And so it begins....

Starting uphill on Day 1

The first few days were rough going, steep desert with little shade, water, or wind. Found a rock pool on day three to take a bath in which was awesome.

Cooling off on Day 3

Starting Day 2 with a little Trail Magic*

After that the terrain became more mountainous and the temperature began to pick up which made it rough going.

Laguna Mountains on Day 3

Week 1 Battle Wounds

After taking a Nero (partial day off) and a Zero (full day off) in Juilian my feet started to feel better and I started to do bigger miles, the last five days I’ve done 17-21 miles a day, and the last two I hiked with my friend Renee. Her and I hitched into Idyllwild and were treated to lunch which was awesome.

(Editor's Note: Gabe received his trail name during the first week of his adventure - he will henceforth be known as "Geo" as he hikes on)

Eagle Rock near Warner Springs (approx. mile 106)

Calorie Loading in Idyllwild

*Trail Magic refers to acts of kindness by strangers, often referred to as Trail Angels. This can be something as simple as a cooler full of cold water left at a trail junction or an elaborate BBQ setup with hot food and cold beer for anyone hiking the PCT.