Author Archives: Marie

I set my watch alarm for 5:30 and slept right through it. Luckily I woke up at 5:45 anyways. We were just about ready to go out of camp when our leapfrog friends went cruising by and said they’d see us later. We got hiking just a few minutes later to climb and climb and then just when you think you’re at the top and there is no way you can possibly go any higher, BAM, there’s more to climb. At least the temperature is much cooler up here, I wore pants all day for the first time on trail.

We took one 30 minute break in a nice, large camp area right after I bashed my head really good into a down tree. I never wear ball caps and I think now that I’ve been wearing one I have no sense of where my head is. It hurt bad enough that I had to stop hiking and do some deep breathing. I was fine not too long after to start doing some more climbing, yay.

The entire day was climbing over and under downed trees. 19 miles of an obstacle course is exhausting. I haven’t been eating enough for the amount of work we’ve been doing and it finally caught up to me. Feeling weak and a little shaky we decided to stop for lunch under boulders before doing the sketchy rock slide climb around. It was chilly in the shade so I put on layers and wrapped up in my quilt. We had a huge lunch of ramen and tuna wraps, it was delightful.

Only .2 miles down the trail to the dreaded rock slide. It didn’t seem too bad, lots of good holds and pretty good footing except for the loose scree and rocks as you step down at the end. The scariest part of it is that if you miss a step there is nothing to save you and you will go flying down the side of the mountain. I went first and thought I did okay with it. Jake took a video where you can definitely tell I am being the most cautious. I only have a picture of him at the end because I didn’t want to make him more nervous. Of course there is a downed tree right as you get done climbing around the rocks.

More climbing and obstacles were in store until we got to a more wooded area close to our next water source. There was also snow! Such a difference from what we’ve experienced all week. I stuck a snowball in my sleeve to cool me down. We got to the stream and I made myself drink an entire liter of icy water before we left. Only 4.5 miles to the trailhead where we could hopefully get a 2.5 mile ride to town.

The spur trail to the parking lot was the longest 2.5 miles down I have ever walked. We were trying to hurry because we weren’t sure if we could catch someone, all the restaurants close at 8 and we really needed pizza. As we got to the lot it wasn’t looking promising but we kept going down towards the road and heard someone chirp their car. Woot, humans!

We saw two guys getting things around their suv and stopped to ask if they were headed to town. As luck would have it they were but they wanted to finish their beers before and offered us some. That beer was delicious! Parker and Wyatt were more than generous and such friendly guys. We have a lot of paying it forward to get to!

Once in town we quickly checked in to the Idyllwild Inn and called to order pizza from a place around the corner. We ran over to the grocery for some drinks and snacks, picked up the pizza and then sat on the floor with our feet propped up watching TV, a life of luxury. Showers finally happened and then collapsing into a super comfy bed. It was a great day!

We were up early again because everyone camped around us was up and moving around 5:30 or something ridiculous. I think I just dislike camping in large groups of strangers. Everyone has their own ideas of appropriate camp behavior. Not a huge deal as I knew we would be in town by afternoon. Before that could happen we had a 2 mile side trip to get water from a spring. We slack packed, left our bags in the bushes at the top of the road, down to the spring and only filled about 2 liters each.

I was excited to get to town for a shower & to take care of some foot issues so I was cruising up and down the hills to Scissors Crossing. Once we were finally to the road we came across some friendly day hikers who told us someone was waiting with trail magic and we suspected it was Magic Man who we met at Lake Morena. We were correct and both readily accepted Gatorades from him. I was itching to get going so we turned down his offer of chairs and decided to try our luck at hitching a ride. I stuck out my thumb on our short walk to the intersection and the second car to pass stopped. Success!

Juan was our driver and he was very chatty with Jake in the front of the truck. Super nice guy!

We headed to the Julian Lodge to drop our bags since we couldn’t check in quite yet. Next stop, the brewery! We tried out a few different beers and had a delicious lunch while we waited for check in. On our way back to the lodge we stopped at one of the markets to check out what our food options were for resupply. Jacks had a solid selection of hiker food favorites but we weren’t ready to make any decisions so we grabbed some snacks and headed down to the coffee shop. It was chilly so I wanted a hot drink & Regulars Wanted delivered a steaming hot cappuccino. They found out we were thru hikers and gave a us free protein bars!

