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It still feels surreal to write this: we’re officially on the Pacific Crest Trail!
Day 1 Southern Terminus to Hauser Creek (mile 15.5)
We woke up at 5 a.m. in San Diego, buzzing with excitement and nerves. My dad, brother, and sister-in-law drove us out to Campo, with a quick diner breakfast along the way. Watching the freeway signs for Campo and Lake Morena felt like watching dreams materialize in real time.
When we pulled into the terminus, Brian and I practically sprinted to the check-in table to show our permits to the PCTA staff. They handed us our official PCT pack tags (!!!) and we took the classic photos at the southern terminus monument. Naturally, we also stuck our hands through the border fence to “tag” Mexico — because how could we not?
At mile 1!
After goodbyes to my family, we hit the trail, practically skipping with excitement. It was warm, sunny, and honestly perfect. We cruised through our first few miles, topped off water at a creek, and briefly witnessed the chaos of hikers already swapping trail names. (We decided to keep hiking and stay ahead of the crowd — the social scene will come soon enough.)
We made it to Hauser Creek at mile 15.5 and scored an awesome campsite under a tree by the water. Our first night on trail! We stretched, did our evening chores, chatted with another couple nearby, and crawled into our tent feeling so grateful to finally be out here.
Day 2: Hauser Creek to Kitchen Creek (mile 29)
Our wake-up call today? Birds aggressively fighting in the tree directly above our tent.
We packed up and hiked five miles to Lake Morena, where we treated ourselves to breakfast (and a breakfast burger) at Oak Shores Malt Shop. We swapped stories with other PCT hikers over coffee — one of my favorite parts of trail life already.
The next eight miles brought us deeper into the desert. This PNW girl is not used to hiking under cloudless skies with zero shade! We took breaks wherever we could, including a long lunch under a bridge with other hikers.
That night we camped alone at Kitchen Creek — a gorgeous little spot with a waterfall and pools to swim in. Falling asleep to the sound of running water felt like such a luxury.
Day 3: Kitchen Creek to Laguna Campground (mile 48)
We were up and hiking by 5 a.m., aiming to make it to Mount Laguna by lunchtime. It was a long, hot climb, but we made it! After refueling with burgers (again, obviously) and hanging with one of our new trail friends, we knocked out a few chores — resupply, grabbing some Cheetos from the general store, and replacing my broken charging cord.
From there, it was another six miles to Laguna Campground, where some trail friends had reserved a site and asked us to join. After several nights of dry camping, the pit toilets and running water here felt downright fancy. We cooked dinner, caught up with friends, and crawled into our tent completely wiped.
Day 4: Laguna Campground to mile 63
A Benadryl finally helped me get a good night’s sleep — though it didn’t do much for the heat rash and bug bites I’ve started collecting.
The views today were incredible. Endless mountains, clear skies, and even our first glimpse of Mount San Jacinto way off in the distance. We hiked five miles to a little park and spread out our damp gear to dry while hanging with other hikers.
And then — TRAIL MAGIC! Our first ever! A guy named Bad Santa (yes, really) and his friend showed up with cold drinks, fruit, and chips. Total angels. We hung out for a while swapping stories and soaking in the unexpected treat.
Afterward, we pushed on under a blazing sun. The heat rash on my hands and legs got worse (desert hiking is no joke), but a trail friend came to the rescue — I bought a pair of sun gloves off her for $10, which felt like a total win.
We finished the day with dinner near a water source, then hiked another mile to a big group campsite. Another early night — tomorrow’s another big day.
Up Next: Day 5 and Our First Town Stop in Julian!
(p.s. want to see more photos? Add me on Instagram at annachristineadventures – I had a hard time uploading photos to this blog from where I was located at the time of writing 😊)
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