Today was a long day. I was up at 4:15 and at the trailhead at 5:45…just after sunrise. The first two hours the temps were perfect for hiking but then it started to heat up in a hurry (prob 90’s in the sun by midday). I saw a handful of other hikers throughout the day at various watering holes.

The hiking was relatively easy aside from the heat. There climbs aren’t terribly steep and the trail is pretty smooth (dusty).

Here we are on our 4:45am departure driving to the trailhead with Trail Angel Bob. (Bob’s pretty proud of his hat).

Sunrise at the Mexican border.

The official PCT monument at the terminus.

Me and Bob (sporting his MAGA hat).

Hikers gathering with the border wall behind us.

The official trail register.

One mile done!

Desert landscape.

Crossing one of the few water sources today.

Surprisingly green.

My desert wear as it starts to heat up by about 9:30.

Lots of hikers hanging out at Hauser creek (Mile 15) waiting out the heat of the day before a very exposed (to the sun) climb. I got here around 12:00 and took a 6 hour siesta before it finally cooled down for the final 5 miles out of the canyon.

The exposed climb.

Perfect temps around 7:30pm as the sun set.

The sunset over Lake Morena. I camped down below at the county campground.