We got up bright and early (well not actually bright because it was before sunrise) at 4:15AM. We packed up and were off around 5:00AM and believe it or not we weren’t even the first to leave our camping area! We had a beautiful walk along what seemed like an old road right along a ridge line as the sun rose. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
There was an area with all these plaques that I guess was a place to memorialized loved ones that passed away.
We had an enjoyable and quick seven mile hike to the Sunrise Trailhead, where we stocked up on water. A guy was dropping off his friend to hike and gave Wolf Bird 4 liters of water which he graciously shared with me. We opted to carry a reasonable amount of water which meant we would have to walk extra later in the day to restock our water supply. Others opted to carry a heavy load of water (think 6+ liters or 12+ pounds) to avoid having to walk more/stock up later.
Today it was really noticeable how meandering the trail is. Since it’s so open, we can often see where the trail will take us for the next half hour or more. Today we went way up up (at a very gradual grade) only to then do a switch back and walk way down in the totally opposite direction. Then we crossed the valley floor and went right back up again. It can feel frustrating since we can literally see all this back and forth ahead of us.
It got very hot by 10AM but we powered on until about noon where we would stop at Rodriguez Road for our siesta. This was where we had to stock up on water which meant we had to walk off trail a mile down a dirt road to a spring. The walk down wasn’t too bad but we then had to walk a mile back uphill in the blazing hot sun awkwardly trying to juggle about 5 liters of water each. I was really struggling near the end so Wolf Bird went ahead of me and disappeared out of site. Minutes later, as I was struggling even more, I saw him walking in my direction. He had set down his water at the top of the hill and walked back down to me to help me carry my water the rest of the way up. 100 points for Wolf Bird!
Wolf Bird found a pretty sweet spot with some shade and also rigged up our tent fly to create some extra shade. It wasn’t perfect but it was very nice to get out of the sun. The tent fly “shade” turned out to be more of a sweat lodge but Wolf Bird is weird and enjoyed it. We laid about snacking and relaxing and Wolf Bird also read some of The Alchemist to me.
After our long break we finally set out around 5PM to walk our final four miles. It still felt pretty hot, as we were walking uphill and in the sun for most of the miles. We finally made it to our Tentsite which turned out to be a bit windy but also beautiful.
(Wolf Bird here) Sherpa put in 100% and she needs her rest
Our plan was tomorrow to walk four miles to the road and hitch into Julian, as we’d heard a storm with strong winds and potential for snow was on the way.
This was one of my favorite sections of hiking. We had a really hot day yesterday and so we decided to try a siesta strategy to keep from walking in the hottest part of the day so we woke up at 4:30 a.m.
We were at the top of a ridge at 4,908 ft but it was still very warm out and beautiful. The stars were beautiful and still bright since the moon had set. We packed up and I ate a quick breakfast of bars and Sherpa wasn’t feeling great so she didn’t eat much. We started walking around 5:15 a.m. and were making amazing time.
As the sun started coming up we started hearing a lot of mountain lion chirping. They seem to be calling each other from different slopes. Sherpa went ahead at one point because I have been taking pictures of as many flowers as I can find, and she promptly waited for me when we heard some chirping nearby. We had heard that this section had some stalking reported. I have since done some googling on how to prevent an attack if you encounter one. Basically you stare them down, make yourself larger than life, and shout.
Fortunately we didn’t have to fight a cougar. After a couple miles we climbed into this forest wonderland. Pretty wild seeing such an environment change.
After a couple miles we encountered a sign to Mt. Laguna. We decided in Lake Morena that we would skip this town and go into Julian. After that came Burnt Rancheria Campground where we stopped and took a quick break and I took advantage of their privy! Sherpa was still feeling weird but tried to eat something without much success.
When we finally got water and got going, we hiked out of the forest and passed some striking views!
The desert is hot and unbelievable! It’s definitely easier for me to enjoy the scenery because the heat doesn’t affect me like it does Sherpa. She is constantly having to manage her system to stay at a reasonable temperature. Today was more manageable than the last two because we were hiking earlier and there was a breeze.
