Day 1
I started at 9 in the morning from the south terminal. I walked the half mile to CLEEF to sign the 2026 sign. And I headed into the slow hills of the PCT. It starts out deceptively easy for the first few miles, but then the climb begins with a high temperature of about 80 degrees F and a beautiful blue sky. Passed some fellow PCT hikers without knowing full trail etiquette other than letting them know someone is approaching behind them. Do I talk to every hiker I pass? What do I ask you? What do I say? I hate small talk, but that’s the only conversation I know. “A hot day, but beautiful, right?”, “excellent shady place you found there.” I’m not very good at socializing, so I prefer to be in nature, away from people. For better or worse, I was more focused on racking up the miles than making new friends I may never see again along the way. Thank you trail angels for the water tank at mile 14. I carried 3.5 liters (PCTA reps recommended 5 liters!) and arrived at the tank with 0.5 liters in reserve. I replenished enough water (2.5 liters) to dry out camp at Hauser Creek and have enough to make it to Morena Lake tomorrow at mile 20. I imperfectly pitched my tent near some international hikers and shared some stories from the first day. They were in front of me and saw many snakes, including rattlesnakes. I was grateful that they cleared the way for my first day without snakes. And the resistance track, still no blisters.
Day 2
I was on the way at 6:30 am, going up to Lake Morena. As I approached the top, I quickly realized that getting an early start on the trail also means first walking through every cobweb made overnight. Using my hiking poles I clear the path for my face. We stopped at the malt store at mile 20 for a breakfast sandwich that was one of the best I’ve ever had. Slightly cooler than yesterday, still hot and sweaty after 9am I walked through serene pastures and beautiful old oak trees on the way to Boulder Oaks Campground for a short lunch in the shade and a water refill. The climb from Boulder Oaks was beautifully lined with wildflowers and expansive views of rocky ridges. He stopped at mile 32 at Cibbets Campground and split the site with three other hikers. My feet felt it towards the end of the day and it seemed better to rest before the next climb up Mount Laguna tomorrow. 2600 feet of elevation gain was enough for me that day.
Day 3
After a good night’s rest at Cibbets campground, despite the nearby camper playing country music all night (thank the Lord for earplugs), I was back on the trail at 6:30am. After a few kilometers I met up with a group that had camped on the trail and we began our hike towards Mount Laguna. When the pines, oaks and laurels began to appear, the undeniable smell of the forest took me to the town. A burger at the Pine House Tavern and a quick resupply at the country store and we were back on the road. With camping restrictions in the area, we had to push on past mile 52 and finally camped at mile 54 on a beautiful but windy road. It was the biggest day of hiking I’ve ever had, 22 miles, and my feet and hips were feeling it. However, I was running atop the absolutely stunning views of the Anza Borrego Desert, I felt accomplished and privileged to have the opportunity to experience the trail and its panoramic views.
Day 4
After an extremely windy night on a small mountain full of hikers, everyone was covered in a fine layer of dust. We dust ourselves off and hit the road. The wind persisted all morning and tried to blow us off the mountain. We came across the Oriflamme Canyon 50k trail that also followed part of the PCT. It was great to see runners competing on the same trail and I got to experience my first trail magic with watermelon and PB&J at the aid station right next to the trail. I appreciate that the group was so generous in also helping the PCT hikers who stopped at the nearby water tank for water. The wind died down a bit and the heat of the day arrived as we had another 6 miles to the next water source. I ended up finishing the day at mile 73, with great views of Grapevine Mountain. I still can’t believe I’m doing this trail: the miles, the views, the people. It is truly picturesque and a national treasure.
Day 5
A short 4 mile morning walk, starting at approximately 8am, to reach the scissors junction. We were blessed with THE BEST trail magic from Scott of Oceanside at Scissors Junction. It was the first time it delivered magic and it completely crushed it with drinks, fruits, fantastic snacks and charging ports. After a short drive from Fossil Lady to Julian City, I got the best pie and ice cream from Mom’s Pies. And resupply for the next two days to Warner Springs, and the chance to sleep in a real bed for a night. So far I’m surprised at how good I feel overall. I’m dealing with nerve pain in my foot that I plan to try to address with some new lacing techniques. I am grateful to be able to continue meeting my planned goals and to have met some really friendly and welcoming people to share the journey with.
Day 6
I had a terrible night’s sleep. I have slept better on the road than in a bed. I had a shuttle scheduled back to the trail at 9am. A breakfast at Julian’s Bakery and Cafe helped fuel me for the long climb to Warner Springs. On a quiet, long incline surrounded by barrel cacti, sage and wildflowers, the climb felt as easy as flat terrain. “Am I starting to pick up the pace”? I wonder, but I convince myself it’s too soon. There were chances of wind and rain in the forecast, as predicted. The rain was light, I probably could have walked through it, but I opted to put on my rain gear to stay warm in the freezing wind. Today was a long day, I was hoping to camp after 16 miles, but all the tents were already full. Pushing myself for a 21 mile day I hadn’t planned, finishing at mile 98. I’ve been a little surprised at how quickly the tent sites fill up. The lesson I learned was that if you see a tent site open after 2pm, go ahead and take it unless you want to risk having a very long day. In any case, I had my best night’s sleep on the trail after finding a nice spot out of the wind.
Day 7
I woke up to tents covered in condensation inside and out. I wiped it with my camp towel and had to wring it out a few times. As recommended by someone in the trail family, we danced at mile 100 to ABBA’s Dancing Queen to celebrate. I continue crossing the iconic meadows before reaching the Eagle Rock monument at mile 106. The magical places in these short days leave me pinching myself to see if these places are real and if I am really walking through each landmark, meadow and view. I stopped in Warner Springs and bought my first resupply box with too much food. Which is my fault for buying too much at Julian’s – rookie mistake. I finally camped for the first time near a creek and nestled under the oaks and maples at mile 115.
Reflections
After a week, the initial anxieties and nerves are calming down. I am slowly becoming more confident both physically and mentally. At first there was a constant discussion with my own thoughts about whether to camp after only 12 or 15 miles or keep going a little further since there were still many hours of daylight. I started learning how to better plan campsites and water, especially as other hikers share information from research or rumors. Happy to have found some really great people to share part of the trail with and to have met so many more friendly people who share the love of the trail and what it can provide. No big revelations or changes yet, just humble gratitude for the opportunity and ability to carry my body and consciousness across many miles and landscapes. Each one of them teaches me small lessons that will add up over time. I am very lucky to be here, with this land and nature welcoming me with every step it allows me.
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