Day Before~San Diego to Campo
03/27/2024 The day’s goal is simple: to reach the city of Campo and the Camp Lockett Event & Equestrian Facility (CLEEF) from Los Angeles via San Diego. First we take the Amtrak train. Instead of the coastal path, it runs for 200 miles along the Pacific Ocean. The views of the Pacific and the beaches are magnificent. Surfers are omnipresent during the 3 h00 ride. The SurfLiner lives up to its name. Arrival in San Diego is at a train station, Old Station Center, next to the historic downtown area. To be historic, it’s even old-fashioned, a small village of Mexican haciendas in the purest 19th-century style, with a tourist market full of Mexican souvenirs. We love it. After, we then take the “official” Trail Angel shuttle bus from San Diego to Campo. We were frankly disappointed by the service. It’s overpriced, at $75, and between a falsely interested welcome, “Who’s from where?”, and uninteresting advice for internationals. We can only advise against it! Almost no help. We pass far too quickly by the REI store, the post office and a litltle grocery with little, too little choice to get us started. But we managed to get by, and after sending our parcels to Kennedy Meadows South, buying a few bags of freeze-dried food and various bars and tortillas, we finally arrived in CLEEF around 4:30 pm. It’s a bit of a rush to get started like this. It’s probabbly much better to go to the PCT Southern Terminus Trail Angel Facebook page, and apply a few days in advance. Much more in the spirit of the PCT. As far as we’re concerned, “Here WE are”, as the locals say, with an accent that’ll take your tonsils out. At CLEEF, The atmosphere is special, a mixture of stress, different experiences and a mix of American people, European and Asian nationalities. The few loudmouths, with their gleaming equipment, try to impose their presence, while the already solid old hikers remain more discreet and humble. “Hike your own hike” is not yet began, and some of the looks on their faces speak volumes about their opinions. We’ll see where we are in next 6 months. We set up our sleeping arrangements among the dozen or so tents already present, then go off to listen to the locals’ advice about setting off. A PCTA volunteer is present and hands us the PCT Tag, symbolizing our new status, “french PCTiste 2024”. We take the opportunity to sign the PCT Wall. In just one month, there are already a good number of hikers. Let’s hike and keep going. To J1 J0 Los Angeles Gare Station J0 Southern PCT Shuttle J0 Painted Wall San Diego J0 San Diego Old Station Market J0 San Diego Mexican Head Skull J0 Old Station Center J0 San Diego Old Station Saloon J0 San Diego Old Station historic park J0 Camp Lockett USA Flag J0 Camp Lockett tentSite Load More End of Content. One step back South California & Mojave Desert One step forward
Day One~Campo to Hauser Creek
15.5 miles 700 D + 700 D – Here we are. We’re standing at the foot of the mexican border Wall. The monument is isolated in the middle of dry, dust and barren wasteland. Half an hour earlier, we left CLEEF, where we’d slept the night before, walked south, backwards and uphill on the PCT, to get to the official start. We are only 4. An American starting solo, who won’t be staying long, a PCTA volunteer checking our PCT and “Fire” permits, and ourselves. It’s a strange moment. We’re under little stress and, above all, unable to grasp what the rest of the adventure will be like. We’ve decided to hike like “vacationers”. The end of the road is so far away that it’s best to stick to our strategy: Step by step, Day by Day. We’ll take stock every evening and adapt accordingly. After a start, that included photos and a last look south, we were immediately in the mood. Cacti are everywhere, and we come across a harmless snake as early as miles 3. We also quickly sense that we’re going to have to be stubborn. A windless heat accompanies us on the southern slopes. As for the path, it twists and turns, and we hike little “headway”. This PCT is clearly going to be both athletic and mental. At miles 18, we come across a second snake and, more importantly, our first (and probably not last) “rattle snake”. It’s huge, noisy and downright unfriendly. In the hour that followed, Hélène flinched several times. We’re soon “Into the wild”, and it’s impressive and magical. The ravens are “giant”, twice the size of those we usually met in Europe, and the squirrels are the size of chickens. However, even if the Squirrel is magnificent and not very wild, if you’ve got peanuts, we’re still in the American spirit of the PCT, no incitement from the wildlife, just pass and go. Leave no Trace. We’re off in the right direction, too: a few days earlier, a stressed-out, dizzyPCT rider set off backwards along the border! He was given the TrailName of Wrong Way. Tonight we’re pretty tired, due to the weight of our packs, the miles we’ve covered and the water we’ve learned to manage. We missed a water supply, so we had to walk 2 h 00 without. We’ll have to be vigilant. At camp, we’ll have to do a minimum of washing by the stream and eat our first meal by headlamp. Not to be repeated too often. Otherwise, we’re with two Franco-Americans, Gabriel and Micha, and a Belgian, Régis, on the CampSite. Well done for immersing us in the rough and tumble of American life. Well, it’s not a bad start to our Trail Trip. Indeed, we’re sometimes puzzled when we talk to some of the locals; their accents are enough to make our eardrums bleed and we can’t understand….anything. Tomorrow, we’re off to Lake Morena. We hope to be at the Mount Laguna for resupply in two days’ time. Day 2 J1 Sunset Camp Lockett CampSite J1 Go to the PCT J1 South PCT Monument J1 The PCT Start J1 Emgan on the Eastern Railway J1 Helen on the Eastern Railway J1 Hacienda del Sol J1 2640 more J1 Campo Pea J1 One step back Désert du Mojave One step forward
