Minutes before Trail – The Trek

First Time in the US: Our Rocky Start

It’s our very first time traveling to the United States, and as our departure day approaches, nerves start to creep in. We’re flying nearly 12 hours from Munich to San Diego, so we decide to leave Prague a day early—just to be safe and ensure nothing goes wrong.

Little did we know that the flight we had booked back in 2024 no longer existed. After a relaxed breakfast at our airport hotel, we head to the airport. On the way, we notice that our flight number doesn’t show up on any United Airlines listings. We assume it’s just because the flight is operated by Lufthansa. But when we get to the terminal, we’re hit with the truth: our flight at 12:40 simply does not exist.

The next hour is spent talking to Lufthansa staff, trying to figure out how we ended up with tickets for a non-existent flight. Turns out, our ticket provider wasn’t informed when the flight was canceled and continued selling tickets anyway.

So instead of flying directly to San Diego, we’re rerouted through San Francisco with a short hop down to San Diego. Long story short: our journey gets extended by nine hours.

The European Hiker’s Nightmare

For most European hikers, the real first challenge of the PCT is immigration. Try explaining to a U.S. officer that you’re planning to spend six months just walking, eating, and sleeping—and nothing more. Thankfully, we got lucky in San Francisco. The officer we met was genuinely curious about our trip. She asked why we were doing this, what it meant to us, and even about the fact that we’re hiking as a couple.

With that hurdle behind us, all that remained was a quick flight, an Uber to the hotel, and a much-needed nap.

Last-Minute Shopping

The next morning, we kick off our day with a classic American breakfast and start planning how to get across town to REI for our final gear check. Our phones still aren’t set up for U.S. networks, so we’re limited on what apps we can use—and that means walking to the nearest transit hub.

In Europe, we’re used to cities full of people and packed sidewalks. But here, it feels almost surreal. We walk for 20 minutes and barely see a soul.

At REI, we meet some friendly folks who immediately recognize we’re hiking the PCT and start asking questions. Then it’s off to Walmart, jetlagged and exhausted. We stock up on food for seven days (which, in hindsight, was way too much), and head back to the hotel to prepare.

The PCT Community in Full Force

We hadn’t even set foot on the trail yet, and already the PCT community was blowing us away. Through a Facebook group, we connected with Rochelle—a trail angel who offered to drive us from our hotel directly to Campo. The idea that someone would go out of their way for strangers like this is something we’re not used to at home.

After a few messages, everything is set. We share the ride with other hikers, and the hour-long drive flies by. Rochelle shares helpful tips, reassures us about rattlesnakes (our biggest fear), and leaves us feeling much calmer.

We pick up our last few packages at the post office and head into Campo. We’ve got two days to acclimate—and get excited.

Hikers Everywhere

Our two days in Campo go by in a flash. Everyone is buzzing with plans for the trail, worrying about pack weight, and sharing their own mix of nerves and excitement. It’s our first real experience of the PCT community, and it feels totally different from anything we’ve known. People talk openly, laugh easily, and focus on what’s ahead—not what could go wrong.

Now, just a few hours remain before we set out on the trail—what we expect to be our greatest challenge and biggest adventure yet.

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