We finally made it to the PCT!

It was a cold morning in the upper thirties when we were dropped off at the southern terminus of the trail. We signed the log book and found we were the first to hit the trail today.

The monument was right across from the border wall; we couldn’t believe how big it was.

The temperature rose a bit as we made our way up the trail, but the wind kept it cool and pleasant. The views and scenery were great. It was much greener than we thought the desert would be down here. The lower lying areas even had stands of trees.

Eventually, the trees gave way to bushes, cacti and boulders as we climbed uphill.

We tried to catch the train but no luck! Guess we’ll keep walking to Canada…

A lot of the water sources are dry, so we “cameled up” at the last stream of the day (4.4 miles in) filtering 5 liters of water each to have enough water for the rest of the day and the next day.

Adding 11lbs of water to our packs slowed us down, but we were able to make it to a campsite mid afternoon. We apparently got there just in time, as four more hikers showed up within a half hour, filling the small clearing with tents.

The wind really picked up as a storm approached making it difficult to set up the tent. We staked it out tightly then added rocks for more security.

After finishing dinner the temperature dropped and the rain came chasing us all into our tents. The forecast is calling for rain all night turning into snow in the morning. Heck of a first day in the desert!

So far we are warm and dry though. We’re happy and looking forward to day two!

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