Once we got our room I showered almost immediately, it was glorious. We exploded our packs and made plans to do some laundry in the bucket they provided. Lounging with no real plans felt amazing. We decided to order pizza and salad for dinner and did that after being lazy bums for a while. It was a fantastic decision. After pizza we did laundry, the water looked like mud and that was after we had done a good pre rinse of all the clothes! We strategically hung everything around the room hoping it will dry quickly. We got to bed late but we would get to sleep in Monday so it wasn’t a big deal. It’s only been a few days of sleeping on the ground but a nice cozy bed was a serious treat.

We woke up with the sun just coming over the surrounding hills. It was forecasted to be much cooler today and we were also only five miles from a hot meal at Paradise Valley Cafe so we were fairly quick to get out of camp. Mist and clouds were blowing around us the entire way down to breakfast. I must have still been feeling a little dehydrated because I wasn’t moving particularly fast. Still, before we knew it we made it to the junction and started the short hike to the cafe.

We sat on the patio as to not offend anyone with the smell along with a few other groups of hikers. As hot as it had been the past couple days this morning was chilly especially in the shade and I was downing coffee to keep warm. There was a spigot here in front of the restaurant to fill water bottles so we were able to easily refill. Jake suggested I dump our ice water glasses into my reservoir so I could have ice cold water at the ready on this next stretch, it was a fantastic idea.

Around 11 we headed out to try and take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Back at the trail junction we put sunscreen on and got to talk to a few groups of hikers headed in to get food. It started heating up as we climbed out of the valley. We were planning to take a break when we got to our next water source and it couldn’t have happened any sooner.

1/4 mile down to our water source was tough. Knees and quads were screaming by the time we arrived at the trough. We found a nice spot to post up and ate lunch. Realizing it was getting late in the day and we still had miles to hike we got filtered water and started the steep hike back to trail. There was more climbing to where we had planned to camp, we ended up quickly passing the group we leap frog with a lot. The planned campsites were full by the time we got there.

The clouds were rolling in around us and the wind was chilly so we were hiking as fast as we could manage this late in the day. Finally we found a flat spot at the Cedar Springs Junction. It might not have actually been a camp site but it did just fine. Once we got settled it was dark and the clouds had enveloped us, I had a hard time getting warm because it was so damp. We got in bed as soon as we could to get ready for the many miles we’d have in the morning.

A skunk got in a fight near our tent last night and it was windy again so no one got good sleep but we managed to wake up around 5:45 anyways. It was a beautiful, cool morning but we knew it was going to be hot again so we started hiking by 6:45. Our first 5 miles to a spring were nice and mild. We were cruising along just enjoying the day. I was determined to have a better day than yesterday.

The spring was 1/4 mile down a steep little road, which is never a good sign because you always have to walk back up that hill carrying a bunch of heavy water. A shaded spot was waiting for us at the bottom. Jake got two liters of water for us from the spring while I sat and stared off in the distance and chatted with some other hikers that were there. Right as we were packing up to leave the group we have been leapfrogging with showed up and we all said we were aiming for Mary’s water cache so we’d see each other later.

After getting water it started to get hot and we were climbing exposed areas. I was feeling pretty good, jamming to some tunes, and then the heat started to get to me. I definitely didn’t get enough water and was just struggling. We had planned to do 7 more miles to a lunch spot so I tried to just put my head down and get there. Once we made it to the planned spot we made a little home in the shade and I took a nap. I passed out hard because I never even heard Jake make his lunch. When I came to I got a little tuna wrap together and drank a little water. I knew we’d still have two miles to get to the water cache so I was trying to conserve water but it was difficult.

Around 3 we had lost our shade and took off to do the two hot miles to Mary’s. I had maybe one good gulp of water left by the time we got there and needed water so badly. Mary’s cache turned out to be the best thing ever. We just so happened to show up on the one day of the year Mary shows up and makes food for hikers! What are the chances?! This little bit of good luck turned my entire day around. I am so grateful to Mary for what she does for all the hikers but especially for this completely unexpected bit of trail magic. Before we even got water we said hello to everyone there and I saw some fruit in a bowl and asked if I could have an orange. I then proceeded to eat that orange like an animal. It was possibly the best orange I have ever eaten in my life.

Jake and I went to the water tank to filter some water and could smell the food being made and immediately started drooling over it. I didn’t even know I was hungry! We went to chat with the rest of the hikers and someone asked how I liked my pack. I love it, but the chest strap can be annoying, no longer though because Dean has a whole kit with him and has been fixing bags for people. Thanks Dean!

