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Day 5 – Mile 63 to Mile 77, then Julian, CA
We woke up early to find our tent soaked with condensation — it looked like it had rained inside. We did our best to mop it up with our buffs and started brainstorming solutions. Maybe sleeping with the vestibule open next time will help?
We packed up quickly and hit the trail. The morning started with a steady climb. After a quick break to shed some layers, we ran into a couple of trail friends we hadn’t seen since Day 3! We ended up hiking with them for three or four miles, swapping stories about wildlife in their home country and their travels. One of the best parts of the trail so far has been meeting new people and hearing their stories.
After a shady break, we pushed through the final eight miles to Scissors Crossing, where we hoped to hitch into Julian. The heat was intense — I started feeling the effects and worried about overheating. Talking with Brian and a trail friend helped distract me and keep me moving.
When we reached the road, a trail angel named Professor picked up five of us and gave us a ride into town. Our first stop in Julian: Julian Beer Co., where we cooled off with drinks and BBQ alongside a trail friend. Then we checked into our hotel, immediately took showers, and washed our clothes in the bathtub — classic hiker style.
Unfortunately, my heat rash had gotten worse, and a huge sun blister had formed on my leg. Thankfully, one of our trail friends is a nurse, and she gave me a few tips on how to care for it.
That evening we returned to Julian Beer Co. for pizza and crashed hard by 8 p.m.
Day 6 – Zero Day in Julian, CA
The next morning started with a visit to Mom’s Pie for our free PCT hiker slice — they even had a gluten-free option! While we were there, we ran into a bunch of trail friends. One of them saw my massive sun blister and joked that my trail name should be Sister Blister. It immediately stuck. I love that it’s silly and came from something that actually happened on trail — a very “me” kind of moment.
After pie, we grabbed breakfast with friends, then swung by 2 Foot Adventures. I bought some sun pants, and we reserved a shuttle back to Scissors Crossing for the next day. Huge shoutout to 2 Foot Adventures for offering that free service to hikers!
Back at the hotel, we tried laying out our clothes in the sun to dry, but the hotel owner wasn’t thrilled. Brian ended up taking the damp clothes up to the American Legion to dry while I stayed back and worked on a blog post. Later, we regrouped to grab a few resupply items at the market and finished the day with drinks at Julian Beer Co. with our trail friends.
The rest of the evening was spent organizing our gear and getting ready to hit the trail again in the morning.
We’re both glad we took a zero this early — after a fast start to our hike, taking a break to rest, recharge, and reassess was exactly what we needed. We’re feeling refreshed and ready for what’s next!
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