Early Steps and Big Insights on the PCT

With photos taken it was time to start hiking away from the terminus. The air was electric with excitement generated from all the hikers that had eagerly put foot on trail. It felt surreal to be hiking again. After all the prep and traveling I was finally back on trail.

Over the next few days thru hiker muscle memory kicked in and I eased back into the daily rhythm of waking, tearing down camp, hiking, breaking for lunch, flagging energy in mid afternoon, looking for camp, making dinner, logging journey and planning the next days miles before lights out. I’m three weeks and around 350 miles into the hike and I’ve learned some lessons.

This is a new hike not a continuation of the last one

Seems obvious.  But just one day out of Campo at Lake Morena I saw a sign indicating over 2k miles to Canada. Almost immediately I was began figuring mileage in my head and counting days to finish.  I was feeling the same frenetic energy to hike, hike, hike as I did at the end of the CDT.   When I finally realized I was in overdrive I stopped abruptly in the middle of the trail.

“Slow down, Oz” I said to myself, “enjoy the trail. You’ve got plenty of time to turn into a crazy person.”

I reminded myself to take the long view and ease into the hike.  Enjoy the new trail. Keep an open heart and open mind for trail experiences.

Don’t skip the shakedown hike

I didn’t do a shakedown hike before the PCT – not even a day hike – because of injuries.  A good shakedown hike is one in which you’ll use your chosen gear on an overnight backpacking trip to test out your gear and setup.  Ideally you’d take your gear out for several days. Most preferable would be to take your gear out on a trip in less than ideal weather, ie. rain.  At an absolute minimum touch every piece of equipment and inspect it for holes and tears. Make sure batteries work and cable connections are tight. You get the gist.

My lack of a shakedown hike continues to bite  me in the ass. I tested some of my equipment but because the end of the CDT felt so close I assumed items that had been working 5 months ago still worked. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out my raincoat and the inner lining had completely separated from the outer lining.  Somehow while it had been stored it had desentegrated. I nursed it along for two and half weeks until I picked up my new one from the post office at Big Bear Lake. 

On day one, about two miles out of Campo I discovered one of my trekking poles was missing its tip assembly. I had put a new one on at home but hadn’t field tested it to make sure it was tight. I still don’t know where it came off. Point is, no matter how much experience backpacking you have treat each hike – no matter how small – with respect and do the proper pre-hike checks.

You’re gonna have to talk to people 

This trail has SO MANY PEOPLE. I can’t not engage with other hikers. As an introvert this constant interaction is stretching my limited interpersonal skills. Still, you’re never too old to grow so I’m doing my best to converse like a sane person.  

Every day I see familiar faces like the cohort of hikers who started the same day as me from Campo. Every day I see new faces too – fast hikers who started after me or hikers that I’ve passed.  So far, it’s rare that I hike five miles without seeing another hiker and campsites are at a premium. Perhaps I’m in a bubble but I’m looking forward to a point on trail when we hikers are spaced out and I can enjoy a little more solitude.

Interestingly, most of the hikers I meet are international hikers. A trail angel in Julian shared that the ratio of US to international hikers this year is 50/50. Not sure of his evidence but the ratio feels right. It’s fun to learn about how they are experiencing all aspects of this trail including the American trail town culture. And vice versa it’s pretty neat to hear about their lives back home.

That’s all for now. Back to hiking!