PCT: It Begins

85 degrees in Campo tomorrow. That's what trail angel Bob Reiss ominously kept telling me as he brought me from the San Diego airport to his house just outside the city. Arriving at his house, I met four other hikers meticulously reconfiguring and weighing their packs in nervous anticipation. I remembered the feeling as I got close to starting the AT, but as a seasoned backpacker, I felt confident in my setup. After a restless night of sleep, a 4:30 AM departure, and an hour and a half drive to the southern terminus near Campo, CA, we took giddy photos of ourselves at the famous monument and took our first steps on PCT. But first, I had Bob sign my large sun hat, which I hope to have covered with trail angel signatures by the end of my trip. They make these long distance trails a more pleasant and interesting experience, and I look forward to having something to remember them by.

Our first day started leisurely, with most of us hiking in a group stopping frequently for sips of water and pictures of the desert landscape. The granite rock formations and the spiky arid plants made me think of a landscape conjured up by Dr. Seuss. This start could not be more different from the AT, but I enjoyed it just as much. As it got close to noon, most of us hikers were eager to find some shade and relax until it got cooler, a practice which is very common on the PCT during hot weather days. Though it gets pretty hot in the sun, there is almost always a gentle cool breeze, which still made me fortunate to be in the desert rather than a hot and humid environment. Our first day ended after 20 miles at Lake Morena Campground, which had a general store nearby where we could top off much needed electrolytes with ice cold gatorade. We sat for a while talking to a guy who was showing off some skin from a rattlesnake he caught earlier that day and listening to stories of his father's small roles in a couple of western movies and hearing him brashly joke with the waitstaff and...................

Blisters. Making feet painfully tender to walk on, and agonizing to put into shoes  before the ibuprofen and morning adrenalin kick in. I personally didn't have much problems with blisters on the AT, but the heat and penetrating sand of the PCT destroyed my feet after day one. I'm wearing the same shoes I did on the AT because they fit my feet well, but there was no way I could prepare my feet for the heat and sand. For a couple of days, it was very frustrating to have the motivation and stamina to hike, only to have my blisters be the limiting factor. The most I could do was pop them in as sterile of a manner as possible, wrap them in tape, soak my feet in Epsom salt baths, and prevent infection with antibacterial cream and prayer.

The third day brought my first PCT trail magic of pb&j sandwiches and cold fresh fruit, which really hit the spot in the desert. At the end of the day, I found a camping spot next to a water tank meant for hikers as well as horses, and I met two Canadian girls seeing how far they could get, a guy with a smooth baritone voice appropriately named Radio, a guy who hiked the AT last year named Rambo, a girl carrying a substantial bottle of hot sauce, and many other characters. We watched the sun set over the wide open pasture, and got up early the next morning to get into the town of Julian before it got too hot. A couple of miles along the scrubby desert floor and thoughts of cold lemonade got me to the road crossing, where I got a hitch from someone who regularly fills the water cache near the road. Since he does such an important service to hikers, I gladly let him sign my hat.

As I got into Julian, I followed the stench of other hikers and the aroma of freshly cooked burgers to an establishment called Carmans. With a petite figure and motherly demeanor, the owner welcomes hikers to hang out on the porch of her restaurant which is currently being renovated. I had a great time talking with her and getting to know more hikers. I noticed that many pct hikers are from the west coast and that this is their first long distance hike, so the reality of me having already done the AT attracted some attention. From how I got my trail name to how the two trails compare and contrast, I enjoyed answering questions and figuring out potential trail names for some fresh thru-hikers. I've noticed that the age range of people on the PCT is very similar to that of the AT, but regardless of age, people tend to have around the same quality of gear. Much different than seeing some people begin the AT with 50+lb packs. But perhaps the pct has a smallet margin of error.....