January 19, 2020
- Route: Mile 0.0 (Southern Terminus) to Mile 20.0 (Lake Morena Campground)
- Daily Distance: 20 miles
- Cumulative Distance: 20 miles
I woke up early this morning in Mission Bay- just on the outskirts of San Diego, California. It was a 63-mile drive to the southern terminus near Campo, CA. But luckily, Keith was willing to get up at the crack of dawn to drive me from our campground out to the trailhead for this little 5-day adventure.
I packed my bags up last night, but somewhere deep down, I know I probably forgot to pack a few things. It’s amazing how quickly you lose the daily routine of a thru-hike, where you instantly knew where all your gear need to go inside your pack. Now, I’m scratching my head and wondering, “what am I’m missing?” I have that feeling that something just isn’t right.
A new pack
Part of my befuddlement is because I’m trying out a different pack for this section hike. During my prior thru-hikes of the Camino de Santiago and Appalachian Trail, I used the Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpack. I love how that pack fits me, but my trusty old 60-liter pack had a lot of damage on it by the end of the AT. Plus, I just wanted to try something new for my upcoming thru-hikes in 2020.
When I discovered that Gossamer Gear was introducing a new pack, the G4-20 pack in a bright electric blue color, I was immediately smitten! I had to try it. I was ready to try a smaller, frameless pack. And my 5-day PCT section hike seemed to be the ideal time to try this new pack out to see if it would work for me longer term.
Unfortunately, a new pack also meant figuring out how I was going to store everything I needed to carry. At 42 liters, this was a significantly smaller pack than I was used to. Plus, there are fewer external pockets than my old pack, and they’re all located in different spots.
So now l feel disoriented. Things are no longer in their same location where I once carried them. But I can’t pinpoint what gear I think I’m missing. I guess only time on the trail will tell what I actually forgot!
Campo
We rolled into the border town of Campo, California, around 8:20 am, and it was dead quiet. Perhaps this solitude was just because it’s an early Sunday morning. Or maybe this was it’s normal feel in the off-season. Either way, Campo certainly wasn’t bustling like I might expect in the peak thru-hiker season in March and April.
After parking near the trailhead, Keith, Finn, and I walked up the hill toward the border wall where the monument resides. I’ve seen the PCT monument in so many thru-hikers photos that it seemed a bit surreal to be standing there posing for a picture while the wind whipped around us.
I’ll admit, I was a little surprised too. I didn’t expect the monument to be oriented east-west (parallel to the border). I’d always assumed it would face north-south, so that you had Mexico behind you and Canada ahead of you. I’m not sure why I had this impression. It doesn’t really matter, but I’m now wondering what other misconceptions I might have in laying dormant in my mind about the PCT.
After taking a few obligatory photos with the southern terminus’ monument and trying desperately to hold my shirt down in the brisk wind, it was time to get walking. There wasn’t much light this time of year, and I needed to make the most of it.
And so, I bid my family adieu and told them I’d see them in Warner Springs in five days’ time.
Time to walk
I was pleasantly surprised by the first few miles of the PCT. My experience on the Appalachian Trail’s 8-mile approach trail was not nearly so gentle of an introduction to long-distance hiking. But, I had to remind myself that the PCT was graded as a multi-use trail. It didn’t need to go straight up and straight back down the steepest terrain like the AT. I didn’t have to worry about roots and rocks constantly trying to trip me up.
Man, I think I might already be in love with the PCT!!
I had several cups of coffee to drink on the way to the trailhead, so it wasn’t 10 minutes before I was dropping my pack and scrambling toward the bushes to relieve my bladder. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see I was making good time, and before long, I stumbled on a signpost telling me I’d walked one mile (Really? Was this sign necessary?)
Then I was crossing the railroad tracks at mile 3. Jeez. There sure are a lot of signs showing the distance. I hope it’s for the SoBo hikers who are probably ecstatic to be a mere three miles from the end of their journey, not the NoBos who’ve barely started!
Bees
As I continued to hike through the morning, I passed two seasonal water sources, both of which were flowing nicely. One of my biggest worries about hiking this section of the PCT was whether I’d have enough water in the desert. Even though it was mid-January, the day was already warm, and I found myself guzzling down close to a liter from one of the streams.
While drinking, I noted that the scenery on the PCT was much prettier than I expected. Whenever I hear the phrase “desert,” my mind immediately envisions sandy, dry expanses. But, this section was green, with lots of trees and bushes lining the trail. And I love that I can see for miles (another contrast with the AT and its dreaded green tunnel). But all that exposure meant the sun was starting to beat down as I hiked north.
It wasn’t too long before it dawned on me which item I forgot to pack. My chapstick! My lips were suddenly stinging from the wind and bright sun, and I didn’t have anything to soothe them. Not good! But, that would turn out to be the least of my worries during the next hour.
Right beside the trail, there are tons of Manzanita trees, and they were full of white bell-shape flowers. I remembered Manzanita trees from when I was living in Southern California, but I didn’t recall that they bloomed in winter. What a nice surprise… that is, until I heard the bees.
When I looked up at the top of the trees I could see swarms of them buzzing around by the white blooms. I tried to walked quickly past the trees before the bees took notice of me, but it was a fool’s errand. I’d hustle past one section of trees and get around a bend in the trail, and then there would be a dozen more of trees ahead. Some of the clusters of trees seemed to be free of buzzing, but enough of them had bees hovering around them that I began to worry.
As I made my way up the trail, one of the bees started doing circles around the top of my head. Perhaps it thought my freshly washed hair smelled like flowers, because it kept buzzing near the crown of my head for far more time than I was comfortable. I tried to use my poles to shoo it away, but I think that movement only irritated the bee. And before I knew it, I felt a horrible sting on my scalp!!!
