Hi there.. I am home once again from another 5 day section on the Pacific Crest Trail. Each time I come home, I want to be out even more. I don’t want to be home! But duties, they still call. I hiked into Warner Springs this morning, mile 109 on the PCT. I am feeling strong and capable – definitely starting to feel like I’m getting my “trail legs”. I only have one blister and the biggest problems I have are exhaustion and hunger, which can be fixed easily! Sleep and eat 🙂 I don’t take a whole lot of photo’s because the going is tough through the desert and I want to just keep moving all the time. The one thing that drives me is water – where is my next water source? That is where I am going whether it is 8, 17, or 25 miles away. I’m getting there.

I did my first 20 mile day on Wednesday through some big, dry, hot mountains and there were moments when I asked myself “Why the hell am I doing this?” because it was pretty miserable. I think the high was probably 102 degrees that day and I hiked from 7 am till about 7pm, taking rests in the shade every now and then. I had to ration my water, but I made it there hydrated enough. I think I am through one of the hardest sections of the trail… but either way I am still glad I did it and I have definitely gotten through it and feel that I could get through it again if I needed to.

I stayed in Julian for about 24 hours and hitch hiked back down to scissors crossing for a night hike into the San Felipe Hills. I met a lot more people along the trail again, camped with wonderful people all along the way, even had a PCT bridge party at scissors crossing where some trail angels had brought coolers full of alpine beer and ice cream. It has been great and I am sad to keep getting off the trail but soon that will be over. I’m having a blast and getting stronger every day!