I woke up this morning and couldn’t believe that today was the day! I’d been so busy preparing everything that I hadn’t had time to actually settle into the idea of leaving. It was an early 4am start – the first of many to come. As the day of my departure approached, I’d felt an increased mix of anxiety and excitement, my mind constantly battling between “I can do this!” and “why the hell am I doing this?!”. But now on my way to the airport, I felt calm and ready.
The morning sun made a grand entrance as it shone through the airport windows, displaying hues of pink and purple. I took that as a good sign. As I watched my bag be carried away by the conveyor, I prayed that it wouldn’t get lost… that would really suck!
As the plane took off, I came to the realization that there’s no turning back now! I felt giddy but also a little nervous. I love that feeling at the start of an adventure, a feeling of uncertainty mixed with the anticipation of new things to come. In the days and weeks leading up to my departure, I acquired a greater appreciation for my daily surroundings, trying to savour every morsel of their simplicity, knowing that soon I’ll be in a very different place and eventually longing to be back here.
It’s strange to think that I’ll be outside all summer long. Simply walking. Every day. All summer. That’s a long time. But I’m looking forward to it! I’ll get to breathe all that delicious fresh air, drink so much fresh water, and best of all, be removed from the mundane life bound within society. By jumping outside of the norm, I’ll get to experience what it’s like to be a true nomad – moving from place to place, having everything I need with me, and using only my legs as transport. I will no longer be stuck staring at a computer screen every day, instead, I’ll be free from the shackles of technology and immersed in a purer form of life amidst nature.
The plane flew over the Grand Canyon. It was a spectacular sight to see. Last year on a road trip, I got to see the Grand Canyon up close, but now from above, it’s even more astonishing to see this wide meandering crevasse etched into the surrounding flat expanse of the Earth. To think how much time it must have taken to create this work of art.
In the last hour of the plane ride, I looked out my window at the brown, arid landscape. All I could think was “where’s the water?”. I started getting thirsty just by looking at how dry it was. Then I realized, I’ll be walking further than the distance I can see in the horizon from my plane window. Shiiiit. How in the hell am I going to do this??
The plane landed safely in San Diego. I got my luggage (thank goodness!) and then took an Uber to El Cajon, a town 20 mins outside of San Diego where I’d be able to take a bus to Campo (the place where the PCT begins). The blooming flowers and palm trees were delightful, a reminder that I’m in a place very different from home.
I checked into my motel room in El Cajon. The room was not what I expected. The photo online looked waaay more appealing! The room had bad air quality, looked sketchy, and I wouldn’t trust walking barefoot on this floor. I’m very much looking forward to sleeping in my tent on trail. Oh well, it’ll have to do for one night I suppose.
Next stop: Walmart. I needed to buy fuel for my stove, food for the first leg of the journey, and I wanted to get a SIM card for my phone. I spent close to 3hrs trying several different SIM cards but none of them seemed to work with my phone. Darn. I guess I’ll have to do without. What’s one additional challenge for my hike?
The next morning I packed my bag. I had 13 days of food and 2L of water. Once I strapped everything together and put my bag on, I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked so silly!! My bag towered over me, it was huge! I also couldn’t believe the weight, it was sooo heavy. I squeezed through the doorway of my motel room and made my way down the street. People probably thought I was a hobo, especially given the hobo-esque nature of the areas I walked through in El Cajon.
It already took quite a bit of determination just to get from the motel to the bus station, and it was only a few miles! My back and legs were already buckling under the weight of my pack. Yikes.
When I arrived at the bustling bus station I discovered that there’s currently a bus strike going on and a bunch of buses are being cancelled last-minute. Oh no, what am I going to do if my bus gets cancelled?? It’s the only one going to Campo! I dreaded the thought of having to spend another day in El Cajon. This place provokes a feeling of unease, everyone here seems on edge. Despite the possibility of disaster, I felt calm and had a good feeling.
I felt so relieved when the bus finally pulled up. The bus driver yelled: “Everybody on!! No need to pay, just get on! I’m the last one driving today before we’re all on strike”. Talk about being lucky! I’m so grateful this bus driver decided to drive this one last route before joining the strike. Although, this meant the bus driver drove like crazy as he tried to finish this last drive as fast as possible. The bus was packed. He sped down the windy mountain roads, swerving around corners. I thought, it would be very unfortunate to get into a bus accident so close to the start of my hike. I focused on looking out the window, trying not to succumb to motion sickness, and hoping I’d arrive safely in Campo.
The bus driver dropped me off on the side of the road. This place was apparently the town of Campo. As I looked around, I only saw a handful of buildings from where I stood. I walked down a road to get to CLEEF (Camp Lockett Event and Equestrian Facility), a place where PCT hikers can hang out and camp before starting the hike. When I got there, it wasn’t what I expected, although I’m not quite sure what I did expect. There was an open-air shed on the side of a dirt road, accompanied by a water faucet and the camp host’s trailer. I guess I just expected there to be more. Further down the road were horse corrals and a dirt motor racetrack.
I hung out in the shade of the shed, away from the sun. As time passed, more hikers showed up. It was quite an international crowd. There were people from Switzerland, the UK, Poland, Germany, Australia, Canada (me!), and of course people from all over the USA. It definitely felt like a hostel, although instead of partying, the focus was on getting ready for one long walk.
After talking to some other hikers I started to feel a little uneasy and nervous. Apparently there was 3x the amount of snow fall this year compared to the average amount, and there’s currently still a lot of snow up in the San Jacinto mountain range, which is already at mile 180. Hikers were talking about microspikes and ice axes. I had no clue about any of this… All the other hikers seemed so much more prepared and had much smaller packs than mine. How are they doing it? Where’s all their food?? I definitely felt out of my comfort zone. Everyone was nice but it was apparent that everyone was sizing each other up. But if there’s anything I learnt from watching the movie and reading the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed, it’s that if someone as inexperienced as Cheryl can hike the PCT with sheer determination, then I can do it too! It doesn’t necessarily matter how experienced you are, all it really comes down to is sheer grit, and how badly you want to do it. I’ll figure things out as I go.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt relieved that I successfully navigated my way out of the city and made it to Campo. Any transportation from here on out would be on my own terms. From where I stood, I could see the border wall spanning across the horizon. It’s exciting being so close to the Mexican border, so close to the start of this long and daunting journey of uncertainty ahead. My biggest fears are encountering potentially dangerous wildlife (like bears and cougars), badly injuring myself, getting attacked by other humans (like crazy weirdos), heat exhaustion/stroke, and getting giardia or other water-borne illnesses from bad water sources. I really hope everything goes well. I’m just going to take it step by step, and day by day.
In the evening, the camp host and a couple other alumni PCT hikers told us about what to expect and be prepared for. It was quite informative. One thing they said that really stuck out to me was: “there are a lot of people who dream of hiking this trail and plan on doing it someday, but you guys are actually here, and you’re turning your dream into reality starting tomorrow”. It feels real now. It’s amazing how powerful an idea can be and where it can take you.
Absolutely amazing story.
I am so glad for your extraordinary experience you could achieve.
Really inspiring
Thank you! I am so glad that you are going to write about your trip and can’t wait to hear more. I love looking at the pictures as well. It helps me imagine how it felt like better!