One Week!

[Ride to the Southern Terminus] On the Way This is really happening. Day 1 • April 18th • Mile 15.4 [Campo to Hauser Creek]

I've been taken my time... 🎶

Up and at 'em we were this morning! Left Bob's on our way to the trail head at 5 'til 5. We saw the monument with the sunrise. It was pretty incredible.

We all signed the register, toed the border, and just... started walking. It was nice and cool at the start, it would warm up soon! It was quiet to start, nice to be out early, and soon there were more and more hikers!

Unfortunately, one of the "Butterfly Gang" has gone off trail already. Incredibly sad, she hurt her leg in a freaky fall just past mile one. Really goes to show that anything could happen. And I will most certainly cherish every single moment. And be open to outcome! I have all of the time so I am taking it slow to start.

Thought I would go all the way to Lake Morena today then decided WHY? I know I am capable and that's not the point of this hike! So I stopped short of 20 miles to rest easy. It feels strange like not what I'm used to and I'm not sure if I like it yet, but I will give it some time...

Song of the Day - Luxury, Jon Bellion

Day 2 • April 19th • Mile 28.5 [Hauser Creek to Kitchen Creek Falls] Straying from the plan...

I feel capable, I feel confident, I feel like I want to dump the brain of my pack! Now, how is that a metaphor...?

Photo Cred: Olivier Blake

I thought I would at least get to mile 30 today, but if I had allowed myself to get hung up on that plan I probably wouldn't have found/stopped at the water hole! It was so lovely. And the campsite near mile 30 supposedly has a ton of mosquitoes, so I would not have liked it anyway.

I am learning each step [again!] how to take my time to smell the roses. This is going to be a long and rewarding journey.

Song of the Day - Foreplay/Long Time, Boston

Day 3 • April 20th • Mile 47.5 [Kitchen Creek Falls to Mt. Laguna Campground] M&Ms and CHEESE

Photo Cred: Nola from the porch of the Mt. Laguna General Store

Well I'm exhausted. At least I have M&Ms. Fellow hiker Cookie Monster trail magic-ed me by resupplying me to Warner Springs, including dessert! Sweet. *drum tap*

I did more miles than I intended today. *scratch that* In reality, I was just on my feet too long(9hrs). Because I ended up in a weird situation where you're not supposed to camp without paying [a camp ground] and I'm too much of a fuddy duddy this early on to stealth camp.

But aaaanyways... that's how I'm feeling now at the end of a long day at my $4 campsite which is really not so bad! Silly. #blameitonthegrumpy

Flash back to this morning, it was beautiful! I took more photos today than I have yet! And I really enjoyed walking on my own for a bit. Got hot pizza and ice cream for lunch at Mt. Laguna, so that was a treat! Stocked up on cheese too, which I don't know why I didn't start with... #cheeseisaluxury

Song of the Day - Times Like These, The Foo Fighters

Day 4 • April 21st • Mile 63.6 [Mt. Laguna Campground to Upper Chariot Canyon] Dawdle away!

Woke up super early today. I've been sleeping restlessly the past few nights on trail. I think it's because I don't have an alarm, but I feel it is pretty important to "beat the heat." So my eyes popped open at 4:30 this morning. Even so, as I began to walk I found myself dawdling quite a bit. First when I stopped to draw a picture and then to enjoy the views and take pictures and hang with friends. It sure does feel good to be in no particular hurry! I even almost ALMOST! took a nap this afternoon, but ultimately decided to move on with friends.

[My almost nap spot, fiending for shade]

It is interesting to me at the beginning of this trail... the excitement in making connections, the hope for lasting, the acceptance that some will just literally pass you by. I find myself wondering how things will shape up along the way and reminding myself that I can just be genuine. The simplicity of the trail is quite the blessing.

Song of the Day - Long Nights, Eddie Vedder Day 5 • April 22nd • Mile 77.2 [Upper Chariot Canyon to Scissors Crossing/Julian] BANGARANG!!!!

You know that part in the movie Hook when they all imagine fantastic food into existence and someone starts a food fight? (My favorite part of the film) Well it was a bit like that today, reaching the bridge at Scissors Crossing with an ol' trail buddy Bangarang there doling out trail magic - minus the act of throwing it everywhere of course. No food was wasted, not even a grape that I dropped on the ground. #hikertrash

So good. Especially after having finally entered the dessert. Wait, did I say dessert? What I meant was desert, you know the one with no water for miles. Not dessert, the one we got for free (pie and ice cream and coffee) at Julian just for being crazy enough to do this thing! Ah... Life is so good right now.

Song of the Day - Wouldn't It Be Nice, Beach Boys

Day 6 • April 23rd • Mile 101.1

[Scissors Crossing to Barrel Spring] It all starts to make sense 🎶

Photo Cred: Florian Astor

I have been reflecting on how the trail is a microcosm for life, particularly relationship. Here we all are moving in the same direction, leap frogging along, some faster, some slower. In many ways we have a choice and in many ways it is just chance who we come to walk with for a time. Then we do have a choice. That is, how much am I willing to invest in this? Here at the beginning of the trail we are all leaning in, wondering who will counter balance our dance and learning that if the balance is not there we each have the ability to throw ourselves into a movement that we will recover gracefully from... #groovy

More thoughts on this later when I am not deliriously tired. I'll be better able to compose them when I've had a coffee in Warner Springs tomorrow.

[I am having a coffee in Warner Springs right now as I transpose this from my journal to blog... and I still cannea be bothered to finish that thought. I will add that I have said I am attracted to this life style because of the community and deeply connecting relationships. And it is still a process.]

Right now I am too exhausted. Crushed some miles in the desert with Flow, Sophia, Kayla, Drew... today! We were flying! 3.5 miles per hour at one point we think. Even stopped to rescue a poor little mouse from dehydration? in the middle of the trail! Flow nearly stepped on it, but we did the good deed and set the little fella up off the trail with a water trough made from a leaf.

Today was the perfect day for a siesta!!!! Found some shade and crashed. It even got a bit nippy with the wind. Still perfecting the art of the siesta, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. Off to sleep now, with frogs croaking from our own water trough. Song of the Day - Vultures of Culture, Medicine for the People

Day 7 • April 24th • Mile 109.5 [Barrel Spring to Warner Springs] Aaaat laaaast... 🎶

One week on trail and we've made it to Warner Springs. And of course, before doing anything else besides minimal refreshing, we went to the only restaurant in town for some "real" food. Heavenly. Then - funny moment - for dinner later a hiker's Mom took us to a family restaurant in the next town over and upon walking into the restroom the music plays "aaaat laaaast..." I giggled as sultry music was played throughout our meal. Lovin' this trail family. Just throwin' that out there so this entry isn't all about food. #reasonstothruhike

Song of the Day - At Last, Etta James