I wrote this post after about a month on the PCT, when I figured it was about time to start blogging about it.
This post has sat in my draft folder since June of 2023. I figure I might as well add the photos, and post the darn thing. A lot has happened since that time (including not completing the PCT) but we’ll see whether I ever catch up.
Grab a snack, maybe a cold drink. This is a long read!
Pre-trail – 25 and 26 April, 2023
I flew out of Vancouver on Tuesday morning, for San Diego. I managed to get an upgrade to business class, thanks to a co-worker in the control tower mentioning to the crew that I was onboard. I was originally sitting in economy, and prior to pushback one of the flight attendants came by and asked for me. My heart raced. She asked me to come forward, and put me in a single seat in the last row of business, telling me that my friends in the tower had put in a good word for me.
At the airport in San Diego, I waited by the luggage carousel for my backpack, but it never came. My AirTag said it was nearby. An airline worker asked if it was oversized. I said no (no bigger than a suitcase, and definitely not heavier!). I said I’d have a look there though, so she told me where that was. I wandered over, and there it was, sitting forlornly all by itself. On the way out, I pointed it out to the employee of talked to. We both kind of rolled our eyes and shrugged. “Oversized”
I decided that I would walk all the way to my hostel, rather than take transit. It would only be an hour and a half, and I might as well get the limbs moving… On the way, I enjoyed looking at all the sailboats lined up along the waterfront. They’d be the last ones I’d see in quite a while!
The Gaslamp Hostel was in a slightly dodgy part of town, but nothing too bad. The hostel itself was excellent! I enjoyed the lounge and spent quite a while reading there. There was already one guy in the room (of six beds). I only saw him when I first dropped my things in the room. Most of the time he had sheets strung up around his lower bunk, making like a little cubby. I never really knew whether he was in there or not.
In the morning I was up early and in the kitchen before 8, enjoying some of the complimentary items. I packed up and was on my way before nine.
I walked to the nearest Best Buy electronics store (about two hours away) and picked up a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, as I’d left mine at home! I then walked the hour and a half to the Old Town Transportation Center, where I would be meeting my shuttle to the trail’s starting point.
I arrived a little early, so I wandered around a nearby park for a while before heading to the appointed meeting place. Mike from Taiwan was there and we chatted for a bit. Soon came more people, and the shuttle arrived. After one straggler showed up (delayed flight out of Toronto, with Air Canada? What?!?) we got on our way. We stopped at Scout and Frodo’s place (well known among the PCT crowd, they often host people in transit to the start of the trail – a LOT of people!) and picked up three more. We now had a crew of eight passengers, of which only ONE was American!
The shuttle brought us to “CLEEF” – the Camp Lockwood Event and Equestrian Facility. This non profit facility is located less than half a mile from the southern terminus of the PCT and is developing a facility to help get people to and safely on the trail. The shuttle is reasonably priced, and stops at REI and a small grocery store on the way. Then for an extra ten measly bucks, you get a tent site and an evening talk on PCT safety, focusing on things like dehydration, hypothermia, heat exhaustion/stroke, crossing rivers safely, hitching rides, and more. AND THEN a fantastic breakfast to boot!
Day one – 27 April, 2023
After waking from a restless night of cowboy camping (sleeping without a tent – just a ground sheet, sleeping pad, and quilt), and covered in dew, we woke to a delicious breakfast of bagels, muffins, oatmeal, coffee, and more. I hung my damp quilt on a corner of the breakfast shelter and packed the rest of my gear in my pack, then set off southbound to the terminus.
It was a quick ten-minute walk up the road to the monument where a couple of people from the Pacific Crest Trail Association we’re checking permits and handing out hang tags to place on backpacks, indicating that the bearer was hiking the PCT! Some photos and video were taken, then it was time to set off!
I hiked the trail back to the campground, picked up my now-dry quilt, used the facilities one final time, then set off toward Canada!
Within the first few miles, there were a couple of obligatory photo stops – the “1 Mile” sign, and the railroad crossing with distances to Mexico (3 miles) and to Canada (2647 miles!).
The day was hot, and getting hotter. I passed a bunch of the hikers I had stayed at CLEEF with, filling water bottles at a creek. I filled mine quickly, and kept moving.
I stopped for a quick lunch of peanut butter spread on tortillas, and shortly thereafter passed the ten-mile mark.
Shortly before four, I pulled into the campsite at Hauser Creek. Dylan (who had not stayed at CLEEF) and Will (who had) were there. Shortly after, Stone (working on his second Triple Crown) arrived, as did Meg (they had both been at CLEEF). Stone kept going, starting up the hill on the other side of the creek. Will decided to do the same, but half an hour later, he arrived back in camp – he’d taken a wrong turn initially, and when he realized his error, just returned to camp to spend the night there. Dylan, Meg, and I stayed there as well.
