PCT: CA Section A - Campo to Warner Springs
Day 0 - 05/06/25
Campo and CLEEF Campground
Distance: 0.5 miles
Weather: Cloudy
End Location: Campo, CLEEF Campground
Lessons Learned: “Hike your own hike”
Had a little too much fun for Cinco De Mayo, woke up hungover
Zenya dropped me off at shuttle pickup spot
Met other hikers, JP and Zeke (“Hornet”) Hornet also from Florida
Just Paul was driver, stern and amicable guy, also hiked PCT and probably a few other thru hikes
Best advice: “Hike your hike” and “don’t get caught up in the race”
Got sandwich at Green Store
Set up tent
Hiked first part up to terminus with lighter pack and then back, 0.5 miles round trip
Ate sandwich and drank beer
Just Paul and Dee gave good talk about safety, hypothermia and heat stroke warning signs
Paper Bear told story about accidentally peeing in his friend’s Nalgene when it was too cold, hilarious
Played cards with other hikers, showed the how to play Scat
Went to bed at 9pm since I was still hurting from the day before
Day 1 - 5/7/25
To Hauser Creek
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: cloudy, perfect temp for hiking
End Location: Hauser Creek
Lessons Learned: chafing sucks, having a piss bottle at night is a good thing
Shitty start to the day
Dealt with unfortunate situation
Delicious complimentary breakfast at CLEEF Campground
Papa Bear made Pancakes with Reese’s cups in them, ate 2 pancakes, 2 hard boil eggs, and a banana
Started hike
Met Overflow and Doug (trail angel, aka “Thumper”) and he identified plants as we went
Doug showed us how to eat ate yucca flowers - that’s how he got his name (thumper from Bambi) - tasted like perfume, the white flowers are better than the purple flowers (lesson learned!)
Doug had good stories from his hike of PCT, end his trip just before Oregon due to injury
Hiked 15 miles to Hauser Creek
Other hiker Random and Charlotte joined up with us
I was chafing terrible by end of hike
Thankfully fellow hikers had biker’s ointment, really saved my ass (literally)
Animals by tent at night, was alone and a little scared, possible mountain lion and cubs
Too scared to pee, I used an extra Evian bottle in my pack (lesson learned!)
Nothing happened but didn’t sleep great
Day 2 - 5/8/25
to Kitchen Creek
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: hot
End Location: Kitchen Creek
Lessons Learned: don’t hike in heat of day
Really tough day, started with ascent in morning
Stopped at the malt shop for steak breakfast burrito and chocolate milkshake
Then tough 10 might ascent up to kitchen creek
Heat was getting to people, prob did toughest part in heat of day
Really cool spot to camp: canyon of red rocks with little oasis to swim and get water
Swam and ate dinner
Talked with Emma a bit more, cool gal, from Georgia, getting masters in Engineering at GA Tech
Was given my trail name: “Smurf” because everything I have is blue
Slept away from group but slept great, no animal scares
Day 3 - 5/9/25
To Mt Laguna Campground
Distance: 18 miles
Weather: Hot
End Location: Mount Laguna Campground
Lessons Learned: only carry what you need, clean yourself when you can
Pain is the universal common all living things understand, so why
Reminded me of Buddhist “Attachment is root of suffering”
Then why do we all do things that cause us pain?
Caterpillars crossing trail risking getting stepped on to get food VS a person hiking the trail to get what
All hoping for something
Saw Kenzie, the Brit, and Frenchie at restaurant playing cards and drinking beers
Joined them, got chicken tenders, killed 2 beers myself
Dropped 10 pounds of pack weight, mailed bear can back home with a bunch of non-essentials: extra outfit, underwear, extra jacket, camp pants, heavy sunscreen, heavy bug spray, AirPods, AirPod charging chord, extra bandana (lesson learned!)
Resupply with just enough
Hiked another 6 miles to Laguna campground, beautiful view of entire Desert and future mountains the route goes through
Hitched from viewpoint with nice, Hispanic couple, less than .5 miles but was exhausted
Got campsite (1 of 3 left) with firewood for $45 total, split with 5 others: Emma, JP, Jacob and Sarah
Took improvised shower under spigot, cold but felt refreshed after (lesson learned!)
