Month: November 2023

PCT Day 138

Start: 2619.1

Stop: 2639.9

Today’s miles: 20.8

Total PCT miles: 2354.6

Yep. That “future me” problem of the tent falling happened around 3:30 in the morning. I didn’t expect it to continue to get worse, but of course.. it did. I tried to fall back to sleep after fixing all my tent stakes, but I was real restless. We were still packed and on trail by 6:30.


We were greeted with another beautiful sunrise-the colors of cotton candy. The wind was still very intense, too. It felt like we were going to get blown off the trail. Even still, we walked and laughed and dealt with it. We’re getting so close to the border now that not much can rain on my parade.


The trail was overgrown but gorgeous. There were storm clouds off in the distance, but it never rained. The rocks were sticking out of the mountainsides in sharp, odd angles making for really cool formations. I made Marquis pose with a lamppost bush, both of us cackling now about how pissed off we were the other night when we hiked the wrong way in the dark, and he smacked into one of these.


We stopped at a campground for water and to eat a snack. The water tasted absolutely awful.. but with no other options, I poured more mio flavor enhancer into my bottle than is probably advisable. Marquis poured mio on his bread-so-Lord, please be with us, we are not ok. Lol.. but the break was nice and the campground was pretty. The trail cuts right through it. I wish it would cut through a dang Taco Bell.


We made it to Lake Morena campground by 1pm-somewhat cranky because of how hot it was. By 1:15, we got to the little restaurant down the road and ordered lunch. I got a Philly cheesesteak and fries and poppers-I should have gotten a burger, but believe it or not, I’m a little burger-ed out. Oh well. Choices were made, and I ate it all anyway.

While sitting there, Marquis saw a comment on our app about someone losing an item at the campground we just walked through, so after we ate, we went back to search for it. It’s a wooden spoon with sentimental value. Marquis found it and is going to mail it back to them when we get to Campo tomorrow. We filtered more water, that didn’t taste bad, and continued hiking another 5 miles to the next campsite.


It was mostly uphill, and though there were views of Lake Morena, neither one of us were that impressed. What did shake us up a bit was running into a tarantula. Marquis spotted the big thing and stopped-we watched it awhile and every time Marquis went to pass it, it came closer to him! It’s like it knew we were scared of it and it was messing with us! When it was my turn to go by, I literally ran, high knees and tip toes, and screamed the whole time.. Marquis got a good laugh out of that. I really don’t like snakes or spiders.. I can handle spiders a little bit better though.. not that anyone could tell with my reactions.


Our campsite is the only flat area not currently overgrown with poison oak. The stream nearby is also covered in it.. we had to ease through everything, watching every step, and then hunt for somewhere safe to set up camp. I went to put my tent right under a huge dead limb-so we moved my stuff and whacked at the limb with our trekking poles like a piñata. It was instant anger management. Once everything that could fall off, did-we finished setting up our stuff and had dinner.


It’s a little chilly but it isn’t windy-so I think we’ll sleep good night! We get into Campo tomorrow!! We could technically “finish” tomorrow, but I talked Marquis into not touching the border until Friday morning, Friday the 13! Ha! Ok.. that’s all I have 🙂 Sweet dreams, y’all.

PCT Day 139

Start: 2639.9

Stop: 2654.5

Today’s miles: 14.6

Total PCT miles: 2369.6


I could hear animals crunching around on the leaves last night-making me so thankful for my earplugs. I swear I’d never sleep if I didn’t have them. I did sleep well, and no limbs fell on me throughout the night.


It was a bright and pretty morning and the trail was kind to us. No scrapes or stabs from all of the prickly things. At some point I realized I must have dropped my phone, because when I reached for it to take a picture, it was gone! I had to backtrack for about 10-15 minutes before I found it, face down, right in the middle of the trail! Whew! Could I have gotten any more lucky?


It got hot, fast. We made it to Campo by 11am, and with nothing to really do, we walked down the road to a taco stand and got some early lunch. I demolished some enchiladas, rice, and beans! My goodness it was fantastic. We also went into a gas station for some non-water drinks, and then made our way to the library to hang out for a while. We had a lot of time to kill.


Around 2pm, we made it back to the town center and got some stuff for tonight and tomorrow: two bottles of wine, some cheese and crackers, cups, and some ice cream for now. I actually got an ice cream, too! We hung out at a picnic table outside the little grocery store. Two older gentlemen came up to chit chat with us and we told them all about trail life and how we were “almost done.” Sometimes explaining the filling in of gaps gets too confusing.


We walked to the post office, Marquis sent the hiker their spoon back, and while there, he saw a flyer for a fundraiser dinner at the local Veterans of Foreign War Post in town. We decided to go! We hung out outside until it was time to go in.. then got a beer and fried chicken. Well, chicken, baked beans, and coleslaw. I don’t really like meat on bones, so I picked off what I would eat and Marquis ate the rest.. he let me have the skin off of his chicken too, since I wasn’t really eating much of mine anyway. I wasn’t that impressed, but liked the baked beans though!


