cathieandrandy

Would you believe we started our long awaited PCT trek in pouring rain, gusting winds, and a temperature of 44 degrees F? Well, that was the situation when Jack and Betty brought us out to the monument on the California-Mexico border. Poor Betty! It so ran against her nature to leave us out there, quite literally in the middle of nowhere.

The gravity of the situation was broken up when Nutz discovered he was trying to put on Fruitcake’s rainpants, which were a little tight for him. Jack and Betty had to hold us up because we were laughing so hard as we struggled to switch pants standing in the wind and rain. We did get our picture at the monument, but in all the excitement we forgot to sign the register hidden inside. We hope to go back and do that when we come back for the Annual Day-Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO) next weekend.

We left the Monument at about 5 pm and found ourselves hiking in a new world. San Diego had looked a lot like Florida, but with hills. The countryside of southern California looks very different. I wish conditions were more favorable for a dramatic picture of the endless, lonely border road running beside the six foot high fence made of metal runway repair panels, painted olive green. We could not even take a peak at Mexico.

The rain slowed, drizzled to a stop by 5:45, and we enjoyed the 4-mile walk to our campsite. The path was soft under our feet, largely a coarse sand of degraded granite, we learned from Jack. We got one last glimpse of our Trail Angels as they passed us on the road. They had stayed longer at the monument to find a geocache and then place a new one of their own.

Campo is the home of a museum about the Pacific Southwest Railroad, no longer in operation. The trail crossed the abandoned tracks. Our first campsite was in a lovely ravine with a stream, cottonwoods, oak trees, and cattails. At the head of the ravine ran the old railroad tracks. It looked like a scene from a cowboy movie.

It rained off-and-on all night. This was probably the reason we did not experience the passing of illegal immigrants making their way into the US. We hear this is the more typical experience, and though unnerving, there has never been an unpleasant encounter.

Today turned out well, with sunny weather by midmorning, yet a cool breeze. It felt like hiking through a rock garden, with some strange flora and some resembling plants at home. With the rain of last night, lots of flowers were making an appearance, all shades of blue, violet and yellow. The air smelled like an herb garden. There is a plant, which looks something like my sage at home, but its leaves smell like lemon balm.

I discovered an amazing tree. Fully grown, it is not more than 15 feet tall in classic tree shape, with quarter size pale green oval leaves and green berries dangling like ornaments on red strings. The best part is the trunk. The wood is smooth, polished, reddish brown. This is the Manzanita tree. I am told it is now protected because it has been over harvested for its beautiful wood.

More thru-hikers joined us during the day, most headed for Lake Morena, but a few headed on to Boulder Oaks Campground, which is actually closed due to the Arroyo Toad breeding season. The climbs up Hauser Mountain and Morena Butte were not difficult for Nutz and me - our training paid off. We are camped at Lake Morena with Ironman and Old Corpus, hikers we camped with last night. For the next few days at least, we are on the same schedule. In addition, there are Mike and Laurel (not together). A number of other thru-hikers have gone by because it costs $3 to camp here (but the hot shower is worth it) and because of the noise.

It is seven pm and all the thru-hikers have turned in for the night. Of course, all the weekend campers are still whooping it up. Nutz and I have earplugs! Good night!