The Pacific Crest Trail calls

We boarded the Greyhound bus this morning in Phoenix to take us to the beginning of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Unfortunately you can't go directly from Greyhound to the trailhead at Campo, which is right on the Mexican border.

We're currently in El Cajone waiting for the 894 bus at 11:45 to Campo, which means we will be on trail by 3:00.

I cut down the entire 3000-plus mile trail map to show just the section we're going to complete, about 266 miles of trail in 12 to 14 days. The grade of this trail is easier than the Appalachian Trail but we have to carry a whole heck of a lot more water, about 8L each, because there is so little water on some sections.

While waiting for the bus Mike checked the weather again. Because of this I took a one-mile run to Walmart to buy a hat and gloves. It's gonna get cold in the last couple of days! As you can see, El Cajone is not the best city. Quite a large homeless population and lower socio-economic.

Here we are at the southern terminus of the trail!!! It was very exciting to get to sign in at the trail registry. It's also cool to get to see what other people have written. Some people just sign in and out, and others write half a page; it's up to the individual hiker.

If you can't tell, I'm extremely excited to start down this path. I never thought that I would get to do the desert section at a good time of year. Many Thru-hikers have to night-hike for hundreds of miles. I was not looking forward to this at all because what do you get to see if you're hiking at night? As I write this, Mike is in his tent right across the way. When he heard my question to the universe he said scorpions, tarantulas, other insects and coyotes...

Before we leave I wanted you all to see Mexico… There it is! When I signed in at the trail book, I made the note, "Mr. Trump, tear down this wall."

Here you can see Mike walking past the very first trail marker on the PCT.

And here's Mike at mile one… I promise we're not going to document every mile that we do on the trail.

Since we are in the desert it makes it hard to find a spot to put two tents. We jumped at this spot because it's reasonably flat and even if you can't see it in this photo there's a nice view of where the sun will set.

On the PCT you are mandated to have a bear canister. Unfortunately carrying 10 days of food for 2 people is tough in one canister, but don't worry we didn't keep the food in the tent...

Here is the height of the sunset on day one. As we hiked through the low limbs, I said to Mike, "Do you think we're gonna get any good spots to view as the sun sets?" I guess I got my answer.

One thing that makes the PCT so different from the AT is that it is a horse trail that has less than a 15° incline over the entire trail. We only saw one horse the entire time that we were out. This cowboy was new to the area and out for a ride to check out the new landscape.

It is constantly amazing to Mike and me that areas such as this are able to support cattle. As you can see this area was, in the last 5 years, burned. The trees here grow really slowly so there is not a lot of shade on the trail. Also the dry conditions mean that campfires are banned. Not that we could have built one anyway because we don't carry fire-making capability with us.

Another big difference between the AT and the PCT is that here you can see all around you all the time. If you spot a mountain off in the distance, you will spend all day walking towards and around it. On the AT you are under tree cover for the majority of the day and if you are lucky you'll see one big vista a day.

Before we started I was worried about following the PCT. The AT has white blazes to guide you. When you hike on it, your subconscious seeks them out so you're sure you are still on the correct path. They are so embedded in AT culture that some people who through-hike have been known to touch every one as they go or to take a photo of themselves at every one or every 10th. The PCT is unblazed and so I was nervous that we would get lost but, between the map notes we printed before we left and hiker "notes" like big branches over the wrong way, we made good time.

The toughest thing about this section was that there really is no natural water on the trail. Some communities put in cisterns that are filled by the fire departments or rain runoff, and in other places there are caches of water left by dedicated locals. There were supposed to be many 30- to 50-mile stretches without water, so we carried 6L of water each at 2.2 lb a liter. You do the math on how crazy heavy that is!!! This pack was the heaviest I have ever carried. If you look at the lakes in the background of this, you'll see that there is grass poking up in the center. California is really hurting for rainfall.

