«What are you afraid of? You know what you’re doing, you have your equipment, and you know how to use it. You know the first thousand miles. You’ve got it! You can do it!» I tell myself to calm my nerves the night before leaving for Campo.
San Diego – The Bus
It was a hot and sunny afternoon. Marble and I left the house towards the bus stop. Public transportation to the Campo Green store. Then just a 1.5 mile hike to the southern terminus. Boarding our last bus to Campo, we met 2 new backpacker friends and a retired local who, in his own words, “told bad jokes.” The backpackers were The Godfather, a PCT alumnus who has multiple passports, and Mel from Germany.
When we get off the bus we cross the street and each one buys a snack at the Green Store. Walking south to the beginning of our new lives. Chatting we get to know each other a little. Arriving at CLEEF (Camp Lockett Event & Equestrian Facility), the sun is setting, Marble and I head towards the south terminal and part ways with our new friends.
Mile 1 – Walk under the stars,
Hours before the sun shines, I wake up to my alarm clock. Starting in the dark, the stars twinkled and twinkled. The moon, a small crescent moon, smiled at us. The small dips on the left side of the trail look like deep, dark canyons in the shadow of my headlamp. The sun rises over the horizon and you can still feel the heat of the previous day on the rocks.
Day 1 – Magic Trail
At mile 15.4, Hauser Creek is a popular first night destination. This year the stream is dry. The Papa Bear trail angel maintains a water tank at the road junction just before. When I get to the cache I see a vehicle on the gravel road. Trail magic! Command, class of ’25, read that the creek was dry and came out with coolers of fruit, Gatorade, soda, and ice cream. Grabbing a small ice cream cone, a Coke, and a solid frozen Klondike bar, I open the cone impatiently as I walk. I drop it in the sand, quickly lift the cone and it falls out of the packaging and returns to the sand. Doing my best to clean it up, I eat the cone sprinkled with sand. Feeling refreshed, I take 4 liters of water from the tank and walk to the dry, shady valley to rest in the hot afternoon.
Dusk approaches Mel and The Godfather arrives at Houser Creek. We talked about the magic of the trail and the first day on the trail. Saying goodbye, Marble and I walked uphill late into the night.
Day 2 – Camps
My alarm goes off at 4:45, it’s dark and early. I’m on the road at 5:30. It is a beautiful clear night where you can see the stars twinkling. If I’m lucky I’ll see a shooting star. An hour later I’m walking towards the Lake Marina campground.
I find an outlet in the bathroom and charge my batteries. Mixing instant coffee with water, like some snacks. As I brush my teeth, I realize and am tempted by a 50 cent 4 minute shower. I couldn’t sacrifice my precious, cooler morning walking hours. I quickly check the hiker box and greet some new hikers.
Arriving at Boulder Oaks Campground, I met up with the camp host, Oracle. He has a great passion for the trail community. She was very fun to talk to and informative about the trail and water that awaited us. Also magical trails! Gatorade, soft drinks, and hand and face wipes. Take another afternoon to wait for the heat to pass. The Godfather made my afternoon by showing Marble and me a preview of a short film he made. Mel arrives while I’m packing for the night walk. Chatting for a while, it’s good to see our new friends again.
Walking uphill into the darkness. To the right is thick buckwheat and to the left a black fall of unknown heights. Little by little I am climbing towards Mount Laguna.
Stopping at a steep rocky crossing with a small tent site, I can hear Kitchen Creek. 50 feet below we see a lighthouse. Continuing down the PCT I find a few more tent spots and another easier trail to the flowing creek. Tired from a long day, I spread out my Tyvek, unfold my mat, and prepare for another night under the stars.
Day 3 – Desert
4:15 am I look at the stars. How lucky I am to be here with my friend. I quickly packed up my gear and unfiltered water from the night before and walked half a mile in the dark. Find a nice place to sit with a view of Interstate 8. I filter water, reorganize my backpack, and eat some snacks with my headlamp. There’s not much traffic at this time of the morning.
The stars go out, flashes of light shine on the horizon. I can see windmills on a cliff in the distance. Turning off my flashlight as I climb a hill, I see a view with no paved roads covered in green desert bushes. Fred Canyon, happiness and peace wash over me as I walk into what seemed like wilderness.
As I pass and be passed by other hikers I see some new faces, and some from the day before. Marble caught up to me less than a mile from the next creek. We walked together until we found some large shade trees with easy access to a stream.
Big clear skies, giant toy-like planes gliding silently through the air. I walk uphill under the midday sun in search of a little solitude. Arriving at the next tent spot, I am beyond excited to see a large pine tree providing enough shade for my Tyvek.
I take a nap until the sun starts to warm my feet. The night is approaching and I am still alone, and I think about setting up my tent while I make tea and the last of my oatmeal.
Deciding to go to cowboy camp again, this time alone… F6JSdswq.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