We hiked until mile 48.7 at Penny Pines Point Faucet and planned to siesta there. We met a few thru-hikers there: Sara, GG, and Shannon. We chatted them up for a few minutes then found an out of the way, shaded place to take a nap and eat lunch.
I made one of my dinners for lunch and passed out. When I woke up I was super grumpy and had to take a second to chill out. We decided that we hadn’t done enough to meet other hikers so we were going back to the faucet to find people to meet. There where two hikers at the pump, Bryant and Evan?? They were from Caly somewhere and pretty friendly.
We then saddled up for the final push and had a really pleasant last couple miles. We saw lots of wildlife and amazing views.
Our final destination was technically a picnic area called Pioneer Mail Picnic Area not a campsite. We were apprehensive about camping here because you aren’t allowed but when we arrived there were already 4 tents up. We found a flat spot and out up our tent then when to get water.
The water source was a horse trough that had two faucets. One on top and one on the trough itself. Sherpa, nearly a genius, started filling her bottle from the trough faucet which supplied life giving green algae, mosquito water. I quickly mansplained that the top faucet was clear so she dumped out her water but, to my consternation, left at least a cup of green water in the bottom. I convinced her to dump it out, saint that I am. We are working on her standards.
We went to bed and slept like little hiker babies.
We were very happy to have our own private space in our treehouse last night. We woke up early and I (Sherpa) discovered her phone hadn’t charged overnight! Not good when your phone functions as your camera, music source, communication device, and trail gps. I plugged in my phone and hoped it would charge by the time we left. We enjoyed an amazing free breakfast and then all 25ish of us piled into a bunch of cars to head to the trailhead. The drivers are all volunteers and we are so grateful for such generosity. I grabbed my phone before hopping in the car only to discover my charging cord must have broke so I had to start the trail with only a half charged phone.
We rode to the trail with three generations of a family hiking together–a grandpa, mom, and 10 year old girl. We got to the monument at the southern terminus around 7AM and the big group of us took turns taking photos. Wolf Bird and I set off pretty quickly after while others were still milling about, in hopes of beating the heat and avoiding hiking in a huge herd of people.
Our first pile passed super quickly. The terrain was pretty flat and easy but it started heating up in no time. The desert was so different for us! So many unfamiliar plants and flowers and wildlife. We saw bunnies and hummingbirds and lizards. We could see pretty far into the distance, as there is only really small cacti and desert plants-no trees to block the view.
We took a few breaks, growing more frequent as it got hotter. We spent time figuring out how to hide from the sun–using hats and trying to rig up our umbrellas to our packs so we could walk without having to hold them with our hands. We took a couple hour break at mile 15 at Hauser Creek where there was shade and water and a bunch of other people resting.
We set out around 3PM to walk the final five miles of the day, which started with a big climb. We would soon discover this was not the smartest decision. The sun was so incredibly strong and there was no shade. The temperature was probably high 80s but I’m sure the heat index was far higher. Wolf Bird seemed to be doing okay, but I had to stop every 50 yards or so. My heart was racing and I was sweating so much and was so tired. Maybe we should have waited until it was cooler…
I was very grateful to have Wolf Bird to encourage and support me and we staggered (well I staggered and Wolf Bird strolled) into Lake Morena Campground a couple hours later. I felt like I literally couldn’t walk another step. I collapsed onto a picnic table and chugged some water while Wolf Bird wandered around the extremely poorly marked campground looking for the park office. He found us a campsite and set up our tent while I lay useless.
We then walked about a half mile down the road to a small store that sold hot food and got chicken finger baskets. Having food and Gatorade was a welcome treat after such a hot day, but I was so exhausted that I had very little appetite and had to take half of mine to go (shocking, I know!).
We camped with a bunch of other PCT Hikers around us and even got to shower as the campground had a bathhouse! What a luxury on day one. I finally felt a bit rejuvenated by the time we went to bed.
A lot has happened since we left Portland 21 days ago. Too much to capture every detail but we wanted to share a couple highlights from our road trip. We are so grateful for all our friends and family we visited along the way.