Mary came around to take food orders and gave us the option of Mexican, teriyaki or vegetarian. Jake and I got the Mexican burrito that was piled high with grilled chicken, rice, refried beans, salsa, cilantro, and green onions. I cannot express how insanely delicious this was. We also had the option of a pop, I got a cola & Jake chose root beer, pop has never tasted better. There was also pie! Neither of us got pie because all we have been eating is sugary things and that burrito had seriously filled me up.

After a while we told everyone we would see them tomorrow at Paradise Valley Cafe and got ready to go. We finally left around 5:45 to go find a camp spot a little further up the trail. A nice little spot tucked away from the trail was a perfect place to enjoy a beautiful sunset with my favorite person. Onto the cafe tomorrow and then town in two days!

It was a rough one. We got on trail at 6:45 just a few minutes later than we had aimed for. Re-taping blisters and hot spots always takes longer than you think. It was still nice and cool when we started climbing out of the little oasis we were in. By 10 am I needed a break bad. It was a slog all morning until that point, my body just didn’t want to move. We found a shady spot to have a snack and chill only to find out there were two ant hills. Onward we must go. Another spot was found in the tiny bit of shade that was available. It was perfect for a little breakdown and then a boost by a snack and coffee.

Walking on to Mikes Place to get water, we only had 5ish miles more, I put on some music and had a little hiking dance party. Jake was happy to see I had a bit of a mood change and he thrilled to dance along to music he couldn’t hear when I caught up to him. Finally made it to water at Mike’s, it was so so so hot at this point! Filtered some water while chatting with a couple from Washington who were enjoying the bit of shade. It was 90+ degrees today and everyone was feeling it.

We decided to not stay here to eat lunch and push on to find other shade. That may have been a mistake! It was around 2 pm at this point and in the desert that means barely any shade can be found, plus we have an 18 mile water carry so our bags were super heavy. We eventually just wedged ourselves into a bush and made do. We stayed camped out here until around 4:30 when it was just a bit cooler.

There were only 4 or so miles to go from lunch to our campsite so it wasn’t too bad. The sun started its descent behind some of the mountains so it was cooling ever so slightly which also helped. I had to pee badly but there was nowhere to pee except basically in the middle of the trail which you could clearly see from the trail on the other side of the bowl we walked around so eventually Jake just blocked the trail and played lookout while I went barely off trail. Being a girl is hard sometimes.

Made it to the first camp site we had been eyeing to find three other people already there and no spot big enough for our tent. Not a huge deal as there were more spots just a bit up the way. We found a nice flat spot and started setting up. I went to move my bag inside the tent and discovered there were ants crawling all over. I looked at the ground and saw that there were tons of tiny anthills. SIGH. I brushed off as many as I could but I was at my breaking point. I went for a walk to the other side of the trail and just sat out of the sun behind a bush for a few minutes to cool down. It was all a little better and I ate some seriously delicious soy sauce flavored Top Ramen for dinner, courtesy of Jake. Again, he’s the best and I’m so glad we are out here together.

It was hot again and we didn’t get started as early as we should have. It wasn’t too bad as we weren’t doing huge climbs in the morning and we were headed for our first break at a well shaded stream. The stream was nice, we stayed only for a bit because we needed to get to seeing a big rock.

Eagle rock was the next highlight of our day. As we were getting close we could see it from across the large meadow, it’s one of the only giant rocks out there, a guy on horseback asked if we needed help finding it. I replied that I thought we could figure it out. He said “oh, well, some people have trouble!” Sorry cowboy, I did not realize there were lots of morons out here! We made it to the rock, took a few pictures and chatted with some nice day hikers. It’s always weird when people ask where we are coming from…Umm, the border…and we are headed to Canada. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Onto Warner Springs for water and a lunch break. We were looking forward to going to the community center but never made it. We got water at the firehouse and found a big tree to hangout under. Apparently cows around here like hanging under these trees to based on the amount of cow patties we dodged. Another 2.5 hour lunch and a bathroom break as far from the trail and the road as I could get, fun times. Off into the hot afternoon we went.

We came across a bunch of cows who wanted to be all up in our business. Not knowing if they were going to be friendly or aggressive we got through as quickly as we could. They seemed fairly chill, just curious. After that we headed into a weird area that looked like an abandoned summer camp. Lots of obstacle course things and picnic tables strewn about. At least there was some shade!

