Week 1 Mileage: 215
Sore Feet, Sore Knees
After a great stay with “Scout” and “Frodo” in San Diego, I hopped on the shuttle and headed to the border. Met a couple thru hiker dudes, “Ghost” and “Nancy Drew” who knew a friend of mine. After getting our permits checked by the PCTA fuzz at the border I set my GPS and headed out on May 2nd at 11:54 am. It was a hot day down there, but we pushed hard and were able to knock out 20 miles. The temperature dropped and my tent was wet from the dew. The other guys had decided to cowboy camp and I don’t think they slept too good that first night.
After saying goodbye to them, I head out of camp at 5:30 AM. My feet were sore from the first day and that continued for the next 5 days. The break in period for my thru hikes always seem to take forever. My brain is saying “Go Go Go!”. My body on the other hand, is saying “Go Fuck Yourself!” First full day ended with a 36.9 mile day.
Into Mt. Laguna for some microwaved burritos and chocolate milk. An old timer said a storm was coming the following day so I pushed hard out of there. Made it to the road crossing for Julian, CA the following afternoon and after a solid pull up and out, I arrived at the PCT campsite at 8 pm. Camped with a YouTuber named Rosa, who told me I should have a channel. I told her I have enough trouble trying to figure out Instagram and went to sleep. The rain came in the morning and as I hiked from there, the wind picked up hard. Blowing 50 mph with rain, the temperature dropped significantly. The storm ended by 10 and after changing my socks and breaking my headphones, I made it to Warner Springs by 1 PM. Hitched to the gas station, ate some more pleasant microwaved food, bought a 3-day resupply and headed out. Met up with a kid who started on the same day as me, a Mormon from Utah named Alec. He asked if he could hike with me, I said, “sure, as long as cigarette smoke and swearing like a truck driver doesn’t bother you”. After 32 that day we called it. The following day was complete sun exposure in the desert and a late finish just before the approach up to Mt. San Jacinto.
The next morning, while looking at the next 30 miles, I realized the only water sources on the trail were going to be 1 mile down ravines, off the trail. We opted to carry the 2 1/2 liters we each had for the next 20 miles. Slowdowns, loose rock and snow pack made for an extremely tough 28.7 mile day. We camped at 9,000 ft and the next morning, skirted the summit. Crossing a river, I slipped on an ice-covered rock and sent my phone flying out of my strap pocket, into the river. Gone — or so I thought. As I preceded to scream every expletive in the book, Alec reached his hand into a little whirlpool and found my phone! The waterproof case held up. The only damage done was that this poor kid was going to have to answer to Joseph Smith on Judgment day about why he decided to hike with me.
Finding out about a Noro Virus outbreak up ahead on the trail and my knees screaming from the snow-packed downhills, we made the decision to Uber into Banning, CA and get a hotel, resupply, and get some In and Out Burger.
Clean and recharged, we were back on the trail by 9 the next morning and finished out the week a bit before Mission Creek at 215 miles. Just over a 30 mile average. It certainly isn’t a record breaking week, but soon the break-in process will be over and the big miles will start.
