Category: Pacific Crest Trail 2023

PCT Day 137

Start: 2595.5

Stop: 2619.1

Today’s miles: 23.6

Total PCT miles: 2333.8

I kid you not, somehow we woke up laughing. I have never once been a morning person, not even a little bit-but somehow Marquis had me cackling at 6:30 in the morning as I packed. We left camp at 6:45 and started our day with laughs and a stunning sunrise.


When I got service, I had a message from my guide in Egypt asking me to call him. With everything happening in Isreal, I had reached out to him to see what he thought about the situation and if he thought it was safe to still come. Andrea has been very worried and keeping me in the loop since I come in and out of service and often can’t get videos to play or websites to download.


According to him, Egypt is as safe as its ever been. I realize he’d have a solid reason for saying this, regardless, because of the money lost if we didn’t come. But also, for what it’s worth, I trust him and I truly don’t believe he’d put us at risk-as he’d be putting himself at risk, too, by being with us. So, after talking with him, I’m very comfortable still going on our trip.

I also know that if anything at all changes between now and us leaving, I’d cancel if I thought I’d be putting my mom in harms way. The trip will be Andrea and I, plus both of our moms.. and we’re both very close with our moms. I may feel at ease now with the choice to still go, but it’s still a worry in the back of my mind-if anything were to happen to any of us, it would be me taking the blame.


I called and talked with Andrea and my mom. We’re currently all in agreement, but Andrea will keep on it and let me know if any new issues with Egypt and Jordan specifically arise. Anyway-the morning was still gorgeous, cool and windy. We passed the side of a mountain with tons of memorials and a monument-pictures and trinkets all over the place. It made me wonder if these people were paragliders, because of the space to jump out into the valley.


We stopped at a little picnic area to sit a bit while Marquis ordered his cold weather gear and got his bus tickets all figured out. Once I finish the trail, I’ll be going to my sister’s wedding.. Marquis will be meeting friends at Disneyland and then going back to South Lake Tahoe to hike north to Ashland to fill in his missing gap.


While he handled his business and our water filtered, I accidentally ate the rest of my pizza I was supposed to be saving for lunch. FOUR slices of pizza. How these things happen are beyond me, one second I’m taking my first bite, then next I’m reaching my hand in the ziplock looking for my next slice and the whole ziplock is empty. Strange, I tell ya.


The trail from there was nice and easy, even though it was more uphill than not. After a few hours, we made it to a road crossing that had picnic tables on the other side with a water spigot. We got more water and had our lunch at a table-and yes, I ate lunch even though I just shoveled half a pizza in my mouth not too long ago.


We decided to take the road to walk into Mount Laguna. We’re single-handedly supporting every local business we can apparently. If they have a soda, I will buy one! Lol-I got chips and salsa and a drink, while Marquis got ice cream. We found yet another picnic table to eat at-after putting our stuff on charging cords in the bathroom. We hung around until our batteries were full and our bellies weren’t empty (I never really feel full these days, just typing this out now is making my stomach rumble and I already ate my dinner!).

We set off down the paved road, to a dirt road, and eventually got back on the trail.. after almost getting sideswiped by some mountain bikers that appeared out of thin air. The trail was real bushy, but none really scraped by legs-so I was a happy camper. At sunset we got to our campsite. It’s official, the NOBOs that wrote the comments we were reading about how “great” these sites are, are completely nuts. Every single area is sloped and lumpy-I’m sure they were just still excited to be starting and living in that “I love everything” moment at the beginning of their hike! Haha


Our tents are slightly sloped, and the wind is starting to pick up more and more as I write this. Marquis and I ate dinner sitting outside in the “light breeze” a little bit ago, and now it’s pitch black and a heavy wind is blowing through.. and I have a feeling my tent will be collapsing. Ha. Either way, today was great day and falling tents is a later me problem. Goodnight!

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 🙂