The Journey Begins
Meghan and I woke up early to head to the southern terminus of the PCT. The sky was cloudy as we headed towards the mountains and we even got a few drops of rain.
As we got closer to the monument, the weather got sunnier and soon it was a beautiful day.
At the border, we met “Terminus Tom” who checked my permit and told me to pack out all my toilet paper.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Meghan for 4 months. This was the hardest part of my day. Walking is the easy part.
Eventually, we parted and I began my hike. The weather was cool despite the sun and I was able to make good time.
I passed a woman heading south. She handed me a wristband with a bible quote saying “You are never alone.” I know she probably meant that god is always with you, but I like thinking it also means that everyone else on the trail is there to help too.
Soon I found myself at the bottom of Hauser Canyon with 3 other hikers. We lounged in the shade and talked about our plans. One was from Washington, like me, another was from San Diego. After about 45 minutes, I packed up and headed out of the canyon. This would be the hottest and most difficult part of the hike.
After the climb, it was a nice easy 4 miles downhill to Lake Morena campground. They have running water and a store with hot food. I headed to the store for dinner and ordered a ham and cheese melt with a chocolate malt.
Pretty great first day.