Day 1 – Mile 0 – Mile 11.4

Bryan (my bestie!) and I stayed in an AirBnb in San Diego the night before trail (and even surprised my aunts and cousin in Coronado too!). I felt pretty on edge, but mostly prepared.

Couldn’t eat in the morning, not even a little bit, and yet I felt so ready to start. It just felt so unreal to drive to Campo after so many years of planning and watching videos and thinking that I might stand at the Southern Terminus. And all of sudden, there it was— the border wall.

I joked that Bryan would be like a mom dropping me off at school and would absolutely embarrass me. He agreed that he would probably do that. Luckily not many people were around— I started later, around 9:30, to maximize sleep before the big day. I wasn’t worried about the heat, since I do pretty well with it considering I’m a Vegas-born desert rat.

I took my pictures at the wall and the terminus, said goodbye to Bryan, and all of sudden, was starting a journey that was years in the making.

I hiked my first two miles alone, taking in the scenery. I was shocked with how good it felt, how natural it was, and how ready I felt. I’d always imagined setting off to be full of anxiety and stress about being alone. It was amazing how the hours of training hikes I completed translated to comfort hiking solo.

But I quickly met new friends about 2.5 miles into the day— Jake, Sandra, and Lipstick. We hiked the rest of the day together, chatting and taking breaks, soaking up the landscape, which was greener and more full of wildflowers, succulents, and stunning views than I even imagined.

It was a long day, not too hot, not too much climbing. My ankle was feeling a bit stiff by the end, and I’m excited that the next few days will hold fewer miles. I feel confident about setting my own pace and doing my own thing.

We camped at 11.4, and I think there was about ten of us in total. Around dinner (I had cheesy rice and broccoli), Sandra asked everyone what was their “why?”for doing the trail. It was really great to hear everyone’s answers, which ranged, of course, but all resonated in some way with my own.

Which are? I love being outside. I love California, Oregon, and Washington. I feel like this trail has taken over my brain for such a long time, and I want to do it because I know I can, even if I’m scared or feel like “real life” is there, trying to hold me back. I feel like there’s something real I will experience out here. I want to do what I want to do in life, and not what someone else tells me I should do, and I think doing this trail is a great exercise in making sure I’m aligning that goal with reality.

Day 2 – Mile 11.4 to 20 (8.6 hiked)

Waking up early the first morning, I both felt better and worse than I thought I would. I didn’t sleep very well the first night, and my Garmin watch was angry with me that I worked too hard the day before. Oh well! The morning was clear, beautiful, and I tried to efficiently pack up camp (shoutout to Yellow Crew for helping me hone my skills at that over the summer!)

I hiked out of camp solo and had a delightful two mile journey to the water cache on the road. Hiking in the desert in the morning without the sun on you is one of the most incredible experiences. I felt that there was just a wall of scent of sage and wildflowers that I hit every time I turned a corner. I listened to the birdsong and wished that I had the knowledge to identify the plants around me. Time to download a guidebook I think!

I ate breakfast at the cache, met new hikers, and felt so grateful to the trail angels that had left water for us. I met other hikers, and left the cache with Lily, Claire, and Olivia to drop down into Hauser Creek and promptly climb steeply to Lake Morena. The climb was intense but incredibly doable. It struck me how nice it was to hike alone, to be able to take my time, and keep whatever pace I needed to make it sustainable. Working on trail crews or hiking with groups like NOLS or the Sierra Club really ingrained in me the idea of sticking together, so it was amazing to be able to go as slow or quickly as I needed.

Once it started getting hot and my legs started hurting, I was lonely for the company that makes the time go faster on trail! Soon I was in Lake Morena, and met immediately with TRAIL MAGIC!! ADKPCTKO was the group and they promised burgers, soda, chairs, and company in the campground.

Initially, I was tempted to try to make about two more miles, after showering at the campsite, buying resupply, getting a milkshake, and charging my stuff. I was starting to feel the stress of logistics on trail, and the pressure to want to try to stay with a certain group or push for bigger miles. Thanks to the people around me, I decided to stay, which ended up being the perfect choice. We set up camp at the PCT campground with a view of the lake, and ate burgers (with a veggie option for me!!) and chatted with each other, including people who had hiked the full 20 miles from the border that day.

I ended the day with some stretching, and settled into my tent that was now pitched correctly thanks to the advice I solicited from a trail angel named Tony!

Thank you to everyone who has reached out with supportive messages since I left, especially music recommendations!! In addition to the music people have sent me, my current jam is “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles. It goes so hard in the desert!! I’ve been listening to music in my tent as I wind down for bed and journal at the end of the day. I haven’t had much time for music during the day but maybe that will change as I get more bored of hiking (or not?). In any case, keep it coming! I love hearing from people out here when I get reception 🙂

Tomorrow will be rain, wind, and probably about 10 miles. I felt stressed today about logistics and the social elements of trail life, but now am doing much better. Time to sleep and get bagels and coffee from the trail angels in the morning!