Only a few more miles to camp but first we climbed and climbed and climbed in the sun. It was HOT, HOT, HOT! We passed by another camp site full of familiar hikers, including one we hadn’t seen since our first day on the bus to Campo. By the time we got to camp we were just beat but chores needed to be done. We filtered water in preparation for the next days long climb in the 90 degree heat, did some stretching, washed some socks and made dinner. Oh and we saw our first snake! Right by where we were setting up the tent! Luckily it wasn’t a rattler, I’m not sure what type it was. Finally almost asleep by 9 and ready for our 5:30am wake up call!

We have passed the 100 mile marker! Yay! Before we did that though we had a long, hot hike out of the valley we camped in. Early in the hike I wasn’t really with it yet and thought Jake was walking back towards me on the trail. He was actually just doing a switchback, I was obviously very tired. A decision was made early in the day to get up earlier tomorrow to avoid hiking in the crazy heat.

Our mid morning destination was a well stocked water cache a short hike off the trail. We made it there no problem and were able to get plenty of water. We climbed back up the hill to find some shade and take an hour long snack break. Jake found a great spot that had a cactus at the entrance which I carefully went around. I got all set up, took off my shoes and found I had stepped in part of the cactus and it was stuck to the bottom. Fortunately it was easy to get loose with just a stick.

We were attempting to hike for another 2.5 hours after our snack stop but ended up finding a good spot 30 minutes before that goal. It’s tough finding shade in the desert so when you find something good enough you take it. We stayed here through the hottest part of the day. Taking a nice two hour lunch was luxurious and much needed.

Hitting mile 100 right before we got to camp for the night was very exciting. Knowing we were camping at a spring was the icing on the cake. We met a few hikers at the spring, all very nice. A couple of them happened to be from Philly and were discussing the best cheesesteaks. Not exactly what you want to be thinking about as you go to make some sad ramen in your tent.

I was up early with an angry stomach, not great for heading back to trail. We decided to get mostly packed up and head to breakfast at the cafe again. While at breakfast my stomach was really unhappy and I was getting waves of nausea. I had a moment of feeling really frustrated with my body and worried that I would be the one to hold us back from getting to the trail. Not a pleasant start but I was determined to turn it around. I ran across the street to get a ginger ale before we had to catch our ride. It helped a little but I was still feeling queasy for the 12 mile windy, hilly ride to Scissors Crossing.

Once we arrived we sat at the under the overpass for about 30 minutes while I tried to get my stomach to quit doing flips. While we were there we met Matt from North Carolina and had a very nice chat. Finally we were ready to cruise. Up and up we went, luckily the temperature was pretty cool. Soon enough we stopped for a snack in the shadiest spot we could find, a challenge in the desert. It was a very nice spot and I set my sleeping pad and shoe in cactus parts because of course I did. I was able to safely remove all cactus parts from my things before we headed out.

We had been seeing clouds in the distance and the wind was whipping around us but I thought we weren’t going to get rain. I was wrong! It rained only a bit but it was cold and windy so I got my rain gloves on just in case. Of course after a while we were way too warm in our rain gear and had to layer down.

Since our milage was short we got to camp very early. It was nice to get all of our things done well before dark and turn in early. I was hopeful for a good night sleep but the crazy wind had other ideas. It was so powerful it shredded one of the ties to our tent stake and Jake got up in the middle of the night to fix it. I’m grateful he was with it because I was half in a dream and had no idea what was happening. He’s the best.

Lounging in bed until around 11 just felt right considering how rainy and cold it was outside. It’s rumored someone was eating chips in bed while they were waiting for someone else to get ready to go to breakfast. We made it to the Julian cafe for breakfast right before they stop serving it at 11:30. The servings were enormous, way more than one person should eat, but we did our best.

Once we were full of tasty food we headed to 2foot adventures next door for help with my blisters. The whole crew was super nice! In addition to foot care they have a whole ton of hiker favorites and we did a solid amount of our resupply here. More relaxing was in our future so we headed back to our room to catch up with blog postings and calling parents to check in.

After a couple hours of chilling I decided we needed to visit the Cider Mill and Moms pie. The cider mill had tons of delicious snacks, candies and free cider for hikers. The cider was very tasty. They also happened to be playing none other than Mr. Sunshine on my gawddammed shoulders, John Denver, on the radio there. At Moms we stopped for our free piece of pie and I got a coffee. We needed to go to the market again to finish resupply game but took our pie pieces back to the room so we had enough hands.

