First 100 miles on the road

I’m back

It’s been a while, or so it seems.

We are officially on the PCT and writing from here. These last 8 days have been crazy, so let me catch you up.

Milestone number one

I reached my first 100 mile milestone.

The last 8 days have been a wild start. Shortly after leaving CLEEF, I decided to push the 14+ miles to the next water reservoir, which seemed like an eternity in the crazy heat wave we were having. After that, I finished the day at Houser Creek. Although I must mention that the decision was not mine alone. I met some new friends: JP, who I walked with, Kendal, Brian, who we saw often during the day, and Josh.

I won’t lie, the next day left me pretty beat up. For some reason, I started to feel hot spots on both feet, which I later managed to bandage.

First impressions of the desert

Remember how I mentioned the heat wave? Yes, it could have been worse. Luckily, I only had the last 3 days, which means my first 3 days on the road.

Was he happy? Not really, but I was hoping for better days.

Then the desert. The beginning didn’t impress me, at least in terms of the views. But I can’t lie, at mile 20 I started to appreciate the scenery I was witnessing, which shocked me a bit.

Coming from NorCal, I wouldn’t consider myself the most excited about this section. The Canadian Mountains are what I was most looking forward to. However, my first 100 miles have changed that. The landscape has become more beautiful and my appetite to continue going beyond each mountain pass has increased.

So far I’m enjoying the desert a lot more than I expected, which is a surprise. But since I’m a PCT member, I’d say I’m open to surprises.

Not to mention, the incredible wind storms and cold nights are what really make this even more amazing (that’s sarcasm).

Struggles and challenges

I’ve noticed some strange things.

I know a lot of people say it, but experiencing it firsthand is even crazier to me. Mental strength is the most important key to success.

I consider myself very capable of hiking given my experience on the JMT and the research I have done for this trail. Coming here almost seemed like second nature to me. My physical condition is not bad and I am a confident young man.

Despite everything I have going for me, I questioned myself a lot, which is to be expected on these hikes. But when I say a lot, I mean a lot.

Starting with CLEEF, before going to bed, I began to question the reality of this hike and instantly felt like I could quit before I even started.

Fast forward to every day on the trail, there were at least a few times each day where I wondered if I could make it past the first 500 miles.

This is what I noticed. Coming from someone who loves to be alone and independent, nothing has helped me progress physically or shift my mindset to a more positive place than hiking with the trail family I found. Yes trail family!!!

So here are some tips for anyone planning to do this or any other hike soon or in the future.

Take it easy. Appreciate anyone you meet along the way. Walk with them for a while, even if you move at slightly different speeds. In my opinion, a few words and steps shared with different people can make the difference between a 10-mile day and a 15-mile day. I know because I experienced it.

Trail Family

Somehow, the path always provides.

Luckily, I met some guys with similar speeds, planning and decision-making styles to mine.

Some may be faster than others or less experienced, but we’ve built a bond in less than a week that I’m happy to call my trail family. Without them, I wouldn’t be enjoying this experience as much as I do.

Let me introduce you, fellow hike readers, to… drum roll please… Rocky, Jim, and Ryan, who have yet to earn their trail names besides Rocky, of course. I’ll update you more on that later!

magic trail

I want to briefly mention my first experiences with trail magic.

It’s amazing! Anyone who offers support to hikers like me with drinks, rides, snacks and anything else has shown me that sometimes a little goes a long way.

I appreciate all the trail magic I have received from trail angels and strangers in town. Thank you for making our experience much more pleasant!

We part for now

This is where we say goodbye for now.

If you want to see more of my trail life and updates, you can visit me on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok all @out of tavo.

I’ll see you all very soon, in a few hundred miles or so. Happy trails!

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