I am lucky! Sitting at Paradise Cafe enjoying a burger and a beer I sent a text off to my Aunt and Uncle letting them know I arrived early and I could be picked up any time. We were four hours early and the response I received was "we will be there within an hour". That rest of the day was spent relaxing as we were off trail with full tummies and clean from showers! My achilles was happy to ...
15 Painful Miles to Paradise
Mile 138.2, 15 trail miles 1 wandering mileAfter hearing the first hiker walk by (benefits of sleeping almost on the trail) we started packing up to get an early start. With only 15 miles we were motivated to arrive at Paradise Cafe and looked forward to a few days off which my achilles clearly wanted. Every step after the first mile was potentially painful. My achilles would send shooting pains ...
Hiking to Paradise
Mile 115 - 23 hiking miles, 1.2 wandering miles A soft flowing stream, birds singing in the background, a cool crisp to the air. I woke up this morning dreaming and then realized I was not dreaming at all. This is my morning reality... The sounds of nature all around me. Our campsite today was on the soft sand next to Aqua Caliente Creek. Sleeping on sand is heavenly when it comes to trail ...
Rolling Hills, Fields of Grass, and Stunning Flowers
Mile 101 Barrel Springs to Warner Springs and beyond...Showered and feeling fresh we hit the trail at about 9:30am. This is a favorite section for me as I have backpacked from here many times. It's beautiful rolling hills, fields of grass, and flowers everywhere! And of course eagle rock.(Hmm something seems to be hitting my heal inside my right shoe...) This section was one of my first ...
Sadly it’s Time to Say Goodbye…
It's been an unreal experience on the Pacific Crest Trail but sadly it's time to say goodbye... You carried all my worldly positions for 47 miles yet it seems I was not built for you. It's time for us both to move on but... we will definitely remain friends! After many attempts and some over the top customer service from the Gregory team, I had to change my packs and say goodbye to the Z-65. ...
And Around Around We Go! With Nutella Brownies!
Mile 77 - 24 trail miles, 1 wandering mile Awake and moving at 4:45am! With no tent to pack we were back on the trail by 5:30. Motivated to get an expected painful climb done in the cool morning. Around around we go... This should be the theme song for the Pacific Crest Trail! For 14 miles we went around every hill and mountain in sight. We started to wonder if we were going anywhere! ...
Hitchhiking For Pie and Sleeping Under Bridges
Day 6 Mile 61 - 16 trail miles. 1.4 wandering milesThe day started with a beautiful sunrise outlining the Laguna Mountains. After packing up our gear we said goodbye to our three friends who backpacked with us for the day. Five became two and we were once again alone on our journey. The day was HOT and the descent was long... As we pulled water from a cement tank stored for fires I was told ...