The first days… – The Trek

Day 2 on the PCT

Hauser Creek to Fred Canyon

🥾 Walked: 16.7 miles

📍 Mile: 32

⛰️Elevation: 4230 feet

Cleo, Paul, Tyler and I woke up at 5:30am and headed out together at 6:30am, leaving Hauser Creek immediately. Just above the top of the mountain, Lake Morena came into view. It was a beautiful morning, with a cool breeze and clear skies. And my body felt great, it felt strong. So far, so good!

We arrived at Oak Shores Malt Shop, had a delicious hot breakfast and coffee there, used the bathroom, cashed in a little, and were on our way! We covered fast, mostly flat miles out of Lake Morena. I spent most of the morning with Tyler, keeping a solid pace. It started to get hot, but we stopped every mile or so to get some shade and drink water. And soon enough we arrived at the Boulder Oaks campground! Many hikers gathered there at a picnic area and we experienced our first trail magic. A kind stranger left coolers of ice-cold sodas. As someone who rarely drinks soda, even I enjoyed and appreciated such a kind gesture and an ice cold drink. It’s definitely a big help! Thank you, Angels of the Path! 🙏🏼

After lunch we decided to keep going another 5 miles or so. We made it to Kitchen Creek, where we were able to soak our feet in the cold, refreshing water. Cleo even went swimming! It was so nice to just relax in a small canyon with cool flowing water after a long hot day.

We hiked another couple of beautiful miles with stunning views of the valley and mountains in the distance, until we reached the Fred’s Canyon tent sites. We arrived around 6:30 pm as the sun began to set behind the mountain tops, without much time to set up camp and prepare dinner. We covered 17 miles in total and agreed it was a long day. But we are enjoying each other’s company; long talks about life at home, possible trail names and some laughs. I swear, everything is fun out here. I don’t know if it’s the sun, the heat, or just a hiker’s brain, but I’ve been laughing non-stop for the last two days!

Day #3 on the PCT

From Fred’s Canyon to Laguna Campground

🥾 15.5 miles

📍 Mile 47.5

🏔️Elevation 5531 feet

I woke up around 5:45 am and enjoyed my last moments in my warm and comfortable sleeping bag. I could hear others starting to move outside, which meant it was time to start packing up camp. Cleo made us some coffee to get us going, so we relaxed until we left at 7am.

The morning climb from Fred’s Canyon was glorious. The morning was cool, with a pleasant chill in the air. The sun hadn’t risen over the mountains yet, so we made the most of the cool weather and covered a few miles at a stretch. The conversation flowed very well, from music and festivals to the strangest collections; I had a blast during our morning’s 10 miles.

Today we enter new terrain. At about 5,000 feet things got greener and we entered some pine forests. We could feel a nice breeze since we were a little higher up.

We walk towards the mountain. Laguna around noon, where we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Pine House Inn and Tavern. I bought a hamburger and was very happy. 🙂

We also replenished at the general store in town (just another two days worth of food until Julian, just 35 miles or so north) and stopped at the Visitor Center to buy more water. Then we continued walking, crushing the kilometers. I was leading the group, which always means rattlesnake duty. It’s always a little disconcerting, but whoever is ahead needs to watch out for snakes on the path.

The hike began with views of distant mountains and the desert floor below. It was the first time this hike left me speechless. It was an insane sight to stumble upon without warning.

We took some photos and videos of the scenic views and then hiked the remaining 2.5 miles to Laguna Campground, where we spent the night. We shared the store site with 3 other people for $35 total (total). It was a truly beautiful evening, with great company over dinner at the picnic table. We also exchanged potential trail names! Cleo mentioned «sunrise, sunshine or Annie» for mine. I prefer «Starburst» suggested by another hiker last night at Kitchen Creek. But it’s still too early to commit! Cleo also started a tradition with the group: spikes and holes! Every night at dinner we go around the group and share our favorite and least favorite parts of the day. We planned day 4 (mileage, water sources and stops) before going to bed around 8:30 pm.

I truly feel more and more confident every day, with every step I take.

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