After the warmth and hospitality of the Host Family in San Diego it was a little scary to be heasding to the border and into the unknown. at around 5.45am another host in SD arrived to take me and another couple (newly-weds doing the trail as their honeymoon - yikes!) to the border. We weaved through morning traffic till we escaped the city and then after about an hour of driving i was staring at the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail, It was so surreal to be looking at the monument which up until now had only been a thing from photos and dreams, i had my photo taken and did the traditional poking of a finger through the border fence into Mexico, then donned my pack and headed off. The sleepy border town of Campo waas the first on the trail and my thoughts were immediately on the enormity of what lay ahead, here is was taking the first few steps of the estimated 5.5 million needed to get to Canada, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed. The Anza-Borrego desert made its presence felt fast with the heat climbing into the 30's as i began to wind into the mountains, the terrain was just like every cowboy movie you have ever seen with cactus and granite sand dominating. The reflective heat from the floor of the desert came at you in waves. Ths stretch required you to carry enough water to cover the first 35 kms so the weight of my pack just added to it all. Taking breaks every couple of hours or so and after a couple of canyon crossings i found myself descending into Lake Morena where i would be staying for the night. LM is a medium sized lake that is popular with anglers and has a small campground nearby. There were several other PCT hikers who i camped with and we conversed about what was to come. Soon after showering and eating i was asleep, the body demanding rest. This was to be my last shower for the next 6 days

Starting weight - 94kgs

Entry 1 of 76
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