40 days out

40 days to go! Wow! Very, very exciting. Still a long way off but close enough to start concerning myself with finalising everything at home.  The last few weeks have flown by with a busy work period fighting fires. The next few weeks will go just a quick. Time to knuckle down.

I have my gear sorted, maps printed, permits in place and plane tickets in hand. I really just need to get on trail now.

Most of this this years PCTers have started and will continue to do so right through April. Lots of pictures and info are being shared on social media and it’s almost at saturation point. Time to switch it off to avoid all the spoiler alerts… Leaving in early May I’ll be at the back of the main pack but timing wise it should work out well. Many leaving now are reporting winter rains and several snow dumps on the higher regions. I’m a fast hiker and should complete the desert section by mid June, reaching the start of the Sierra as the snow starts to melt, setting up for crossing of the higher passes, although this year is nothing compared to last year in terms of the record levels of snow.

Even before starting this trip I am already blown away by the generosity of ‘Trail Angels’, people who open their homes, their lives and who go out of their way to assist complete strangers during their hike. Coming from Australia I needed a base for a few days to organise myself for the first section – buying food, arranging a US SIM card and sending my bounce box ahead. I’ve been lucky enough to be put in touch with Scout and Frodo, two trail angels known the world over, who have offered to pick me up from San Diego, provide a bed for 3 nights and all meals, and drive me to the southern terminus, for a total cost of just sharing my stories. They do this for several hundred hikers each season. So very generous.

That’s it for now…. stay tuned.