We hung out and listened to the lively bunch enjoying the fundraiser-telling some of them about trail life too, and then before sunset we left and walked to CLEEF, an equestrian camp that lets PCT hikers camp. We had our own little pavilion with power all to ourselves! And we decided to cowboy camp for the first time on this trail! It really stresses me out, but we were under the pavilion roof, and Marquis was there-so hopefully if anymore tarantulas showed up to snuggle, they’d pick him!


We ate our cheese and crackers and celebrated with a bottle of wine. Our phones charged, and before we knew it, it was dark. The caretaker drove by to say hi, and we met his dog, Lucy. They were both very sweet.. he unlocked the bathroom for us. Now we’re tucked in and I’m feeling a bit exposed. We’re only a quarter mile from the border, so we keep seeing trucks drive by. I have a feeling it will be an all night kind of thing. But y’all: we’re here! We touch the border in the morning! I can’t believe it!! Goodnight 🙂

PCT Day 140

Start: 2654.5

Stop: 2655.2

Today’s miles: 0.7

Total PCT miles: 2370.3


WE DID IT!! We touched the Mexican Border!! I want to yell “WE FINISHED” but that isn’t exactly true. Marquis is going to fill in his gap, so he will be completely finished this year. I’m as finished as I’m going to be for this year, now, too! I’ll just have to fill in my couple of gaps next year sometime.. there just isn’t enough time to get them done before I leave for Egypt. So.. what the hell.. IM FINISHED!! Haha


We didn’t sleep that great, because border patrol trucks drove through every hour or so all night. Around 5-6am, huge concrete trucks and the like were also driving though, to get to their construction site nearby. Since we cowboy camped, packing up was a breeze. We packed and walked that mile so quick! I kept my crocs on instead of switching to my real shoes, because why not?


We took a trillion pictures, I’m sure I’ll post most of them to my Facebook, but the two of us posed and laughed like lunatics, and drank our celebratory wine at 7:30 in the morning. I call it a success! While we were there, two men came up in their Tesla. One guy was going out for a shakedown hike to check out his gear. So, we all four stood around chatting and talking all things gear and base weight. He was really nice and so excited about his trip!


We finally walked back to CLEEF, the feeling of being done not really setting in yet for me. We hung around and ate breakfast while we waited for a trail angel, Kathy, to come pick us up. She took us to her house, we showered, did laundry, and drank coffee. She’s incredibly kind for allowing us into her home, smelly and beat up.

Around 1 or so, she drove us to the transit center and we took a bus to San Diego. We were going to eat a quick lunch, but I think they assumed we were homeless at the one restaurant we went to, because no one would come to serve us. Rude. So, Marquis and I left, then said our goodbyes on the street corner. I already miss him.


I took an Uber to the airport and I’m sitting in the Delta SkyLounge waiting for my flight to LAX. My plan is to fly to LA, then to Orlando. I arrive in Orlando tomorrow morning and will get my rental car-then spend the weekend in a cute town nearby for my sister Michele’s wedding-which is Sunday. On Monday morning I’ll drive back to Orlando, fly back to LAX-since I had already purchased the flight forever ago.


I’ll spend 2 days in LA exploring, then 2 days with Andrea in Reno. I’ll get my stuff I’ve left and I’ve sent to her house, she and I will get all of our Egypt stuff worked out: clothes and flight details and all that-and then I’ll fly home on Friday, 10/20 and show up at my mom’s birthday dinner! She doesn’t realize that I just finished the trail today, and I’m going to hide that fact from her until next Friday when I can surprise her on her big day.

Her actual birthday is Saturday, 10/21-and now that I’m coming in on Friday, I can go with her to the birthday party my grandma is having for her and several of my aunts (they have 4-5 birthdays really close together). I’m super excited to see everyone, it’s been entirely too long since I’ve seen so many of them! I don’t even know who all is coming-but I can’t ask or I’ll risk tipping her off.


Anyway. This is probably my last post until we start our Egypt trip. We leave 10/31-so, it won’t be that long of a gap.. and I’m still super behind on uploading these posts-so it might not be long at all before I get the Egypt ones up! Ha! Let’s pray their WiFi is better than some of the towns on the PCT!


Once I’m back home after the 6 week trip (so December) I’ll go through my PCT budget and give out those details. I’m almost certain I spent more money than I did on the Appalachian Trail. I quit paying attention somewhere in Northern California! But, I’ll get that worked out and let y’all know 😉 For now, the plan is to fill in the gaps I skipped next august-ish, and Andrea might do the Dunsmuir to Etna chunk with me!


Ok. I love y’all. Thanks for following along! I’m sorry if these posts have been simple and straightforward, boring even.. I know they’re not very deep or profound, but sometimes it’s too much to get everything I’m feeling out on “paper” ya know? Please know I appreciate each of you and cannot thank you enough for your support and words of encouragement. It means the absolute world to me and I don’t know that I’d be able to push myself to finish these difficult trips if I didn’t have you to write for-because then I’d feel like I’d be letting y’all down if I let myself quit. So. Sincerely, thank you.

See y’all in Egypt!