Started out yesterday on the Pacific Crest Trail! This has been a dream of mine and to start it meant so much. I felt no jitters or anticipation, just a full realization that I wouldn't be coming home to sleep in a bed for six months. :) I imagined hiking near the Mexican border might be somewhat risky but it wasn't at all. People were waving to me when I went through Campo! I also thought it might be dry arid desert but it was completely green and beautiful! I was into the first mtn range within an hr and I was BLOWN AWAY by the sheer beauty... Granite rocks and green chaparral and cactus.. Blooming desert flowers and mountain vistas overlooking picturesque little ranches.. I saw a huge red hawk that swooped out of a tree and right over my head, plus rabbits, ducks, toads,mice and a pair of huge blue jays that followed me for a little bit! It rained from the moment I started but it was completely manageable. It rained all day. Then at about 6:30, it HIT. Rain became sleet and little balls of hail, and I continued on for another hr until I was forced to make camp at mile 17.5 because my clothes were soaked through and it was becoming intolerable. I expected this in the sierras, not on day 1! Well, you know what they say about assuming. It was 30 outside when I went to bed, and I literally peed in a Bottle and put it in my sleeping bag to keep my feet warm. Why waste it? :) I emptied it out every couple hrs and kept filling it up and kept warm all night. I had more experiences on the first day on the trail than I've had in the last year...
About 2:30 am I rolled over and felt the whole side of my tent crunch.
SNOW. lots of it.
Ahh the memories of the PCT. I love that your blogging this journey. Looking forward to more!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!! Yeah I never know what to expect! It's different around every corner, definitely an adventure!
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