Day 1

May 24, 2014

The morning got off to a slow start.  Slower than I would have liked.  Whether it be due to the  few extra beers with good company then night before or the anxieties of what lies ahead.  All I know is I didn't get out of the house  until after 0800 and still had over an hour drive to get to the trailhead.

My neighbor Scotty was so kind to drive me all the way from Mission Beach to Campo to see me off.  At this point emotions are on over drive.  The anxiety of the unknown ahead is so strong that it is as if there are 1,000,000 butterflies zipping around inside of me.

We arrive at  the southern terminus around 10:00 am.  The sun is already beaming down like a spotlight.  I take some quick photographs then begin the journey by putting one foot in front of the other.  Scotty followed me in his car along the dirt road that paralleled the trail for about a mile, snapping photos every chance he got as if h e were the paparazzi.

Before long I was alone.  Nothing but my own thoughts in my head and the trail under my feet.  So I walk.  At this point I am on a good pace, jamming along.  I get to the 94 Hwy crossing, continuing on a trail that I believe is the Pacific Crest Trail.  However silly me ends up on an international traveler trail.  I am going along and can't help to notice all the trash strung along this trail.  Something just didn't seem right, so I checked my GPS.  By this time I had gone five miles out of the way before I reached the trail again.

With the late start and the re-navigation it would have but me at Lake Morena camp ground very late in the evening.  Plans change, therefore I decide to stay at the top of the mountain then hike the Lake Morena the next day.

The night was peaceful with only coyotes howling at the nighttime sky that was lit up with a vast amount of stars that sparkled like the light on the Las Vegas strip.  The only other noise through the night was the Border Patrol helicopter that was completely blacked out, that flew right over my camp to check me out.