Starting Slow, Sweating Hard, and Loving It All

We’re finally on trail! After all the prep, training, and travel, it feels surreal to be here. The first three days were a mix of excitement, heat exhaustion, instant trail magic, and some pretty unique hygiene experiences. Let’s break it down.

Day 1: Nervous excitement and First Steps

We woke up at 4 a.m., too excited to sleep. By six, we were stuffing our sleeping pads, packing up, and nervously heading to breakfast—pancakes! My stomach was fluttering, but the mood was high. After grabbing our PCT permit tags from the rangers, we filled up with 4 liters of water each (maybe a bit too much, as we later found out), used the porcelain throne one last time, and set off.

First stop: the Mexican border. Photos were a must at the Southern Terminus monument. After the photoshoot, we turned north. Next stop: Canada (in a few months, hopefully).

The packs were heavy, but we were full of adrenaline. At the 1-mile marker, we obediently drank a quarter-liter of water—practicing our hydration plan. By mile three, we’d already crossed train tracks and re-met a cheerful older man with a bodybuilder figurine strapped to his pack.

At our first water source, we saw familiar faces. The “stream” was more of a trickle—so yeah, we carried 3 extra liters for nothing. Lesson learned. We filtered water, rested in the shade, and tried not to melt.

The sun was brutal. Our hearts were racing, we were panting like overheated dogs, and my backpack felt heavier than ever. But slowly, we started to get into the rhythm. We took shade breaks, sipped water mile by mile, and watched the border wall slowly disappear behind us.

We arrived at camp and met a few new hikers, like Mathias from Germany. Some folks pushed on to mile 15 (beasts!), but we were happy with our slow start. Dinner: Chinese food. Bedtime: immediately after sunset.

Day 2: Burgers, Trail Angels, and Bucket Showers

Before 6 a.m., we were out of the tent and off to dig catholes. Nothing wakes you up like your digestive system in the wild! Just as we were leaving, the older American hiker handed me an instant coconut whipped coffee. Trail luxury, honestly.

The morning miles flew by in the cool air. We soaked our bandanas and feet in a creek, munched on Skittles (my unexpected new favorite trail snack), and headed for Lake Morena—and our first town food. Burgers!

The sun was back with a vengeance on the climb, but the views were worth every sweaty step. At the store, we joined other hikers on the shady stairs and scarfed down burgers like wild animals.

We saw more friends—Kit, Mathias, and even Marmelade, a trail angel from CLEEF camp, who stopped by for a milkshake date (trail gossip is alive and well). Energized and happy, we decided to hike another six miles.

Why? For the promise of a bucket shower and laundry! The last stretch included a creek crossing labeled in our map app as “Enjoy PCT parkour!”—and they weren’t kidding.

We arrived last, just before sunset. The shower setup? Two buckets, seven guys, a hose, a trash can, and no privacy. I managed a partial “shower” near the hose and escaped with a bucket to a toilet stall to finish the job. Glamorous? No. Satisfying? Absolutely.

Dinner was a social event—benches, tables, and tired but happy hikers. Trail life was already starting to feel normal.

Day 3: From Morning Chill to Midday Meltdown

We started the day socializing at the picnic table and enjoying our freshly “laundered” clothes. Then came the harsh reality: putting on cold, wet hiking clothes. Yuck. At least we had clean socks—pure luxury.

A short descent brought us to a dreamy little lagoon. Everyone was already there: Kit, Mathias, Silva, Gormet. We jumped in, fully clothed. Freezing and refreshing. We stayed longer than planned, which we definitely paid for later.

The trail ahead was brutal. It felt like we were jogging through the Sahara with backpacks. My heart rate was sky-high, and even shade was rare. I came up with this comparison: Imagine flying to Egypt in summer and deciding to go for a run on the beach at noon—with a 15kg pack.

Our lunch break was a desperate flop under a half-bush. Tortillas barely went down. Only Skittles could save us. Later, we found a slightly better shady spot and finally cooled down.

We passed a struggling family going southbound, arms full of plastic bags. No, thank you. We pushed on, up a steep climb. Just one mile before camp, we stopped to cool off again—then came Páťa’s evil plan:

“Let’s go two more miles. That way we’ll be closer to town in the morning!”

So we loaded up with 4 liters of water for a dry camp and climbed again—into a gorgeous pine forest. Total change of scenery. The smell of trees, the golden light… bliss. We set up camp next to Mathias, Silva, and another couple, ate dinner, stretched our sore legs—and passed out.

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