We are sitting on a Delta plane in Detroit watching a ridiculous safety video so it seems like a good time to do a post. Also Julie did the last one so I feel guilty.
Portland to RPH Shelter in NY
We left Portland on Monday, April 10th and drive about 4ish hours to a shelter on the AT famous for being able to order pizza from the shelter. We didn’t want pizza, but we did want to camp for free. This turned out to be a great spot though Julie said it gave her the creeps when she stayed here on her thru hike.
I was excited about it because it was so close to the road and I had heard about it. I had no idea that it was so close to the road but it’s right off a little back road of the Taconic Parkway. You can you see it from the road and it looks like a little cinderblock house.
We were a little nervous about parking because there were no parking signs everywhere near the trail and we read online that the local community was cracking down for fear of drugs. After some driving around I found a spot about a half mile away in between two properties with some high grass. No one bothered us so I think we chose well.
Highlight moment for me was using the privy with the door open and a full moon. Pun intended. We slept well and it was a great first night.
RPH Shelter to Frederick & Hagerstown, MD
I got up early and made coffee and prepped to make breakfast while Julie slept in a little longer. That is our standard routine, I get up and mill about aimlessly and she sleeps as long as she can. Usually she can’t sleep that long because I am so loud.
We had a great breakfast of eggs, avocado, and I added some leftover beans and hamburger from the night before, then we hit the road to go visit Matt, Olalla, and my family.
It was the first time that Julie met a lot of them and it has been a whirlwind social tour for her meeting as many of my friends and family that we could fit in. She handled it like a champ and probably liked at least one or two of them.
We got to Frederick around 4 and met Matt for drinks. It was great to see the area where he is opening a new Rockwell Construction office.
During our visit to the area we got to see Matt’s family, both my sisters and their families, Gramps, and my mom. We had a blast visiting and a highlight was running 3 miles with my sister Steph before her race on Saturday, which she got 2nd place! It was probably because of my positive influence.
Hagerstown to Comers Rock on Jefferson National Forest
Jefferson National Forest was one of our favorite stops on our trip. Again we were seeking some free camping and a cool spot. Julie is really good at researching and finding hidden gems. We got there around 7 and the sun was about to set, so we set up our tent and grabbed some food to cook up at the summit of Comers Rock. It was beautiful and we had the summit to ourselves.
After dinner we headed back to camp and we got ready for bed. An SUV showed up and we thought they were going to be a rowdy bunch, which was true, but they were a quiet, rowdy bunch and didn’t impact our sleep. I did wake up at 4am and they were still awake chopping wood for the fire.
The next morning when they left I told Julie I wanted to see the campsite because I knew it was going to be interesting so we walked over and we were pretty shocked at what we found. They had strewn trash everywhere. It was really sad and an eye opener for us. We spend a solid 15 minutes picking up empty booze bottles.
After seeing this scene we started noticing litter all around us and it was making us feel pretty indignant. Everywhere we turned someone had deliberately just discarded garbage into one of the most pretty pieces of public land.
It is shocking to see how little people appreciate access to such a wonderful place. It’s no wonder we are letting this access be called into question by the current administration. We tried to do our part by collecting every piece of litter we saw.
Highlights of this part if the trip:
Cooking dinner at the summit of Comers Rock
Picking up litter
Free primitive, dispersed camping
Skinny dipping in a pond (just me)
Spending the day by the pond drinking beer, eating cheezits, and swimming
Seeing a bobcat, deer, and a lot of turkeys
Sherpa screaming and running out of the privy because a bat attacked her (turned out to be a bird)
Finding garlic mustard
Jefferson National Forest to Charlotte
We left Jefferson National Forest to head to Blufton, SC to have Easter dinner with my Grandma and some family. We noticed that our route was taking us right through Charlotte, where Sherpa’s friend Ashley lives. We stopped in to visit her and saw her amazing apartment and had lunch at a delicious taco place. We also went for a really nice walk in a park that Ashley showed us. Mabel loved getting in the water and she got a lot of attention from the children nearby.
