2018.05.11 - Day #1 - Start walking

To PCT mile 20 (stats here).

Mandatory posing at the Mex-US border.

And so it begins. Myself and Mikko arrived to San Diego yesterday, 10th of May, by rail. The ride took all in all 35 hours, stopping over at Van Nuys, just before Los Angeles. A really nice person from a PCT Vegan Facebook group offered us to stay at her place for the night. Then we continued to San Diego, where a volunteer named Sarah picked us up to the home of a legendary PCT couple, Scout and Frodo. They have been hosting north bound PCT hikers for a very long time the night before their hike, offering rides, food, place to stay, and invaluable information. Even before the hike it is amazing to feel how the hiking community around PCT is like a huge family, joyous and merry, looking after each other and being unbelievably kind.

Scout and me.

We slept the night at Scout and Frodos backyard, in huge tents of four. Everybody except me was up already 5am, busy fixing their packs before breakfast. Everything was more and less ready already the night before, but in the verge of something huge there is always something to check. I got up 5:20am and finished my pack, and had some oatmeal for breakfast. There was about 15 hikers to start the PCT from Scout and Frodos. We got a ride from a volunteer that hiked the PCT last year. Being at the border 7am meant that it was going to be a late start. Luckily, there was an unusual cold front going on so the temperature was ok.

Almost done.

The very beginning of the hike just followed the road back the way came. First steps and away we go. If everything will go fine and we are somewhat able to follow the plan, day one of the forth coming one hundred and fifty. I came to realise that I had way too much food. This was evident already in the train, when I counted that there were food for at least 5 days in my back. I tried to consume this before the hike, but did not succeed. It was strongly recommended by everyone to carry from 5 to 7 liters of water on the first day. This seemed to be a bit much, and turned to be so for myself. I consumed maybe 2 liters in the first day. Granted, I should have also drank more.

The first day was hard. The weight of my backpack was maybe 21kg, where as the upper comfort limit for it is around 13kg. During the day, this was noticed the hard way. My right shoulder started to ache, and the pack felt uncomfortable and clumsy. Still, as I have not done any hiking in a very long time, I did not feel surprised. It would take time to develop my hiking stamina. Especially in the shoulder area.

The day went leap frogging many of the hikers we started with. It seemed that me and Mikko had about an average pace of the people we started with. Some went fast, too fast in my opinion, a common mistake with starting hikers. Some so slow that you wondered if they have what it takes to finish. Common wisdom says that you cannot tell that by the first days information.

Mikko and me and the scenary. Mikko is a stronger hiker of us.

We took two breaks, after every 10km. The latter was 45 minute break around 2pm. I've decided that it is wise to adhere to the wisdom that you should keep a siesta when the day is at its hottest. Mikko wanted to continue, but agreed for a break.

I have never used hiking poles and it felt that they are not working for me. Made my shoulders ache, and I ended up just carrying them most of the time. Already in my mind I started to formulate what stuff I would send away. The common wisdom is that you should do a gear shakedown in every resupply location, until you have only what you really need.

Lake Morena from a far.

We arrived at Lake Morena camping ground in good strength, about 6pm. We first intended to just take some water and continue to next marked tent site. But as the evening was approaching, there was proper toilets in the campground and all the other hikers stayed there, we opted to pay the 5 dollars and stay there.

The casa for the first night. On top of ants.

I pitched accidentally my tarp to a place where there was lots of ants, so I needed to then put the inner net in place as well. There was already one blister forming in my toe. Indeed, the shoes did not feel good as they do not breathe that much. Let's see what happens with those.