South California
03/28//2024 DAY 1 Here we are. We're standing at the foot of the mexican border Wall. The monument is… 2024 DAY 2 2024 DAY 3 A venir 2024 DAY 4 A venir 2024 DAY 5 A venir 2024 DAY 6 A venir 2024 DAY 7 A venir 2024 DAY 8 A venir 2024 DAY 9 A venir 2024 DAY 10 A venir 2024 DAY 11 A venir 2024 DAY 12 A venir 2024 DAY 13 A venir 2024 Jour 14 A venir 2024 DAY 15 A venir 2024 DAY 16 A venir
Day One~Campo to Hauser Creek
15.5 miles 700 D + 700 D – Here we are. We’re standing at the foot of the mexican border Wall. The monument is isolated in the middle of dry, dust and barren wasteland. Half an hour earlier, we left CLEEF, where we’d slept the night before, walked south, backwards and uphill on the PCT, to get to the official start. We are only 4. An American starting solo, who won’t be staying long, a PCTA volunteer checking our PCT and “Fire” permits, and ourselves. It’s a strange moment. We’re under little stress and, above all, unable to grasp what the rest of the adventure will be like. We’ve decided to hike like “vacationers”. The end of the road is so far away that it’s best to stick to our strategy: Step by step, Day by Day. We’ll take stock every evening and adapt accordingly. After a start, that included photos and a last look south, we were immediately in the mood. Cacti are everywhere, and we come across a harmless snake as early as miles 3. We also quickly sense that we’re going to have to be stubborn. A windless heat accompanies us on the southern slopes. As for the path, it twists and turns, and we hike little “headway”. This PCT is clearly going to be both athletic and mental. At miles 18, we come across a second snake and, more importantly, our first (and probably not last) “rattle snake”. It’s huge, noisy and downright unfriendly. In the hour that followed, Hélène flinched several times. We’re soon “Into the wild”, and it’s impressive and magical. The ravens are “giant”, twice the size of those we usually met in Europe, and the squirrels are the size of chickens. However, even if the Squirrel is magnificent and not very wild, if you’ve got peanuts, we’re still in the American spirit of the PCT, no incitement from the wildlife, just pass and go. Leave no Trace. We’re off in the right direction, too: a few days earlier, a stressed-out, dizzyPCT rider set off backwards along the border! He was given the TrailName of Wrong Way. Tonight we’re pretty tired, due to the weight of our packs, the miles we’ve covered and the water we’ve learned to manage. We missed a water supply, so we had to walk 2 h 00 without. We’ll have to be vigilant. At camp, we’ll have to do a minimum of washing by the stream and eat our first meal by headlamp. Not to be repeated too often. Otherwise, we’re with two Franco-Americans, Gabriel and Micha, and a Belgian, Régis, on the CampSite. Well done for immersing us in the rough and tumble of American life. Well, it’s not a bad start to our Trail Trip. Indeed, we’re sometimes puzzled when we talk to some of the locals; their accents are enough to make our eardrums bleed and we can’t understand….anything. Tomorrow, we’re off to Lake Morena. We hope to be at the Mount Laguna for resupply in two days’ time. Day 2 One step back Désert du Mojave One step forward
Washington
PCT Washington : Bridge of Gods to Mannings Park: 505 miles 08/01/2024 DAY 128 After 21 days in Oregon, this morning we crossed the famous Bridge of Gods… 08/02/2024 DAY 129 A venir 2024 DAY 130 A venir 2024 DAY 131 A venir 2024 DAY 132 A venir 2024 DAY 133 A venir 2024 DAY 134 A venir 2024 DAY 135 A venir 2024 DAY 136 A venir 2024 DAY 137 A venir 2024 DAY 138 A venir 2024 DAY 139 A venir 2024 DAY 140 A venir 2024 Jour 141 A venir 2024 DAY 142 A venir 2024 DAY 143 A venir
DAY 128
First of August 2024 19 miles 1500 D+ 1100 D- After 21 days in Oregon, this morning, we crossed the famous Bridge of Gods, a metal bridge suspended 165 feet above the Columbia River. This moment was eagerly awaited, as it heralded the beginning of the end, the last major stretch before the Canadian northern border. The crossing is weird. The road beneath our feet is made of wide-mesh wire grid, leaving the void visible beneath our feet. We walk in front of the cars on a road with no sidewalk. Atmosphere, atmosphere. However, vehicles avoid all hikers, and it’s clear that pedestrians are not uncommon on this road.We admire the view from the balcony over Cascade Locks and enjoy this moment, a little out of time, in transition. But it doesn’t take us long to get back into the swing of things. A tough climb awaits us, 4600 feet of ascent, and for once, it’s a real slope. It’s a steep climb for over 5 hours, with a terrible finish in full sunshine. We take advantage of Oregon’s new heat wave to see that the previous one has toughened us up. Except we make the same mistake: misjudging our water supply. Between the absence of a spring and a dry one, we end up walking almost 13 miles with only 1.5 l each. Dangerous and very uncomfortable. Otherwise, few photos today due to battery camera failure. In addition, the landscapes are rather invisible, with the forest-covered route. A pity. Tonight we sleep at Rock Creek, a small river in a lush, rather humid setting. One step back One step forward