The highlight for me, besides seeing Ashley, was my carnitas taco! I love carnitas.
Charlotte to Bluffton, D.C.
After the park we drove to my Grandma’s house. We had an amazing time and we were so lucky that our trip took us by her house right on Easter. This was the first time I had seen her home in Bluffton and Sherpa’s first time meeting everyone except my dad. We were able to see Grandma, Dave, Kathy, Bill, Dad, and Beth! We were laughing hysterically within minutes. Such a great crew to visit.
Before we arrived I told Julie that Grandma and Dave have a way of decorating their house so that it feels like a place you just want to sit and read for hours. Rarely have I felt so content to simply be as in their home.
Highlights
Dinner on both nights
Lots of beautiful birds and wildlife
Seeing Grandma and Dave beautiful place
Dave showing us downtown Bluffton
Bluffton, SC to Little Talbot State Park
We were sad to go but excited to see the beach. We took off around 11 after saying goodbye to Grandma. We first headed to Savannah, GA where we spent some time walking around the downtown. We got some delicious ice cream (Mabel included) and went for a walk in a park and by the river. We then headed south to the Jacksonville area without a specific plan. We had an eye on a campsite at Little Talbot State Park but they don’t allow same day reservations so we had to drive there and cross our fingers that there would be an open spot. We were in luck! There were two spots open. We set up our tent and then headed to a restaurant at nearby Amelia Island/Ferdinanda Beach. We sat in adirondack chairs and ate seafood and drank beers. We were chatted up by a woman from Delaware and Mabel also growled at some children and was put in time out. After dinner we went to South End Beach for the sunset and Julie wouldn’t let Mabel get near the water because she was afraid of sharks! She had spent a lot of her good Googling time looking up shark attacks and scaring herself to pieces. We headed back to our campsite and went to bed.
Highlights
Lucking out on finding a campsite
Putting Mabel in timeout
Julie making us walk in circles looking for the bathroom when all along I knew it was right next to the campsite
Little Talbot State Park to Fort Clinch State Park
After breakfast we went for a 4 mile walk along the beach in Little Talbot State Park. We were amazed at how such a beautiful beach had so few people. Who passed the turn in the trail and we went to the end of the beach and at the mouth of the river or Bay of some kind, there were Rangers taking pictures or observing a flock of birds that looked very diverse.
Just passed them there was a pool of water that was teeming with schools of fish and jumping fish. On the way back we found the trail that headed into the woods and within 50 yards we spotted a large turtle in the shade.
There was no other Wildlife to speak of though Julie was scared of panthers. When we finished hiking, we stopped at the ranger station to see if we could camp another night. They said they were full but gave us a list of other campgrounds. I started calling them and found that Fort Clinch had a spot open. I got off the phone and just as a van pulled up and an older man jumped out and asked if they had any spots. They of course said no but Julie and I looked at each other and started a brisk walk back to the car.. We started sprinting to the car after we are just out of sight. LOL!
Julie speaking now. We sped to the other State Park and luckily secured a spot. This state park was right at the mouth of a river and our campsite was a 15-second walk to a small beach with hammocks. We spent the rest of the day at an awesome bar slash restaurant right on the beach near the state park. We got tropical drinks and tasty food and Mabel enjoyed our lazy lifestyle. Wolf bird went for a little swim in the ocean and we later made some dinner and ate it while watching the sunset over the water by the hammocks. We went to bed and I couldn’t fall asleep because there was a consistent rustling in the woods rightness are tent. Wolf bird was of course asleep after 30 seconds so I had to listen to the sounds and wonder / worry what they were all alone. I had phone service so I looked up Florida Panthers and read some very frightening stories about the Resurgence of the Panther population. Usually rustling noises won’t freak me out too much if it gies5 away but this rustling lasted for nearly an hour. I really had to pee but I didn’t want to get attacked by a panther so I had to wake up wolf bird. He was not too happy but like the true gentleman he is, he shined the light in the woods and reassured me that it was probably only a gator. How comforting. He was kind enough to accompany me to the bathroom where we heard more rustling right in the woods outside of the restroom building. As he was shining the light he figured out what it was. And right at that moment I turned to see a little silver and gray rat looking reptile scurrying by the bathrooms. It was an armadillo! Apparently armadillos are nearly blind and deaf so it really was not that scary after all. And reading about them later we found out that armadillos jump about four feet into the air when frightened which leads to them often being Roadkill when they jump into the undercarriage of cars.