The market stop was quick, easy and conveniently located close to the brewery. One last beer before we head back to trail in the morning!

One more visit to 2 foot to sign up for the shuttle back to trail and then we were in for the night. We had some reorganizing of food and gear to do. I also impulse bought a bath bomb from a little shop and wasn’t going to carry that on the trail so a relaxing, steamy bath happened before bed.

So we did our first 20 mile day and we are hurting but feel so accomplished. This was unplanned but there’s some weather coming in two days that we’d like to avoid. I know, I know, we are prepared for the weather and we are tough and should totally be able to handle it but the reality is it’s going to be way nicer to be in town. I’ve got some blisters that need a day off so we will be aiming to get to Julian Sunday afternoon and will be staying until Tuesday morning.

No oatmeal this morning! We got up around 6/6:30 and were hiking by 7:20. After yesterday’s hard hike in the heat we didn’t want a repeat. The wind was whipping us around as soon as we were on the trail which did help keep the temperature pretty reasonable all day but also, wind ALL DAY.

Water was available about 6 miles from last night’s camp and we made quick work of getting there. It was a trough with a faucet that we filtered from. Trail magic was available in the form of fresh fruit and it was amazing. We each took an orange and shared a banana. Those fueled us until we stopped for lunch around mile 9.5 under the tiniest sliver of shade. Taking about an hour to rest our feet and eat some food was really great.

After lunch was just tripping over the biggest tiny rocks there ever were. The rocks are beautiful but terrible to be walking on. They sound like glass when you kick them so that song “walking on broken glass” was stuck in my head. More wind this afternoon, yay wind!

The first campsites we were aiming for had people in them so we pressed on to find some spots were other hikers had set up. After poking around there we decided it wasn’t the best because of rocks and the hill. A snack and a little pump up dance were had so we could press on another 2.5 miles to another site.

The comfiest spot was waiting for us at the bottom of the hill! I was so happy we decided to push on. We got here at the perfect time because pretty soon after we got here 4 other hikers trickled in and got the other spots around us. It’s a little windy but hopefully it won’t be too bad. We heard a lot of coyotes howling before bed.

Another slow morning of Jake making us oatmeal and taping up feet for the day ahead. We didn’t end up hiking out of camp until 9:30 which ended up being a mistake. It was a sunny, beautiful morning but our hike to Mt Laguna was exposed and hot. For some reason I was just dragging & couldn’t keep up with Jake at all.

The slog of the hot hike was totally worth it when we rolled into Mt Laguna for lunch. We did some al fresco dining because, good lord, do we stink. Beers, salad and a beyond burger filled us up nicely. After lunch we walked down to the general store to do a tiny resupply and chugged some ice cold Gatorade. As we were getting ready to head down the trail someone told us about Trail magic in the campground but we were both so full from lunch we didn’t check it out.

We encountered a few day hikers on our way out ,who I mistakenly told we were on day 5, they were very nice and wished us well on our crazy hike. The afternoon was pretty windy and as we were winding our way along the trail we were hoping to not have to camp in one of the windy spots. We happened upon a nice meadow where some other campers had already set up shop and decided to stop there. The ground was full of critter holes so I was a little nervous that something might pop up at night and eat the underside of the tent. Luckily it was a quiet night.

I was so tired I didn’t eat dinner, I ate one handful of gardetto rye chips and called it a night. I did manage to crawl out of the tent long enough to brush my teeth which felt like a big challenge.

Jake made us oatmeal to share in the morning again, apples & cinnamon, sooo good. We were trying to wait out the rain and didn’t end up leaving camp until after 9. The rain did mostly stop and we just hiked through mist and clouds for the rest of the day.

I was feeling really good as we rolled into our lunch spot, a little campground I can’t remember the name of. “Mush” joined us for lunch at a picnic table and we had a nice chat. Discussed possibly making it all the way to Mt Laguna but that didn’t happen for us.

After lunch I was leading us and we were cruising for a while. The weather continued to be cool and cloudy so it was perfect for hiking. We passed a quite a few day hikers, they looked so clean! About 2 miles away from where we decided to stop for the night my foot started to bother me and it became a struggle. It wasn’t unbearable pain but it was uncomfortable to keep walking. We made it to the junction where a road leads down to the campground and walked the .7 miles down a fairly steep hill.

No other hikers are here which is understandable because in the morning we now get to walk up that steep hill before we even start our miles for the day. There are some RVs and other car campers here.

