Day 57 - PCT 2024

Miles Hiked: 0

Total Ascent: 0

Total Descent: 0

My friend left for LAX this morning. I felt a bit relieved, for many reasons but I’ll leave that alone for now. It’s time to buckle down and get my head back in the game. I’ve been off trail for quite some time nursing my knee (minus my 10 mile day on Saturday). A week+ off trail feels like a lifetime. My IT band is feeling pretty good, I’m still strengthening it and will continue to do so on trail. But it’s time. Like Dr. Morgan said, “at a certain point rest isn’t as helpful as hiking.” And I agree.

I’m at Serenity’s Oasis in Agua Dulce! It’s a PCT hiker camp directly off the trail at mile 454.7 that offers showers, laundry facilities and resupply options for a suggested donation of $20. I decided to spend the night as most hikers said it’s a stop not to be missed. Part of my journey is to share experiences with other thru hikers and there’s lots of us here today. I arrived around noon and sort of felt like I wasted the day a bit, I could have been miles up the trail but easing into it and meeting new hikers was the best choice. 

I’ve had some “feely” moments today. A bit anxious to get hiking. A bit nervous too. Missing my animals. New challenges and experiences await. Malcolm has it right, gotta ride the vibe. Tonight is to decompress and unwind. The friends I’ve met are quite ahead now so it’ll be interesting to see who I meet on this next section. I’m also hoping to get some good alone time in while hiking. I like the mix of socializing and having alone time. Introspection and all that jazz. The trail is sort of magical that way. The trail provides.