After Armadillo SightingsHighlights
Finding an awesome beach bar
Sunset at the mouth of the river next to our campsite
Armadillo sightings in the middle of the night ( really it was only 10:30 p.m.)
Fort Clinch State Park to The Villages
We spent a good chunk of the day at the beach. We set up the tent fly and made an awesome Shelter From the Sun where Mabel and I could not get sunburnt. We eventually headed south to The Villages to see my mom and dad. We arrived around 9 p.m. I was excited for them to spend some quality time with Mabel as I knew they would love her and her perfect behavior.
The Villages
We spent about five or six days in The Villages. It was so great to see my parents before setting off on our hike. They of course were won over by Mabel and she clearly enjoyed the Florida retired lifestyle. We spent a decent portion of our time doing some last-minute Trail prep but we also got to do some fun activities as well. I am so grateful to have such a supportive parents. They even are taking on the task of mailing us our food drops along the Trail which we can’t thank them enough for.
Highlights
Watching Mabel and my parents fall in love
Getting lunch at cool spot on a lake with my parents
Spending some time at the pool
Talking to our waiter /future murderer
My mom describing in Vivid detail her trashy, creepy murder novel
Watching my dad’s expression when he looked at the PCT map we gave him
The Villages to Lake Alfred, FL to The Villages
(Wolf Bird) Almost forgot one of the best parts! We made a quick visit to see Grandpa and Pam. It was so nice seeing their winter home finally. They seem to have built such a beautiful life and it was nice to be a part of it for a moment.
Highlights
Seeing Grandpa and Pam for the first time in years
Amazing Mexican food
The Villages to Athens, GA
(Wolf Bird) We said goodbye to Julie’s parents Amber attempting to drive all the way to Knoxville Tennessee. On the way I posted that we were headed to Knoxville and Shuffle posted that we should stop and see her in Athens. I really wanted to see her however I was really tired so we talked about it for a little while but then finally decided we definitely needed to see her and her boyfriend Josh. They just got a new cabin and it is amazing. We were both so glad that we decided to visit that because it’s been so long.
We drove to their cabin and as soon as we got out of the car Mabel and kabu got in a fight. Poor cow who had to be put away for the evening. And we stayed up late chatting the next morning we walk their property and took a look at the amazing 10 acres that their land sits on surrounded by water and a reservoir. We are both so excited for their new place and can’t wait to see how it evolves.
At about 11 o’clock we went into Athens and stop by clocked and had Burgers which were amazing. After that we said goodbye and headed to Knoxville.
Highlights
Reunion with Shuffle
Learning about their new cabin Adventure
Walking the property
Athens, GA to Knoxville, TN
After lunch we got in the car and drove to Knoxville Tennessee. The trip was short and with only if within a few hours we were already hanging out with friends. It was so good to see everyone and we had many fun nights while we did last minute prep.
We were very sad to leave Mabel behind but we know she’s in really good care has she has an entire Village to take care of her.
Highlights
Having dinner every night at Kevin’s house with some of my closest friends
Seeing Brendan for the first time in a long time
Bushwackers
Knoxville, TN to San Diego
This morning we got up around 4 a.m. and got ready to leave for a flight. Erin Emory was nice enough to drive us to the airport and our trip went off without a hitch. We are now sitting in a tree house at a trail angels home about to eat free dinner and get a free ride to the southern terminus to begin our PCT Adventure. Thank you to everyone who has helped us make this possible including a generous hosts Scout and Frodo!
We are setting out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a ~2,650 mile trail that spans the length of California, Oregon, and Washington. We start our hike on May 2nd at the California/Mexico border and are hiking North until we reach the northern terminus at the Washington/Canada border.