The wind and cold here was brutal. We could see our breath after we made dinner at 5pm and I could not get warm. I think I was a little dehydrated so I made myself a scratch drink before bed and chugged that. The wind did finally die down. I woke up at 12:20 to a couple camped next to us loudly arguing about setting up the tent or something. I was annoyed because I was having a really vivid dream about pie.

Tomorrow we will head to Mt. Laguna for a little resupply before we can make it to Julian to really resupply.

We camped a little less than a mile from some off trail water so we slack packed down to the pond in the morning. The pond was pretty clean and it wasn’t too difficult to get to a spot where we could get water to filter. The night before we had discussed camping here but I’m glad we didn’t because there was an incredibly loud wind mill that was screeching the whole time and I can only imagine how annoying that would have been to sleep near.

Back at camp Jake made some oatmeal for us to share. We packed up and were on our way to Lake Morena!

It was cool and cloudy to start our day which was perfect. We were just cruising after my coffee kicked in and ended up passing a few other hikers before we got down to Hauser Creek. We ate lunch at the “Creek”…I guess there is water here but I didn’t see it and we luckily didn’t need to fill up before we made the big climb out. This climb is infamously brutal during the midday heat but we lucked out with more clouds and a cool breeze. We came into Lake Morena around 4:30 and were promptly greeted by “Magic Man” a trail angel who was handing out drinks and twinkies. Jake and I both had a beer and stayed for a chat, thanks magic man!

Staying at the campground made it easy for us to find a tent spot. We set up quickly so we could get to the malt shop in town to grab dinner. A BLT and Chicken fingers hit the spot.

We didn’t last long after eating and chatting for a while with a hiker from Missouri who’s having some shoe issues. “Legend” happened to stop by and steal some of that guys pizza when he was in the bathroom.

I didn’t sleep the best as the ground was pretty hard and I was struggling to find a good position but I was super warm in my quilt. We were also surrounded by walruses…I mean snoring men who sounded like a whole lot of walruses. Oh well, onwards we will go!

The morning started out very chill with a leisurely wake up time and a walk to the Starbucks across the road from our hotel. We decided to take the 11:45am bus from El Cajon to Campo. It definitely helped me feel more organized and relaxed but it was just long enough to make us feel a little anxious to get going.

Walking to the bus was easy. Once we got there one of the drivers (or maybe she was the drivers manager) saw us looking like hikers, directed us to the right place, gave us some advice, and then we were on our way. The bus was fairly crowded for the first few stops but dwindled in numbers the closer we got to the end of the line. We got dropped off with another hiker and started our walk to the terminus. It’s about a mile walk from “downtown” Campo to the border.

Then it was time to hike! Trail magic happened immediately at base camp, only a little down the trail. We heard a voice call out “happy 4/20! Want an edible?”. “Legend” was there doling out sodas and stories. We passed on the pop but stayed for a story. It was a really nice way to start out.

We took the PCT to the monument instead of walking the road like some people do. It was sunny with a nice breeze so it didn’t feel too hot out. Once at the terminus we took some pictures, signed the book, and talked to a guy who was out scouting for his section hike.

The hike to mile 4, where we stopped for lunch, was rather uneventful. Once we ate lunch my stomach was suddenly super not okay and I had to make an emergency scramble/bushwhack up the hill away from the tiny creek. I’m not sure what happened but it seemed to settle down by the time we decided to camp in a nice shaded meadow. I’m currently warm and cozy in the tent listening to small animals scurry around in the dark.

It’s a long drive to San Diego from Ohio but we did it! We visited six different National Parks along the way and were pleasantly surprised at each one. Carlsbad Caverns was the most impressive, I’d highly recommend it. Saguaro was probably second place on account of the insane amount of huge cacti we saw there. Below is just a big photo dump, enjoy!

We are exactly one week out from starting our 2660 mile hike from Mexico to Canada! On April 7th we packed up the car and started the long drive to Ohio to see our families before we head out. Jake and I have been busy deciding which extra clothes to leave with our designated shipper (his mom, thanks Peggy!) and reorganizing our packs several times.

We will leave tomorrow to make the long drive to San Diego but before we head out there are still a few last minute gear changes to be made. My dad has extra tyvek that we cut down to serve as our tent pad/hitchhiking sign (Thanks dad!). Jake had found an even lighter option for that but we managed to destroy that material over a few trips before we left Colorado.