am tomorrow.

It's Time

It's hard to believe how fast the last few months have gone by. It's now only a matter of hours until I'll be on the plane to San Diego to start this adventure. I was feeling nervous and overwhelmed earlier today, but as I got more and more of my last minute preparations done I became relaxed. I don't think I'll ever be more ready for this.





I look forward to exploring the west coast for a few months, but I'm definitely going to miss this place. My friends and family will be on my mind a lot. I just want to thank everyone for their support and for believing in me. I will remember that during the tough times on the trail.

Goodbye.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

10 More Days!

Just ten more days until my adventure begins. My to-do list is short. The last important thing I still have to do is get a couple resupply boxes in the mail. I might make a few last minute gear changes and I need to get everything organized. Other than that I am ready to go and I'm getting excited!

Free gear!

Recently I used my REI dividend and some gift cards on a new backpack, sleeping pad, and a water filter, all for no money out of pocket! The pack is a Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60. I've loaded it up with all my gear and walked around and it feels great. However, I may swap it for the Crown 60, a similar but lighter pack from Granite Gear.

My new pad is a NeoAir XLite Short, a 2.5 inch thick inflatable mattress weighing just 8 oz. I slept on it the other night and it's definitely a lot more comfortable than any of the other pads I've used. I toss and turn all night and wake up really sore on lesser pads. I should be able to get a good night of sleep and wake up feeling refreshed with this new one.

And lastly, I got a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. At 3 or 4 oz it's one of the lightest and easiest-to-use filters out there. No pumping or dealing with hoses. You just fill up a water bag, attach it to the filter, and squeeze, and out comes clean water ready to drink. Sounds easy enough, though I should say that I haven't actually tried it yet!

In other news, I seam sealed my tent yesterday. Sealing a tent is tedious enough in perfect conditions. Try doing it in 30-40 mph winds. Needless to say it wasn't much fun. To make matters worse I ran out of silicone with just one seam left, so I had to run to REI last night to get another tube. I finished the job today in the comfort of the basement.

Here's my home for the next five months.


By the way, this is my first time posting to my blog from my phone. I figured I should learn how to use the blogger app before I'm on the trail. Hopefully everything works.

15 more days!