I was quite overheated from the day, and after cooking some ramen and returning to my tent, I had to spend a long time with a cool damp cloth on my forehead to cool down to a reasonable temperature. I had to do this for about the first three days in a row…
Day two – 28 April, 2023
After a fairly good night’s sleep, I set out at about 6:40 AM. Another beautiful morning to hit the trail!
The climb up and out of Hauser Creek seemed never-ending, and it wasn’t long before the sun popped out from behind the ridge and things started heating up.
After the climb, it was a descent into Lake Morena, and a stop at the malt shop! Stone was already there, eating his breakfast burrito, and Meg showed up right after me. Will arrive just a few moments later. The company was great, and the food was delicious!
I then stopped at the nearby state park to refill my water bottles, and continued on.
There was a brief stop at the Boulder Oaks campground for a snack and water, then another water stop at Kitchen Creek – the water was lovely as I soaked my shirt and hat! Then a long ascent to my tent site after a total journey of over 19 miles.
Again, I was very overheated, and had to use a cool cloth on my forehead to reset the body’s thermostat.
Day three – 29 April, 2023
I set out at a reasonable time, after a lousy night’s sleep and climbed up and up into Mount Laguna. When I arrived, there was some Trail Magic being provided by “The Wolverines” – a group of folks who have previously hiked the PCT and want to assist and support those in their footsteps.
They had provided breakfast for a whole bunch of hikers who had stayed there the night before, and were doing “pack shakedowns” – going through the contents of your pack to try find ways to help save weight and be more efficient. They also gave one hiker a ride to another town to replace her shoes, which were giving her terrible blisters.
I arrived just in time to get the last two pancakes, and also got a banana and an icy cold Sprite. Then I made a quick stop at the general store and picked up a bit of food and some sunglasses – mine had broken on day two!
I pushed on for a while and arrived at the top of a ridge overlooking Oriflamme Canyon. There were a bunch of huge boulders strewn about, and very few camping spots left available. One fellow standing atop a big boulder helped guide me to a little unoccupied site from above – very helpful!
As it was getting dark, a big group gathered up on one of the boulders to watch the sunset. Very pretty!
A total of over 21 miles hiked, but I managed to stay just a little cooler this day!
Day four – 30 April, 2023
I had a slow start on Sunday morning, and I intended to hike to a tent site just prior to Scissors Crossing. The plan was to hitch into Julian on Monday morning. Well, I missed the last tent sites, and just kept going.
I found the day really frustrating. I think it was the hot, hot day that really wore me down. I just could not do what I knew I *should* be capable of. I was still doing what I felt should be within my range, but it was taking a big toll. By late afternoon, I was barely plodding across the sand, in utter exhaustion.
There were a couple of people walking ahead of me, so I figured I would not be the only person camping at the highway. Well, turns out they were hitchhiking somewhere else. I had not made any plans or reservations nearby, so I was the only one camping at the highway. The last mile or two to the highway crossing were terribly demoralizing.
I was just setting up a little cowboy camp under the overpass, when trail angel Bad Santa came by, checking on the water cache, and offered me a ride into town. When I said that I didn’t have a reservation anywhere, he told me that there would be no problem snagging a spot on the patio of the local Legion.
Sure enough, there are 10 cots available for PCT hikers to use at American Legion Post 468 in the town of Julian. By the time night fell, there were five of us there – Troy and Jack, a father and son from Portland, Matthias from Germany, and Erisa from Japan, in addition to me. An eclectic mix!
I went over to the Julian Beer Company, where I happened to run into Nico (who started the same day as me) and his mom (Tiana – she met up with him while she’s traveling in the area) in line. We ended up having a really nice dinner together!
During the night, a cold weather system moved in, and there was a chill fog – just above freezing – all over town when morning came.
It was a very long, grueling day overall, and *again* I covered more miles than I intended to. Too many miles, in too much heat.
Day five – 1 May, 2023
Yesterday was incredibly difficult for me. Today was a complete redemption from that experience.
I woke from a fitful sleep at the Legion, and as mentioned, it was BITTERLY cold and foggy. I packed up and went for breakfast. I went to the first open spot I came across, the Miner’s Diner. (I should have heeded the comments in FarOut. The food was a bit overpriced for the quality/quantity.)
However, whilst there, I ran into three guys from the UK that are doing a bike ride from San Diego to Miami, raising money for charity. We had a great chat, each of us impressed by what the other was doing! So cool, two different huge cross-country voyages, in completely different directions, intersecting in a tiny town in the mountains of California.