Holy crap, if you’ve even been stung by a bee, you know how bad it hurts. But getting stung on the thin layer of skin on your scalp is ten times worse than a regular sting on the arm or leg. It was so incredibly painful that it literally brought tears to my eyes. And what if I had some sort of allergic reaction and collapsed on the trail with no one to help me??
I’m not allergic to bees, so I don’t know why I had this random thought. I guess I was just angry, and I suppose I started to catastrophize a bit. But seriously?? What the hell? I’m just minding my business and trying to hike, and this stupid bee had to aggressively sting me on the damn head?!?
A NICE AFTERNOON HIKE
After the bee debacle, I continued on for another 45 minutes before trying to find a place in the shade to stop for lunch. I looked down at my watch, and I was surprised that I was making such good time. It was only 12:25pm and I’d already walked 12.5 miles. At this pace I might even get to Lake Morena early. Not too shabby.
Although it’s a Sunday, the trail was pretty quiet all day. I only passed a total of three people all morning – one guy hiking by himself and then a couple in their 20s – and they were all hiking southbound. Other than that, I had the trail all to myself. I had to admit to myself, hiking this section of the PCT in winter was pretty darn nice. More people should really consider it.
As I got near mile 15, I encountered Hauser Creek, which was the last major landmark before Lake Morena. The descent was steep and rocky, and it was probably the most difficult section of trail I’d seen today.
That said, it wasn’t really that hard. I’m not sure I had this delightful of a day on the entire Appalachian Trail. The PCT’s terrain is a dream. Not only is the trail well-graded, but I could actually see my surroundings instead of being stuck under a canopy of trees the entire time. Man, I really love this trail!
When I got to the bottom of the canyon at Hauser Creek, I saw a couple sitting near the trail in some collapsable chairs while sunning themselves. I asked if there was any water in the creek, but they shook their heads “no,” then pointed down a side trail. Apparently, some other hikers went that direction in search of water and hadn’t returned yet.
I considered following the side trail too, but since Lake Morena was only a few miles away, I decided the extra distance wasn’t really worth it. I had close to half a liter of water left. I could make it to the campground and get water there.
My ascent out of Hauser Creek was nice and gentle, and it wasn’t long before I could hear voices from a family with small kids exploring the trail from the Lake Morena Campground. Wow! It was only 3:30 pm and I was already at my destination for the evening!
What a delightful surprise the PCT was turning into. I loved that I could actually keep a reasonable pace while hiking instead of dodging roots and rocks, or huffing and puffing up insanely graded hillsides.
HELLO, HIKER TRASH!
Given that I made it to the Lake Morena so early, I decided to bypass the campground and just head a 1/2 mile down the road to the infamous Lake Morena Malt Shop so I could get some cold drinks before it closed. A sports drink sounded perfect right now!
The Malt Shop was really just a large convenience store, but they also served some deli items and pizza – and they had free wifi, which is nice since there’s no cell signal at Lake Morena.
Looking around at how well-stocked the store was today, I mentally kicked myself for carrying so much food in my pack. I could have carried a lot less weight those first 20 miles and just bought all my snacks here instead. Oh well, lesson learned! Time to buy some chapstick (ah, sweet relief!) and a bottle of Gatorade to quench my thirst.
As I sat outside the Malt Shop enjoying my drink, a car with Texas plates drove up. Then the two 20-something hikers I saw walking southbound this morning popped out. Taking a closer look at them, I could see had that familiar long-distance hiker appearance about them.
I immediately wanted to call out to them – as if I were a thru-hiker recognizing my own kind while in town. But another part of me reluctantly held back. I wasn’t a thru-hiker out here on the PCT. What the heck was I doing? I couldn’t just walk up and start talking like we were on trail together. They were COMPLETE strangers, and it would be creepy to walk up to them apropos of nothing, right?
E. COLI FOR DINNER
And so, I left the Malt Shop without talking to the duo and I headed back to the campground. After paying my $5 at the Ranger Station, I set up my tent in the hiker section of the campground. It’s been months since I slept outside in my tent. And to make it even better, I had the place all to myself!
I was also thrilled to see I’d have access to a port-a-potty, so I wouldn’t have to dig a cat hole in the morning. And if, I was willing to walk a just little bit further, I could even use flush toilets at the RV campground’s bathroom. Score!!
Unfortunately, my joy at all these campground amenities was short-lived. Why, you might wonder? Because I soon discovered a bunch of signs stating that all the piped water at the Lake Morena Campground was contaminated with e. coli. Seriously?!? What was I supposed to do now?
I probably could gotte water out of the faucet and just boiled it for 5 minutes to make ensure I killed all the e.coli bacteria, but I didn’t have enough fuel for that. I’d only brought a partially empty fuel canister from my hiking gear, figuring it would be fine for this short trip. I’d only planned to cook my dinners and I’m a champ at conserving fuel when I cook.
After shaking my fuel canister to see how much fuel was left inside, I was 99% pretty sure I didn’t have enough to boil all of tonight and tomorrow morning’s water. And I didn’t want to have eat cold-soaked dinners the rest of the hike because I’d wasted all my fuel. Dang it! I guess I was heading back to the Malt Shop a second time to buy a gallon of drinking water!
Daily Summary
Highlights
- Standing at the monument at the PCT’s southern terminus
- The absolute beauty of the desert
- How wonderfully graded and enjoyable this trail is to hike!
Challenges
- Getting stung in the scalp by a rogue bee!
- Trying to control my enthusiasm when I see other potential hikertrash in town 🙂
- Discovering all the running water at the campground is tainted by E. coli