So, it’s been about 10 days on the road and the routine is slowly settling in. I finally have a (almost) perfect system, although even though I wake up earlier every day, somehow I’m still not ready when Claire is.
A quick word about Claire: another Frenchie who walks alone. We met up at CLEEF with other hikers on May 5 and quickly realized we were at about the same pace, which meant there was potential for teaming up. And so far, we have done so (sometimes we have been joined by other PCT members from “the bubble”).
But back to this post. Although ten days isn’t long (only 2,500 miles left…), every day I feel less of a rookie, especially since I’ve already made most of the classic mistakes, which means I can now talk about them.
Blisters oh my blisters
So let’s go over them, shall we?
1. You eat literally everything you find on the road.
Oh dear. TRUE. VERY TRUE.
I usually eat pretty healthy at home (less cheese and wine, French obligations), but I adopted mountain food surprisingly quickly. Honestly, I think I already had hiker hunger before I even hit the trail. Maybe I was born this way (high probability).
I found myself smashing Pop-Tarts after Pop-Tarts, followed by Cheetos, Slim Jims, mashed potatoes, and random snacks, sometimes almost all at once. Not to mention the famous tortilla + peanut butter + M&M combination that became my favorite snack.
Typical lunch…unless it was breakfast.
Other delights include ramen with Flamin’ Hot chips, tortillas with cheese spread and tuna, or questionable but gigantic breakfast burritos saved in town for lunch later that day.
Are you still upset?
2. «The heat is manageable.»
Mistaken. Much worse than I expected.
Having lived in Sudan for a while, along with other fairly warm (albeit humid) countries, I thought it was basically heat resistant and would navigate the desert easily.
But.
After Julian, especially during the heat wave, the temperatures became brutal. We even helped another hiker who had run out of water and electrolytes and was clearly not doing well.
I also discovered the concept of “camel riding,” drinking as much water as possible to optimize hydration on hot days, and at times had to carry up to four liters of water in my backpack for stretches without water sources of 10 to 15 miles. If we add the food and the base weight, my backpack reached 17 kg uphill.
Absolutely brutal.
Water tank at Mikes Place, mile 127
Electrolytes are definitely your best friends and don’t hesitate to carry more water than you think you’ll need. I drink an average of three to four liters a day and we’re not even in the Mojave yet.
3. “You can trust your gear if you’ve done a test hike before the PCT.”
I would say… wrong again.
I did a week-long shakedown and already trusted my main team, but I still underestimated some things.
In Julian, I updated my configuration with:
• a small, light towel,
• a pump for my mattress (okay, it weighs 8 grams, but it saves me from having to blow up my mat every night after a long day of walking, bless you),
• a knee pad (I’ll come back to that),
• and about a dozen creative ways to try to cure my bloody blisters (Compeeds, K tape, Moleskine, Glacier, and eventually a combination of all of the above).
After just 10 days, I also had to order my first pair of replacement shoes, after my beloved Salomon Sense Rides (my favorite shoes for the past four years, worn on hikes in Indonesia, volcano climbs, hikes in Nepal, marathons and trail races) were completely destroyed by the desert. Holes everywhere, sand constantly entering, and therefore… more blisters.
Oh, and I’m also proud to report that there are already two holes in my tent, thanks to a bad move and an unfortunate incident with the zipper, even though I had never damaged it in the previous two years.
4. Whatever you do, you will pack too much food during your first few days.
TRUE. And I absolutely mastered it.
Whether it’s snacks or dinner, even when I carefully calculate what I need until the next city and shop accordingly, I end up carrying too much food.
Partly because of my disastrous “just in case” mentality, but also because you never know when you’ll be lucky enough to receive trace magic.
In our case, we’ve had four magical moments on the trail in about a week, with additional food and snacks generously offered to us by the trail angels. We also sometimes pack takeout from delis and restaurants…all that to say. Watch out for these extra packets of pop tarts, just sayin’!
5. FarOut is easy to use.
True… BUT.
Please explore the app properly before you start because you will be surprised how much useful information is hidden outside the «usual icons».
Magical trails, unofficial water fountains, random comments with crucial updates – always check everything.
6. You get used to being dirty.
Mistaken.
You don’t get used to it, but you learn to get comfortable with it.
No matter how many times I wash my socks or hoodie, nothing stays clean for more than an hour. My feet are disgusting at the end of each day: dust, sweat, sand… but what can I do?
Of course, I do my little “cat cleaning” routine every night, but it’s never enough. And you easily go four or five days (sometimes more) without seeing a proper shower.
And by «shower», I also include a random bucket or water source with enough flow to get the job done somehow.
But honestly, it’s okay. Over time you get used to being “average clean” because, well… you don’t really have a choice.
7. Your body will handle all this PCT stuff.
True and incorrect.
He will surely do it if you take care of him, that is, go carefully, slowly, take care of him, especially the first few weeks. Even if you’re trained, even if you’ve done a lot of hiking before. 100% time on the road, in total autonomy, with the weight of the backpack, the food and water carried, the nights sometimes good, sometimes bad, the heat, the wind, etc. That’s a lot to take in and get used to. And sometimes new injuries or old problems (in my case, blisters, which I rarely had in the last 10 years, and an old knee problem, which seems to slowly improve now, with some orthopedic support). Surely the body will adapt but it will take time!
8. The trail community is amazing.
A thousand times true.
Not only because of the hikers you meet day after day, with whom you gradually get to know better, but also because of the incredible kindness you encounter everywhere along the way. But also to all the people from the cities we crossed for showing interest, chatting a little and… not judging us by our sense of smell.
Wade and Christie, magical trails on Mount Laguna
We have been absolutely spoiled by Trail Angels and want to again say a big thank you to Wade and Christie at Mount Laguna, Lee at Scissors Crossing, Raymond at Julian, Richard DeBenedetti, and the unsung magic of the trail (a full campground, including a bed at mile 143, and obviously everyone else who quietly but steadily refills the dining bins for us).
Again, a million thanks to everyone for helping us. Without that kind of support, we would probably never be able to improve the PCT, so hats off! Honestly? This could be, along with the surprising and changing landscape, one of the best surprises of this entire adventure so far.