After that was a visit to the local outfitters, 2 Foot Adventures, for some gear changes and resupply. Working with Mary (who is fantastic!) I made some changes (including bigger shoes for my hobbit feet) and bought some more food, sunscreen, etc. I mentioned that I was interested in getting a single hiking pole; I do not like to hike with poles but wanted a single one for balance when crossing creeks and as an extra point of contact when walking on snow. Mary contacted someone else – Fossil – who was able to bring along an old single aluminum (I.e. sturdy) pole to the shop. What amazing service!
Then it was off to Mom’s Pie Shop, which offers a free piece of pie, ice cream, and a drink to PCT hikers! Ran into a lot of people I’ve been seeing over the past couple of days and got to know some better. I then went to a small market and bought a few more supplies for the coming days.
I intended to leave town later in the afternoon, to get in just a few hours of hiking before dark. A couple of new friends, Corina and Luzi, were planning the same, so we arranged for a ride later on with a local trail angel. With some time to kill, I walked to the library! I sat quietly and read my book while charging my phone for nearly two hours. Oh my, what a pleasure that was!
We met our ride, Professor (who prefers to think of himself as a “trail magician” rather than a “trail angel”) at 2 Foot Adventures. As we were leaving town, we also picked up one more hiker who was hitching back to trail. We were back on trail by around 3:45.
Wow, what a difference. My pack was a lot heavier, carrying a lot more food and water than I’ve had before. But the weather was SO much cooler. That, and a relaxing half-day in town, made a world of difference. I felt the full Red Bull “gives you wings” effect. I felt I could walk forever, even though it was mostly a relentless climb over the next 3 1/2 hours. I made 9.3 miles, so I was pretty happy with the progress.
The wind was howling as I set up my tent (a serious challenge!) but was supposed to settle down during the night. After this day, I was feeling much better than I had the day before!
Day 6 – 2 May, 2023
The wind was supposed to ease off during the night, but it just kept howling right through to about mid-morning. I did not sleep well… I was up early, though, and was on the trail around 6:45. At least the wind helped keep things nice and cool all morning.
Early in the day, I passed mile 100, which was exciting! Had a nice lunch stop shortly after, at mile 101, and spent well over an hour there, with Dylan, Fake Snake, Chessie, Matthias, and Nico. Nico’s mom happened to stop by again and shared some fresh oranges. Nice!
Then off to San Ysidro Creek for more water and a chat with Kaitlyn and Emily, sisters who were southbound from Walker Pass to Campo. A quick wander past Eagle Rock, then past a mama cow and calf standing athwart the trail, and finally got into camp just after 6. It got cold FAST and I was under my quilt by 7:30!
I was camped at the turnoff to Warner Springs, a mile down the road, but I had no plans to go there in the morning. I didn’t rule it out, but figured I probably didn’t actually need to make the diversion into town for anything.
Another longer day again – the longest day I’d done yet, at 22.6 miles. It did get a little bit tough at the end, but wasn’t nearly as demanding as some of the earlier, hotter days.
Day 7 – 3 May, 2023
It was a cooler day again, and with the promise of precipitation overnight! Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing?
I didn’t end up heading into Warner Springs after all, and just strolled on down the trail in the morning. The terrain was a little bit different at the start of the day – it was like wandering across grasslands and meadows, rather than desert ridges. After a short while, the trail actually passed through some boggy wetland areas. Later in the day, though, the hills and ridge crests were definitely getting higher!
During the day, I finally tried out some cold soaking for my food. Cold soaking is a technique that is becoming more popular with through-hikers. Rather than carrying a stove, pot, and fuel, it is easier and lighter to just soak your dehydrated food in a watertight container as you hike during the day. With some careful planning, your food is ready to eat when you are ready to take a break.
This was the first time I tried what’s known as a “ramen bomb”. A package of ramen soup, and a package of instant mashed potatoes, soaked in enough water for both. Some dehydrated refried beans make a very nice addition, too, as well as delivering some needed protein to this carb-fest!
Along the way, I ended up chatting with a couple of fellows that were a little closer to my age than most of those on the trail – John and Clay. John is doing a full through-hike, and Clay was joining him for some days here and there, and then full time later up the trail. They were very fortunate in that they lived near San Diego, and their wives were able to meet them in various spots, delivering needed equipment, food, and taking them off trail for town nights!
I ended the day at a spot called Mike’s Place, a house in the hills where hikers are welcome to camp out. There is a lot of covered area, charging outlets, places to sit, and, importantly, water. With the coming rain (or worse – a chance of snow at our elevation!) a few of us laid out sleeping places on the covered patio. I managed to claim the hanging swing with its dusty cushions – perfectly bed sized, and comfy all night long!
Clay set up a tent rather than cowboy camping on the covered patio. I really didn’t want to have to pack up a wet tent in the morning, though.
And to finish: A preview of Day 8…