Day 1: Campo (Mile: 0) to Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5)
We can’t believe the day has finally arrived! I barely slept so got up quick and into the shower, the last for a while. I was so nervous I found it hard to eat breakfast and choose tea over a coffee. We were on the road by 07:30 making our way down the coast to San Diego and then making a left inland towards the border. The free flowing highway at rush hour on a Tuesday morning was a reminder that many people were working from home in Southern California.
The southern terminus of the PCT must be one of the most desirable yet unglamorous places one has wanted to be. The desert sand road had turned to a sloppy river bed like state and it was tricky to get the car up to a place where it could be safely parked. The temperature was cooler than we expected so we quickly made some adjustments and made our way to the famous terminus pillars. We got ‘the photo’, signed the log book and honestly answered the questions directed at us by the PCTA representative.
Then, we simply set off. It was cold, cloudy and rain was threatening but we had the biggest grins on our faces. Richard (Tom’s Dad) walked with us for the first couple of miles as we walked back along the trail in the direction that we had driven. We crossed the main road and out into the desert, baron but because of all the rain, unexpectedly green. The path was clearly defined, rolled up, across and over the beautiful landscape. It threatened to rain, we stopped to tog up but then the sun came out and that was that for the day. Sunscreen was reapplied and we were in day 1 bliss, cruising along, passing fellow hikers, sharing names and nationalities. A few passed by us as well including 3 guys together whose excited energy and pure delight of being on trail was reflected in their pace. As the day went on we stopped for photos, talked about potential camping spot options based on our pace and discussed the pros and cons of where we had initially placed items in our packs. For example I could get my water bottle out my bag no problem but couldn’t easily get it back in place without Tom’s help.
Around the 10 mile mark we spotted fellow hikers setting up camp for the evening, just off trail, we waved and smiled knowing there was a possibility we might see them again. We decided to head to Hauser Creek finding a suitable pitch a nice way from the water. Sunset was 18:54 so we didn’t have much time to set up the tent and boil up some water for our first meal on the trail. I chose Mac & Cheese from the variety I had packed for the first 6 nights and added the flavour and the jerky that it came with. The jerky was great but the flavour a tad on the spicy side so I ended up having to water it down a bit. We tidied up camp and snuggled up for our first night on trail just as we lost all the light. Horizontal at 19:30 would be our new norm and apart from writing up a few notes about the day there was nothing much else to do but snooze, listen to the noisy frogs in the creek and grin ear to ear that we were finally here.
Day 2: Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5) to Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6)
I didn’t really sleep. Excitement, frogs and the rain kept me awake. We set the alarm for 06:00 knowing the sun would rise about 06:54, started packing away what we could inside the tent and then as soon as there was a break in the rain packed the tent down.
We were walking out of camp about 07:15 with all wet weather gear on and a steep climb up and out of the valley, but the prospect of a coffee and a hot snack at the recommended cafe at Lake Morena kept me going. It was tricky underfoot, as we walked up, the rain trickled down the trail. Due to the hike up we stayed warm, Tom’s rain skirt kept me amused as I watched him negotiate the restrictions that come with wearing such an item of clothing. Snacks were more accessible, a lesson from the day before, and we soon learnt which bits of kit were not fully waterproof. As we leveled out, we picked up the pace to try and keep warm but the descent into Lake Morena Campground was slow and cold.
We walked 300m off the trail to the shop and cafe where all the chairs were on the tables, they were open for take out only. This made me sad because in any other year this would have been the place where we would have shared a table with other hikers as they seeked shelter from the cold and wet. We would have chatted, shared stories and discussed our first impression of the PCT, got to learn names, nationalities and the nuances of our fellow hikers. But instead we waited as long as we dared inside the building for our toasted sandwiches to be made, spoke a few words to our fellow hikers arriving or departing outside and made a beeline for the camp ground toilet block where we sheltered under the overhang to eat our sandwich, finish our coffee and use the facilities.
We decided to carry on into the rain and aimed for a camp spot about 6 miles away.
It was easy marching terrain and we kept warm. We passed under a highway where 4 of our fellow hikers were sheltering from the rain and warming up. We had a snack, took a pic and off we set.
Almost immediately we came across a small stream that had burst its banks and had no choice but to wade through mid calf depth with the aid of some bits of wood. The path itself was acting as a channel and so we had no option but to walk through the mini stream. When we got to the campsite it was closed and we were not sure if we were allowed to set up camp, so we filled a bottle of water from the tap and carried on in a window of beautiful warm sunshine peeking through the cloud. A Gopher had also felt the heat of the sun and was pushing the dirt from it’s little hole, we watched amused for a good 5 minutes. We walked about a mile further and came across Gunner who was just setting up camp, we found a similar pitch nearby that was cosy but would do.
