Post One | First Four Days  

• Total distance hiked: 76.3 miles | 122.8 km
• Days on trail: 4

First post (written at an RV camp laundry room while waiting for hiking clothes to maybe become clean). 

Started hiking at 9:30am on Tuesday, 24 April 2024. The hike begins right at the US/Mexico border near a small town (generous to call it that) named Campo. 

Jack dropped me off at the Southern Terminus (about a 1.5hr drive from San Diego). A PCTA volunteer was there to check my permit, discuss Leave No Trace principles (including packing your used toilet paper out…), and for last minute photos before beginning. 

Southern Terminus - the large fence to the left is the Mexican border 

Sadly no train to shortcut the journey 

Typical lunch (tortilla with peanut butter) - amazing view!

Small garter snake (non-venomous). Still haven’t seen a rattler yet 🐍 

Beautiful mountains 

First night’s stop was at Lake Morena (approx 20mi in). There are many cool things about the PCT - one of which is ‘Trail Magic’. Trail Magic is unexpected treats of some sort that people (often previous PCT hikers) prepare on trail. 

Upon arriving at Lake Morena a father and son were cooking  burgers, and had soft drinks and crisps (and ibuprofen) for hikers. A very welcome (and unexpected) treat on trail to have a hot, freshly cooked burger. Stayed here for about 45 mins with six fellow hikers who were calling Lake Morena home for the night. I would be spending the next three nights with the other hikers here as we all have similar pace. 

Trail Magic 

First pitch on trail 

View from Day 1 tent spot 

Second day on trial was hot; the sun is unrelenting and the shade is hard to come by. 

There is an app that everyone on trail uses (FarOut) which helpfully sets out water sources, good camping spots, and other tips for the trail (e.g. whether mountain lions have been heard/seen at a particular place). Miles 40 to 53 were in a national forest that didn’t permit ‘disbursed camping’ (i.e camping in a non designated camp site) so most people (including me) chose to camp at mile 39.8 to avoid paying the $35USD to camp at the designated spots. 

Definitely looks like the desert now 

The next morning was freezing (temperature was 0°C at 7am). There was a hiker-friendly cafe two miles down track at Mount Laguna (6,000ft elevation) which everyone was keen to visit to get a hot meal to warm up. Unfortunately, it only opened at  9am so a large group of us sat outside in the cold waiting for it to open. 

Waiting for Pine House to open 

Burned enough calories to justify the whipped cream I reckon

Breakfast burger (as in burger for brekkie)

Photos really don’t do the views justice 

Drying out gear 

The rest of the day was windy and cold (very different than the hot part of the desert the previous two days) but there were beautiful views throughout the day - the ‘Desert Section’ (which is known to be the least scenic) sure is beautiful. 

We had been told a storm was on its way and the wind was only going to get worse so an early start was essential. The first hour or so was freezing (I need to buy something other than shorts) and I couldn’t feel my hands. Once the sun broke out the rest of the day was much more pleasant although still super windy. 

Knowing that there will be a storm tonight (and not wanting wet gear), I opted for a night at a RV Park which offered dorm rooms for PCT hikers - $36. Well worth the cost to avoid the wind and rain. 

Within less than a minute of arriving at the point where the trail meets the highway, and while looking at the comments on FarOut, I was offered a ride by a passing driver (first hitch without even asking for it!). 

The plan is to hitch to Julian tomorrow at around 8am, where there is news of free pie and ice cream for PCT hikers. 

Water resupply

Cactus (cacti?) in bloom 

Home for the night 

Trail names 

In the US, hikers are given trail names (the reasoning is that you’re much more likely to remember ‘Monk’ or ‘Gravy’ than ‘Sam’ or ‘Sarah’). Trail names are given to you and you can choose to accept or not. Weird, I know. 

Before leaving I pinned a fabric banana badge to my pack to differentiate it from the countless other green ULA Circuits. 

When introducing myself, most people mishear ‘Brad’ as ‘Bread’ thanks to my non-American accent (it’s happened at least six times) so with that, I was given ‘Banana Bread’ as my trail name, which I have adopted. 

Banana Bread out 🤙🏼🍌🍞