ADZPCTKO

Friday, April 25
Mile 19.8, Lake Morena Campground

Annual day zero pacific crest trail kickoff! A gathering of people involved with this magical trail show up for a weekend of seminars, vendors, events, food, and movies. There's a good chunk of this year's class of hikers, along with past and future hikers. It's both inspiring and a little overwhelming to see this many people together, loving this niche community of long distance hikers.

I spent most of today wandering between seminars, learning about trail conditions, water reports, and trail etiquette. Lots of chatting and socializing, too--people are so friendly! A few names of people I met: Bambi, zombie, shredder, Elise, gold mine, Nigel, big red.. And so many more. It's been helpful to pick the brains of hikers who hitched back to kickoff from further down the trail. Even at just two weeks in they seem well adjusted and so wise! Haha that's me soon maybe.

Clara (now Bathroom Hugs), Shelby and I are getting an early start tomorrow to hit the trail again.. Kickoff technically lasts til Sunday morning but we're feeling antsy after talking to so many people and feeling super inspired. There's a campfire near me that is very tempting to get in on, but I'm tired and waking up at 5:30.. Let the dawn hikes begin!