Taking advantage of the break in the weather we put up our very soggy tent and just about got wet stuff off, into the tent and sorted before the rain started to fall again. We ate snacks and the rest of our cheese and ham toastie for dinner, as neither of us was keen to get the stove out in the pissing rain, and looked up the weather prospects for the next day. It was due to dip below freezing overnight, the rain was to turn to snow and continue falling through most of the next day. Our biggest fear of having to wake, put on wet clothes and shoes and hike out into further wet weather was going to be how our day 3 in the desert began. It rained pretty much all night, I dashed out about 04:00 for a wee and we were in the cloud but no sign of snow.
Day 3: Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6) to Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5)
By 06:00 the temperature had dropped and it took a little bit more motivation to get going. Again we packed up what we could from inside the tent, waited for a gap in the rain and pulled down the tent in the relative dry but it was sopping and poor Tom had to carry the extra weight. As we walked out of camp about 08:00 it was actually dry but cold, we traversed along the hill side and enjoyed a gradual up and down. The view was fantastic and we enjoyed the care free, easy walking, passing and being passed by fellow PCT hikers. The rain did however return turning to snow as we climbed and before we knew it we were hiking through a winter wonderland.
The trail was beautiful but tough going, the snow underfoot made progress a bit slow. It snowed then stopped, snowed then stopped. My hood went up and down many times, but my sunglasses were out and the views were amazing. The last section towards Mount Laguna was through the trees and as the sun was shining the heavy chunks of snow were falling off the trees. My fingers and toes were soaked through and quite cold by this point so it was a relief to spot the Mount Laguna campsite through the trees. Mount Laguna offers 2 indoor options for hikers to stay and because of the -10 temperatures forecast for that evening we had reserved a ‘Tiny House’.
A big wendy house with bed, shower and toilet it really was tiny but was perfect for what we needed. The Pine House Cafe and Tavern around the corner was offering take-away burritos so we treated ourselves to something warm and easy. Our evening was spent prioritising what bits of kit we really wanted to try and dry out and rotating them in front of the tiny little electric heater.
We acknowledged that we had not done the mileage that we had hoped for in our first 3 days so re-evaluated what food we had left and how far we had to travel before picking up the resupply box that we had sent to Warner Springs. It was agreed we did have just enough food thanks to our toasted sandwich and burrito purchases but would need to carry a full 4 litres of water that we filled up before bed. With our next 2 days planned out and the weather looking dry I was excited about the prospect of 2 long hard days of hiking to catch up the miles and the prospect of camping without the rain and some great views.
Just as we were going to bed the PCTA emailed to ask us to please postpone our PCT plans, we sleepily agreed we would head to Warner Springs and reassess the situation from there.
Day 4: Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5) to Penny Pines Trailhead (Mile: 48.7)
The alarm went at 06:00 and Tom was not busily packing up his bag like he said he was going to be. He asked me how I had slept, which had been fabulous since I was warm in a bed, I returned the question. His answer was not the same, he had not slept well and had been thinking. He asked me what we would do if we fell ill, we barely had enough food to get us to our resupply box and calling on someone to collect us would expose our family, some of whom are high risk. He asked me what if we were carrying the virus without knowing, went to resupply in a remote town and unknowingly passed it on to a vulnerable community.
It was clear these questions had been buzzing round all night, it was clear the seed had been planted and even if we carried on it would not be the same. I couldn’t give a reasonable answer to the questions, the PCTA had asked us to leave and their reasoning was fair. It was and still is our social responsibility to reduce the chance of the virus spreading. We cried, we packed our things, we cried and agreed on a spot to be picked up from, we cried and hoped that we may be able to return to the trail in a month or two.
By 09:00 we left our Tiny House and walked out into brilliant sunshine, the snow deep and crisp the temperature -1, it was magical. We had arranged to be picked up 7 miles down the trail at a trailhead and knowing it was going to be our last day on the PCT for now we soaked up every second. The views of the dry desert from the snowy ridge were incredible.
The sheer vastness of the landscape was amazing. We enjoyed the chance to reapply sunscreen, be back down to 2 layers and take photos and videos at every corner. The morning went fast and too soon we were at the trailhead. Just 3 and half days in and only 48.7 miles covered and we were back in the same car that had dropped us off.
There are no words to describe the feeling of disappointment; when you pluck up the courage to pursue an ambitious dream, you work hard, save hard, plan hard to make that dream a reality. You start living the dream and then you are brutally shaken awake by a worldwide crisis that is so much bigger than the dream of two individuals.
“Be strong enough to let go, be wise enough to wait for what you deserve”