PCT miles 178.6 to 190.4 – Idyllwild, CA to Black Mountain Road – Total PCT miles 190.4 Good morning! Marmot here, bright eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to return to the trail! I'm sure Gabriel will be too, once be wakes up. Today we regain the approximately 2,000 feet of elevation we dropped going down … Continue reading Mt. San Jacinto or bust

Total PCT miles 178.6 – Idyllwild, California Greetings from Idyllwild! Gabriel and I made it to mile 178.6 yesterday morning and hiked down into town to pick up our resupply package and take our next scheduled zero day. Gabriel has been enjoying the charms of this cute touristy town with beautiful views, a natural food … Continue reading Idyllwild is for squirrel lovers

Total PCT miles 109.1 – Warner Springs Guest Ranch Life on the PCT is "pretty rough", let me tell you. Hiking during the day through beautiful landscapes, lounging in shady places, meeting interesting people and eating Nutella. Today we are staying at the Warner Springs Ranch for a second night for what's called a "zero … Continue reading Luxury on the PCT: Zero day at a hotsprings

PCT miles 101.4 to 109.6 – Barrel Spring to Warner Springs Guest Ranch– Total PCT miles 109.6 Woke up this morning to a new-to-trail-life experience: clouds and overcast skies. My first thought, "How did Gabriel and I make it back to Washington so soon?" We'd checked the forecast a few days prior and were aware … Continue reading Notes from a day of cloudy skies, oak groves, leap-frogging hikers and luxury

PCT miles 43 to 101.4 – Mt. Laguna to Barrel Spring – Total PCT miles 101.4  

PCT miles 30.6 to 43 – Kitchen Creek Road to Mt. Laguna Lodge – Total PCT miles 43 Today we hiked to Mt. Laguna from Kitchen Creek and traveled through beautiful scrub oak canyons and up into pine and oak woodlands with grassy meadows. Meadows covered in spring flowers including yarrow, baby blue eyes, popcorn … Continue reading First forests and first resupply

PCT miles 16 to 30.6 – Hauser Creek to Kitchen Creek Road – Total PCT miles 30.6 After an evening sleeping under the stars (aka "cowboy camping" aka sleeping without a tent) and several interruptions from the US border patrol agents driving down the Hauser Creek Road we got started walking at 7:00 am. We … Continue reading Getting our rhythm

PCT miles 0 to 16 – Mexican Border to Hauser Creek – Total PCT miles 16Woke up this morning at 5:15 to Sandy (Frodo) and Barney (Scout) preparing us a nourishing pre-hike breakfast of eggs, pineapple, grapes and homemade bran muffins. Sandy was making us breakfast before she headed off to work!Gabriel and I are … Continue reading And so it begins…