The PCT is definitely not what I expected.

That was a bit of a “click bait”. The PCT was not what I expected because it was more than anything I would’ve imagined.

Hiking on the PCT, I have woken up to an new adventure everyday, not knowing what waits ahead of me or where I will sleep that night. I have learned to cast doubts and worries away. Experienced the magnificent wonder of nature at every corner and the comradery from strangers on a daily basis.

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail has not been a vacation or a trip, it has became my lifestyle… And I love every second of it.

I have been on the trail for 5 days now. There’s been so many highs and lows already so I want to sum it up here.

• I have experienced the kindness of strangers before the trail even started. Judy and Jon Schmidt kindly put up thru hikers in San Diego before their start and I was introduced to this hiker lifestyle before I even got on the trail. I was treated with good food, a place to sleep and a ride to the trailhead. I met some incredible people and talked and laughed with them like we are old friends even though we have just met.

• There I met an incredible woman named Jenn, who unfortunately had to pause the PCT after injuring her knee on her first day. I have never seen someone with so much kindness, strength and joy even after something so unfortunate.
• The first day on trail I hiked with Kayleigh and James from England. James told us fun facts of how elephants can know where each other are from sensing the vibration of the ground and how the mile measurement came to be. I threatened to call him Trivia as his trail name if he tells us one more fact but I felt like I am the one losing out because now I miss the fun facts.

• Hiked up the side of Hauser Creek with a view like this.

• Did not realize that the California desert had mosquitoes in March. Ended up feeding every mosquitoes for miles while I tried to go to sleep.

• Saw this sign when I finally walked into the first town and was almost in tears from happiness.

• Met a trio of Australian and 4-shoes on the second day. Why 4-shoes? Because he brought four pairs of shoes with him at the start of the hike.

• Australians are fun to hike with. Maybe it’s just the accent.

• Storm incoming the second night. We managed to get set up before it started raining hard. An gentleman at the campground gave us apple pie because he thought maybe some pct hikers would be here and need a boost in spirit. He told us that God bless us for appreciation of nature and his creation. It was such a nice thing to hear from a stranger to go along with so much kindness.

• This sign.

• Stayed dry in the rain. Wind was rally bad though, even had to get up to fix a guyline that pulled out. There was a lot at stake there. (Hahahaha… Get it?)

• Saw a guy who walked 8 miles on his zero day because his tenr pole fell out when he was trying to dig a cat hole yesterday and left without it.

• Saw pinecones the size of my hand.

• Finally arrived Mount laguna, the second town. We practically ran to the restaurant and I ordered the surprise burger, which was topped with jalapeno, bacon, pulled pork, mushroom, fried and fresh onion, lettuce and two kinds of cheese. I never ate a burger that fast in my life.

• Sometimes you decide something and don’t know if you made the right choice. I decided to hike out of Mount Laguna that night and ended up finding a dream like campsite.

• Woke up to go pee and ended up looking up at this.

• Woke up with frost everywhere as we slept pretty much in the clouds at some points. Still made myself get up for the sunrise. Worth.

• Climbed my first mountain on the PCT. Garnet Peak.

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• Hiked all day in the freezing unrelenting wind. Had to look very hard for a spot to escape the wind. Ended up camping in a small spot with a bunch of hikers.

• Woke up several times from the noise of my tarp flapping in the wind/flicking water or frost on my face. Got up to the freezing cold to keep hiking in the unrelenting wind as soon as the sun came out because it was too cold to keep sleeping.

• Finally accepted that my thin foam mat was not up for the task to keep me well rested and warm so bought a new mat from my tent. Because you know… Cell service everywhere

• Made it to the next water source to find out there’s no water there. Thought I would have to hike 18 miles with no water but the trail provides. A day hiker at the parking lot gave the water in his car to me. I had to run back to catch up with the other hikers looking for water to share with them. Crisis averted.

• Spent the day meandering forward with Happy and Kim. Happy because when he hiked the long trail, the only song he could think of while night hiking is “if you are happy and you know it clap your hands!” to scare away the moose. Kim is from Texas so outcomes an onslaught of Texas jokes from me even though she never shot a gun or rode a horse. Gasp.

• This view.

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The Pacific Crest Trail was about facing adventures everyday. Through the bad and the good I have never been so happy in my life. I’m now writing this in Julian, hanging out at a currently closed restaurant, Carmen’s, whose owner let hikers stay and hang out for free, with access to the soda machine.

A day or so of R&R with plenty of food and I’ll be back on the trail. With so much more adventures to come I can’t wait to see what the trail will bring me.