A second starting point
Flying out to Redding seemed like a good call. The flight was horrifically expensive, since I booked it only 18 hours before departure. Moving forward was more important than money in this moment, so I didn't really mind.
Before I flew out I was faced with the issue of getting from Redding to the actual trail head in Burney. Unfortunately I was flying out on the weekend, so no busses were going out that way.
I tried my luck and put up a post in one of the local PCT facebook groups. Yes, this is a thing - the PCT grew so much in popularity over the last decade or so, that many many people want to hike it. And just as many people want to help. Those people are called 'Trail Angels' in the Thru-Hiking community. They often spend their time and hard earned money to help hikers out. It might be a lift to a trail head, a hot meal, a place to sleep or to shower. All these things are incredibly valuable as a hiker - especially if you are from abroad and do not have a support system in the States.
Through my little facebook post I met the Trail Angels Doug and Alison. I consider myself so blessed and lucky that they reached out - willing to help this dirty and very confused German hiker. They picked me up from the airport in Redding and drove me to a local supermarket so I could resupply. To top it all up they let me stay in their home for the night and drove me out to the trail head the following day. This was exactly the pick-me-up I needed. I felt right at home and comfortable with these two wonderful souls and I will be forever grateful.
Am I in the desert?
After parting ways with Doug and Alison, I set off down the trail by myself. Alone for the first time on this adventure. This didn't bother me much, since I camped and hiked alone a good bit back in Ireland.
I trotted down the narrow trail and was a bit stunned by the conditions I found myself in.
This felt like a full on desert. The ground was dusty and everything was really dry. The only thing moving were little lizards that darted over the trail, bothered by my approaching footsteps. The sun was beaming down on me and I was pretty content, yes it was hotter than expected BUT - no snow! I booked this as a win and just hoped my body would adjust to 35 degrees Celsius and dry air, after being in the snow for the last while.
The dusty ground dirtied me up pretty quickly. I was covered in a thin layer of dust from head to toe in no time, and mixed with sweat I looked like I've been out here for ages pretty quickly. Wherever there was tree coverage the ground was covered in dried twigs. For the first time I understood how one single spark could start a wildfire.
Besides the tinder covering the wooded areas, there were pine cones. But not just any - these pine cones were on speed! They were huuuuuge! I would not like to get hit in the head by one of these.
The Bubble
The first night I camped in a pretty random spot along a dirt road. I knew if I hiked 5 miles farther I could camp by water and other people, but I was tired and didn't mind a bit of solitude for the night.
The next morning I tried really hard to be up early and get going before the heat of the day set in. The emphasis is on 'tried' here. I quickly realised that I am not as efficient and broken in as other seasoned thru-hikers, yet.
Soon, I got the chance to compare myself a lot to those thru-hikers. Starting of in Burney and walking northbound meant that I ended up bang on in the big 'Bubble' of hundreds of thru-hikers who have been walking the PCT for 2-4 month already. Those hikers had already half the trail under their belt. They knew exactly how much food to pack, their backpacks were super small, they hiked fast and far (some of them up to 35miles everyday). And here was baby-hiker me - Huge pack, blisters on my feet that got progressively worse, way too much food in my bag and no clue.
Looking back I can see that the universe was trying to teach me a lesson.
DO. NOT. COMPARE. YOURSELF.
I don't think that I was really able to accept and appreciate this lesson back then. Being in the bubble meant I was surrounded by those seasoned hikers but never able to keep up with any of them. I simply did not have my hiker legs yet.
Looking back on pictures like this one I can see how absolutely exhausted I already was at the beginning.
But me being in it and now having a lot more people around me I started listening to what others were saying.
'You should be doing at least 20 miles a day.'
'If you don't move fast enough you'll never make it.'
'Why is your tent so big? That seems a bit ridiculous, doesn't it?'
I took in all those comments and saw how fast everyone was moving and started to try and do the same. For me that meant 20-25 mile days.
Today I know, that I wasn't ready to do this mentally or physically. Hindsight, I guess. But back then I was not aware of it and started and kept pushing. Slowly but surely manoeuvring myself into a stage of complete exhaustion.
Silver linings
What kept me going through all of this were kind people. I cried on trail - a lot! And as embarrassed as I was to get caught crying by other hikers, I was also very touched by their kind words and their encouragement. They kept me going and assured me it will be all worth it, it will get easier. And it some ways it did.
They helped me to take in more of the beauty around me and appreciate what a privilege it was to be here. The Wilderness along the PCT is unmatched by anything I had seen in my life so far and every sunrise or sunset I've seen on trail touched me deeply.
It helped me to remember that our world is magic.
To reach my first ever trail town was a big success for me. It was Mount Shasta - 90 trail miles away from Burney where I started.
This made me feel like I can actually do this!
Read more in Part III