It was a long day, slept well
Day 4 - 5/10/25
Trail Magic through Laguna
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: Very Hot
End Location: Tentsite at mile 63
Lessons Learned: instant coffee with collagen protein powder is delicious, check tentsite for ants
Had instant coffee with collagen protein powder for breakfast, was foamy like a latte (lesson learned!)
Left after everyone else
Semi pro and goal tech, section hiking SOBO gave me trail magic on the trail - bag of cheetos - licking finger after felt kind of gross
Resulted water at picnic area
Accidentally knocked over water bottle, had to refill
As I was refilling, more trail angels came with trail magic: , cucumbers, sprite, summer sausage
Same angels from yesterday
Their insta @greatadventurez
Passed Kwaaymii Pt, breath taking views and various memorial sites
Met up with group, May, 360, and some British gals in a trail
May is supporting her partner, 360, with a Camper Van
Set up shade and let me fill up with their water
Very hot day in beating sun, high of 84, was thankful for the shade
Hiked 5 more miles to water
Met Side Show, cool guy for NY
Made it 16 miles to camp with trail fam
Accidentally set up tent on ant pile, they were all over my shoes and bag
Got most of them out of tent but got a few love bites just before bed, nice (lesson learned!)
Animal at camp but nothing serious
Slept ok
Day 5 - 5/11/25 - To Scissors Crossing and Julian
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: Hottest yet
End Location: Julian
Lessons Learned: Desert heat is no joke, watch out for rattlesnakes, Shade in the desert is a trap, hike your own hike
Left after mostly everyone again (classic)
Hiked with Side Show at bit
Nice guy, from Queens, nearly 40, hiked AT after COVID
He blazed ahead, I went slower due to sketchy terrain
As I was listening to audio book, Demon Copperhead, I almost stepped on rattlesnake on the trail (irony?) he gave a small rattle but no serious warning (lesson learned!)
Startled, I scream a little, backed up and went around it
Warned a fellow hiker Wesley about rattle snake, he was a bit further behind me
Ate chips and tuna under small shade of bush
Heard and saw SAR helicopter going to spot a few miles back
Took break under only giant rock in desert
As I got up, heard another rattlesnake warning me to go away
Shade is a scarce resource controlled by monopolistic snakes like the tycoons of the gilded age (lesson learned!)
2 snakes in one day is crazy…
Changed the words to songs that came on to scare off the snakes
Linger came on and I sang loudly through desert: “do u have to strike and bite me do u have to, do u have to?
Finally made it to Scissors crossing after 12 hot miles
1st real hitch with a nice elderly couple, Paul and Patty going to their daughters Mother’s Day celebration
Arrived in Julian barely able to walk
Haggard, ate coconut fruit bar, a plum and lime cucumber Gatorade
Saw Random at the super mart
She fist bumped me for getting through the desert
Saw Sideshow, apparently people thought the helicopter SAR was for me
Told him “you’re not gonna get rid of me that easily”
Called my Mom for Mother’s Day and let her know I was still alive
Got a hotel for night at Julian Lodge, accidentally haggled,
Got room with double bed for $162 with double bed
Texted JP, they were at Julian Brewery getting food
Showered, washed my clothes while showering, felt amazing, the amount of dirt was crazy
Met JP, Emma, and other hikers at brewery
Got double ipa, street corn, and bbq pizza
JP and Emma left to go camp under bridge
Buzzed, I stayed and hung out with Brian, Jacob, Dave, Kim, and Millie
Jacob (Blue Man) and Dave are father son duo
Jacob has already hiked PCT, looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick, think I’ll call him FitzTrailMagic
Says people ask him for pics all the time so I got one with him
They are all nurses, we talked about our bodies and ailments
Picked up some wine, there were staying at same hotel
Laughed, told stories, and had a great night
They gifted me a corkball (amazing for rolling out feet and muscles and lightweight)
At first I was sad I stayed and the people I started with going on, but sleeping in a bed and showering really revived me, and I made new friends almost immediately
Hike your own hike (lesson learned!)