Again, unlike the AT, there are not any shelters to camp in and the landscape makes finding a place for 2 tents rough. Luckily Mike is a wizard with google maps and so if we are wondering whether to pass on a spot or stop, he usually can tell if there will be anywhere to stop in the next few miles. We bear the weight of 2 tents because it means that our gear gets to be inside too.

Now I did say that there were no blazes on the PCT, but at road crossings they do often have a sign letting you know where to go once the trail crosses over or under the road.

When we crossed one old mining road we saw this sign. There was no translation, just another indication that, other than hikers, the only other people out here are border crossers who sadly perish due to lack of water. The sign says: Caution! - Do not expose yourself to the elements - Not worth it! No drinkable water. And they aren't kidding, no shade and no water.

We have to take a lot of small breaks on the trail because Mike forgot his knee brace. Flat big rocks are at a premium because it means no dirt on your butt!

I had never been this far south in California. It is a very consistent landscape of grasses, shrubby trees, and rocks that look tossed onto the surface of earth.

Oh we also finally walked into Fall. There have been a few sections here where the trees are dropping their leaves. Also the weather at night is chilly. Tonight the low is 33°F. I didn't even know it got that cold here in early November; lucky we didn't leave this trip until after our Grand Canyon hike at the end of November.

This is what bedtime on the trail looks like for us. Being disciplined about writing your journal can be very tough, but if you don't write pretty much every day you'll end up forgetting the subtle details.

Another difficulty about the PCT is that we don't get many hours of daylight at this time of year. So we started getting up in the dark so that we can get more miles in before bedtime. I love hiking in the early morning and watching the sunrise.

What you see going on in this picture is a water fountain in the middle of the woods. I'm not kidding when I mean there's no natural water, and so infrastructure has to be put in. In the background you can see Mike filling our packs from the cement cistern.

In this area of the PCT we crossed through lots of national forests and state parks. The good thing is that when you're on foot you don't have to pay!

Here's an example of a rock area that we walked around all day. Unfortunately, because this is a horse trail, you don't get to take the quick way across the middle or even the semi-quick way. You have to go the very longest way around so that the trail stays at a reasonable incline and decline level. I have to say that today was frustrating because at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day I could see practically this same valley.

As we came up upon this side trail, Mike was kind enough to comment that it was nice of US Park Service to put in a trail especially for Mexican immigrants. Don't worry, I poked him with my hiking pole for that comment.

Dinner in the woods is a fairly quick affair. You can see Mike eating stove-top stuffing. We generally only do one hot meal a day and then eat nuts and bars for the rest. Sometimes oatmeal too, but in the morning we usually just want to get on the trail.

The wind this evening was terrible. Luckily we did set up camp inside a ring of bushes. Also the sunset today was probably the best one I have ever seen.

In the morning we got up and skies were clear so we got to see the Beaver Supermoon. It is named this because it is the last moon before lakes and swamps freeze over for winter. It is the last chance to set beaver traps before winter and ensure a supply of warm winter furs. On the Continent it is known as the Hunter’s Moon because it is when game has fattened and now is the time to hunt and preserve meats for the winter months.

People who live near these long trails are often very invested in seeing people succeed in their hike. Here that means that they will bring and leave water on the trail for hikers to pick up. On the AT it's called Trail Magic but here it is called caches. We did not need water, but a lot of hikers were carrying a lot less water than we do.

Some of the through hikers that we ran into said that the views get old after 1000 miles. I can't imagine how that's true!

As we hiked along certain sections of the PCT I realized that all the complaining I've done about the rocks on the AT in Pennsylvania were just training, because large chunks of the trail here also had extremely annoying loose skree that you needed to walk over. Let me tell you, at the end of the day it's all you can do not to turn your ankle on it.

We came around the corner and I saw the clouds over the mountains in the distance. Ever since I hiked the GR10 in France, I've been a little bit obsessed with clouds in the valley and clouds creeping over mountain tops. I love hiking and watching the clouds change shape.