If you are asking yourself, ‘Didn’t they already do this?’, the answer is: sort of. We met atop Mount Katahdin on July 1st, 2013, the first day of each of our thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail (ugh, I know, too perfect and romantic… don’t worry, we didn’t like each other until after our hike, so it’s not too cute of a story). Sherpa went on to complete her southbound hike of the AT in December 2013. Wolf Bird had to get off trail around mile 700 (or 900 if you count the fact he also hiked the Long Trail) as he found out that Mabel, his dog who was also hiking the AT, had cancer. Mabel is all better now, and since a few years have passed since our time on the AT, we are itching to get back out on the trail again, this time on the West Coast. We want to share a trail that is new to both of us.
The PCT is about 500 miles longer than the AT (~2100 miles), but both trails take about 5 months to hike. Why would a longer trail take the same amount of time as a significantly shorter one, you ask? Good question. The PCT is graded for pack animals, whereas the AT is most definitely not. This basically translates to being able to walk much longer days on the PCT as compared to the AT, where rocks, roots, and frequent ups and downs limit days to about 20-25 miles. On the PCT, 30 mile (and 30-mile-plus) days are doable… at least that is what we have heard/read. We are both not in hiking shape so the thought of a 30 mile day likely sounds just as daunting to us as the most non-hiking-oriented person.
The PCT requires a bit more proactive planning than the AT. We will be mailing ourselves food to small towns that lack decent grocery stores, which is something we only did once or twice on the AT. We also will have to carry water for some long waterless stretches in the California desert. Perhaps the most notable difference is dealing with the snow and threat of snow. The 2016-2017 winter has been a record-setting one in the Sierra Nevada, to say the least. We will face the challenge of this record amount of snow in the Sierra, along with high stream crossings due to the snow melt. We can’t let it hold us up too much, as we need to reach the northern terminus in Washington before the first snowstorms arrive, which typically happens some time in October, although it could of course happen sooner.
Sorting all of the food Sherpa’s parents will mail to us on the trail
Unfortunately, because the PCT crosses some extreme terrain and ecosystems–think dry, hot desert, and miles and miles of snow–our dearest Mabel will not be joining us on this hike. It will be the longest that Wolf Bird has ever been away from her, and will definitely be one of the most difficult mental/emotional parts of the hike. Wolf Bird’s awesome friend Erin will be caring for Mabel and I’m sure pampering her like a princess. We like to think that Mabel will appreciate us giving her a break this time around, especially after hiking 700 miles of the AT with cancer…
Mabel is getting excited to return to her homeland
For me (Sherpa), the preparation for this hike has been a bit more daunting than for the AT, where I could just leave my belongings at my parents house and I conveniently had my job and apartment conclude just prior to my hike since it was a yearlong fellowship. This time around, we both have had to quit our jobs, not re-sign our lease, store all of our stuff, figure out what to do with Mabel, etc. All this extra prep has felt like more of a challenge and sacrifice to me (Sherpa), but I think that only increases my commitment to undertaking this journey. Wolf Bird says it’s business as usual for him (that’s a direct quote), since he had to do many of these things when he hiked the AT. That being said, he is leaving a job that he enjoys with a lot of really nice people.
So, that was a lot of facts and details. Let those logistics not overshadow the more important part, which is that we are super excited for this journey! We don’t know what to expect but are excited to experience new and beautiful places and share in the experience together. As difficult as it is to leave behind all the comforts of home, we are excited to live a more simple life with just the bare necessities and remind ourselves what really matters.
The sunrise on our last morning in Maine
We left Portland on April 10th and will be visiting friends and family along the East Coast until we fly to San Diego from Knoxville on May 1st. If you are interested in sending us letters or care packages along the way, we will be posting the mailing addresses of towns where we plan to stop.
We put this PBR in the fridge the day we moved into our apartment in Portland. Two years later, on our last day in Portland, we drank that PBR
Good bye for now and we would love to hear from all of you, our friends and family!