Day 6 - 5/12/25
Leaving Julian and Desert Dry Camp
Distance: 10 miles
Weather: Cool and Windy
End Location: Tentsite at mile 88
Lessons learned: leftover pizza for lunch is great, put rocks on tent spokes
Met Jacob, Dave, Brian, and Kim for breakfast
Only place open at 7am had coffee and yogurt
They had a shuttle at 8am, they left
Millie and I got 2nd breakfast, eggs and corn beef hash
Resupplied at 2foot Adventures
Signed up Millie and myself up for 1pm shuttle
Lunch at Mom’s: Free pie with ice cream and coffee for PCT hikers at Mom’s, no one was there - the day before there was a line out the door, think I did it right
Shuttle back down to Scissors Crossing from Rayngel, former paratrooper, loves hiking, laughed how his bag used to weigh 70 pounds with ammo
Millie hiked faster
Steep incline almost 2000 ft elevation gain
Had pizza from yesterday for lunch, delicious, want to do that more often (lesson learned!)
After 10 miles, I was exhausted so I did my first dry camp alone with 4 miles left to water cache
There was one other camper there, Marisa?
Enjoyed a mountain house meal with an incredible sunset casting hue on lenticular clouds
Felt a little sick going to bed
Windy and tent spokes came out in middle of night, fixed by putting rocks on spoke, went back to sleep (lesson learned!)
Day 7 - 5/13/25
to Camp at Spring Fed Trough
Distance: 15 miles
Weather: lovely, sunny and cool, a little windy at some party
Ending Spot: Spring fed trough
Lessons learned: watch out for cactus, safe camp practices lead to better sleep
“Slept in” woke up around 7am and got going
Packed up stretched, went to do happy baby and when I rolled on my back there was a small cactus that woke me up more than coffee ever could (lesson learned!)
Hiked alone throughout the day, but felt good doing my own thing and listening to body
Hiked 4 miles to Water Cache, trail angel has loads of Kirkland gallon water jugs out, donations accepted
Had delicious cool water cucumber salad bag, added tuna - fav camping meal so far, have another one - carrots
Hiked another 9 miles to camp at spring fed trough, beautiful terrain, exposed and windy
Passed 100 mile marker on trail, let out a “WAHOO”
When I got to camp, I changed up order of operations, boiled water, put in mountain house meal then set up tent, was ready and cooled off by time tent was set up, good change
Some hikers also set up camp here, started the day after or before, did 22 miles - they were exhausted
One British, a few Czech
Cleaned off with towel and went to bed
I ate away from Tentsite and put hung my food in tree
Windy at night, but slept decent knowing I had no food or smellables near tent (lesson learned!)
Also had rocks on spokes
Day 8 - 5/14/25
To Warner Springs
Distance: 8.7 miles
Weather: cold but sunny, perfect for hiking
End Location: Warner Spring
Lessons Learned: enjoy the beauty, tightening shoe laces really helps
Set alarm for 5am, but went back to bed, woke up with morning light around 6ish
Left at 7am
Instant coffee with collagen and protein for breakfast
And some granola along the trail at breaks
Hiked 4 miles to San Ysidro Spring, past rolling hills and cow fields, weather was perfect - no sweat
Beautiful rolling hills, “what I want to know, is are you kind”
Hiked 2 more miles across plains to Eagle Rock
Played “Take it Easy” by the Eagles, only felt right
Got some kisses by hikers’ friendly dog
“If you play nice, you’re gonna harvest wind”
Hiked through lovely Oak groves
While finishing the last of my potato chips, the hikers I saw at Eagle Rock passed me, asked them if they would mind giving me a ride to the Warner Spring Post Office, they agreed and I hiked back to the trailhead with them
Nice couple, Sue (my mom’s name… a sign!) and Randy, and their dog Rory - a mix of German Shepard and a few other breed, had stripes like a tiger
Got my resupply box, put way too much stuff in there
Got a Polish hotdog at gas station along with more chips (BBQ this time) and a Arizona Iced Tea
Sat down at picnic table outside
Did a shake down and sent the rest to Cabazon Post Office, another 100 miles out where I have no resupply box waiting for me
Maybe packing too much in the resupply was actually a good play
Posted Blog
I plan on hiking another 5 miles to camp ground near Agua Caliente campground
See you in another hundred miles!
Smurf signing off 👋🏼
