Day 0 – Scout and Frodo’s
I woke up early this morning and set about the last few things I needed to get done before heading to Scout and Frodo’s place. Scout and Frodo are what are termed “Trail Angles”- People that help hikers with all manner of things. They are some of the best people I have ever had the fortune to meet and are amazing ambassadors for the Pacific Crest Trail. If you ever decide to do the PCT I highly recommend staying with them. They are a wealth of information, they feed you while your hear and drive you to the trailhead for the start of your journey. If your an international Hiker you can spend 2 or 3 days here before the start of your trip which gives you a chance to get organized. Today there are hikers here from all over Europe, the USA, 2 Canadians and a man from Asia that barely speaks any English. Truly a beautiful environment.
I have the amazing opportunity to meat over 30 hikers here and ask questions about our journeys that start tomorrow. There is a lot of nervous energy, excitement, support, stories and laughs. While preparing to hike the PCT I spent a lot of time reading things on the internet that told me I was preparing all wrong and was overjoyed when i found out many of my fellow hikers i have been talking with had made many of the same decisions I have made. This is especially true when it comes to “base weight” (content of your back packs minus consumables). An ultra light hiker will have a base weight of 10lbs whereas I currently sit at 23 and a total pack weight of 45lbs with 6 liters of water. Although this is still heavy and I’ll be trying to lower this as I go.
Dinner was tacos and stuffed jalapeños peppers and was eaten in a circle outside and Scout and Frodo gave last minute advice and told several stories about the trail. A deck of cards were found an games were played.
Lights out at 9 as it’s an early start tomorrow. Wheels up at 6:00 to the southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail and the official start to Another Day in Paradise 🙂