As you look down this Valley you might think, "Well they're set for tonight! So many places to camp." But you would be mistaken. Unfortunately in this area the grasslands are completely interspersed with cacti and rocks. You have to be careful to find somewhere to put your tent.

Heres a close-up of the grassy areas you saw in the last picture. Not so flat, soft or inviting to camp on, is it?

Tonight we set up camp at the top of a mountain. Not our best choice wind-wise as it was blowing at about 15 miles per hour. It's very distracting to try to sleep while you're getting randomly smacked by the side of your tent, but in the morning when we walked further on we realized this was the last place to stay for miles and miles. Also the view was stunning.

In the morning we got a move on quickly. If you look off to the left you can see that the clouds are fairly significant behind us, and with Mike's track record we thought better to walk fast than wait for the rain to catch up 😂

There is some water on the PCT but you just have to walk to it. Here is one of the many signs for water, sitting in front of Mike's favorite plant, the Teddy Bear cholla. Perhaps you remember this plant from Saguaro National Park.

Mike walked right over this guy. He was sitting in a little divot right on the side of the trail. Look at that camouflage ! I have no idea how I even spotted him, but this is one more species off the list! Mike has been looking for a short-horned lizard ever since we entered the desert months ago.

This is Billy Goat cave. It is a really popular photo spot with PCT hikers. Mike had known about it so I thought let's have our tourist photo on the hike. Supposedly it is named for Billy Goat who is a well-known hiker. Rumour has it, he was born in this cave! Trail gossip is great.

After the cave we walked along this valley for a long way...

...coming out at another water source that we could use. Unfortunately on the way down the last hill, Mike tore something in his knee. We stopped here so he could assess the damage. The bottom line is we're done for this trip. About a hundred miles, Mexico to Warner Springs.

We walked out to the road and hitched into the small town of Warner Springs. We were a bit screwed because to get to Greyhound or rent a car we needed to be at least in Temecula.

As a stroke of luck would have it, the highway ahead was closed due to a vehicle fire. A group of desert rats stopped in the small town of Warner Springs to wait for the fire to be cleared. They had spent the weekend driving offroad vehicles, riding dirt bikes and having what looked to be a blast. We got lucky that one couple was willing to take us as far as they were going, which was far enough because we got to Temecula, a 40-mile drive that took about an hour.

Once we'd rented a car, I told Mike that I really wanted to see this place called the Salton sea.

He said,"Why?" I said, "It was in a song by Ed Sheeran." He shrugged his shoulders and said, "OK it's practically on the way."

The sea was an incredibly popular destination in the fifties and sixties. In fact it wasn't even supposed to exist, but the army corps of engineers made a mistake while trying to dam the Colorado River and dumped millions of gallons meant for crop irrigation into this dry sea bed. It was called the miracle in the desert and was wildly popular.

In pictures you would think it still is. Might be thinking to yourself right now why didn't I know about this? How can I book my next vacation?!

I mean you can see how blue and clear the water is, how sandy the shore looks ...

But it's not! Welcome to the most depressing sea town in the world. Firstly, you realize that it's not sand at all but dead barnacles. Secondly, you realize as you get close to the water that stench you can smell is long-dead fish. Lastly, the reason that the water is so blue and clear is because nothing can live in it. It is 15 times saltier than the Pacific Ocean.

On your way into town you get to pass through what's left of this town's prosperous past.

There are still signs that guide tourists here to gawk at this distopian and apocalyptic area. And by tourists I mean Mike and me because we didn't see anyone else, even locals. Now if you're an Ed sheeran fan, you probably realize that the song that I was referencing at the beginning was the Tenerife Sea... No one said I have the best memory!

After we left the Salton Sea I realized that even the wildlife was desperate to get out. This little lady bug rode on my pant leg all the way to Phoenix where he/she gratefully hopped off onto a branch to start a new life in the big city.