MM: 478
Trail Miles: 4
Miles Walked: 4.6
When I woke up everything was wet. My campsite at mile 474 was in and out of the clouds, so everything was damp if not beading water. Normally, that’d be an inconvenience. Packing up a wet and dirty tent is annoying. Fortunately today was going to be a ‘near-o’ – nearly zero day, as in few miles hiked. It was only 4 miles to Casa de Luna , a hiker friendly stop in Green Valley, CA.
Like HikeHeaven in Agua Dulce, Casa de Luna is the home of two Trail Angels who open up their home every year to thru hikers. They have a large manzanita forest out back for tents, couches in their driveway, water/soap/buckets for laundry and an outdoor kitchen for nightly taco salad and daily pancake breakfasts. Over 90 hikers passed through while I was there.
The guidelines at Casa de Luna
With the weather I was tempted to just stay a few hours then get back on the trail – 50 deg temps and cloud cover is ideal for desert hiking. And I didn’t recognize any of the other hikers there at 10am. But I knew I’d regret not taking a break. Tehachapi, my next resupply/zero, was 80 miles away across the Mojave Desert. It was going to be a tough, hot 4 days. Best to start it rested mentally and physically. Besides a lot of folks I knew had taken this section, Acton to Casa de Luna, as a chance to slow down as well and they would be there later today.
In the end, I stayed and I’m glad I did. It was fun to see everyone again and meet new hikers. In a ‘misery loves company’ kind of way, it was nice to find I wasn’t the only one still dealing with sore feet one month in. The PCT wasn’t going to relent and become a cakewalk for anyone.
Today was also Mother’s Day and Day 29 -the start of my second month in the trail. It gave me a chance to reflect on what I’ve learned after one on the PCT.
In an occasionally random order, here’s some lessons learned:
1. While you can hike alone, you can’t do the PCT without help from others. Family members, numerous friends and trail angels all have been crucial to my progress so far. — Special thanks to my Mom for mailing my resupplies while HH has been traveling!!
2. When hiking 20+ mile days, my feet need a break every 2hrs. They revolt when I do otherwise.
2a. No matter how well you have trained, your feet will need 3-4 weeks to adjust to life on the trail.
2b. Nothing simulates carrying a 30-40 lb pack up and down mountains and desert like carrying a 30-40 lb pack up and down mountains and deserts. (Next time adjust training accordingly. )
3. It takes 3 weeks or more to learn how to comfortably sleep on a 20 inch wide balance beam (a.k.a. my thermarest air mattress)
4. Lighter weight is faster and easier. I am slowly getting rid of the stuff I don’t need or has only a single purpose. It’s an expensive lesson; mailing stuff home or ahead adds up.
5. Sun Umbrellas have an unpublished wind limit. Max demonstrated wind is not a good guide if you hope to have an intact umbrella with which to cross the Mojave Desert.
6. I still tanker water unnecessarily. I just rationalize it as an insurance policy and training for the Sierra when my pack will be heavier with food. I’m hoping to get better at that (either rationalizing or not tankering….).
6a. My water strategy: 1 L /5 Miles, 1 L for dinner/chores/breakfast, 1/2 L Reserve
7. I’m slowly learning the balance between putting up big miles and listening to my body. Can’t do one without the other.
8. Im learning to ‘cool my jets’ as I told Yes-Man I needed to do a few days back. It would be a shame to get to Canada and have not enjoyed the people and journey.
9. You eventually get good aiming for cat holes.
10. Everyone else’s food choices look better than yours while on the trail. Any food you packed, no matter how delicious, becomes tiring when eaten repeatedly.
11. You become ambivalent about body odor and hygiene on the trail. You do your best, but 7 days without laundry or a shower has inevitable results.
12. Hiker Hunger is real. When you walk 20+miles/day you become an eating machine. (I ate an entire jar of Nutella in 5 hrs with no ill effects.). There’s pre- and post- breakfast and dinner snacks in addition to 3 squares a day. Caloric density becomes a factor when food shopping.
13. Cell service and internet is coveted early on. As we get further north, I think it will become less so. This desert section has been the ‘training wheels’ portion – the break-in and adjustment period to trail life. I’m slowly being weened off modern, normal life.
14. Almost forgot – don’t cowboy camp on or near dirt roads and fisherman.
Undoubtedly there are more to be lessons learned, but this will do for now.
Hawaiian shirts and/or dresses are required at Casa de Luna – With fellow hikers Legend and Singer
We were sorely disappointed when the ONLY restaurant in town was closed the day we were there. Painter, Smokebeard and Cherry Bomb
Casa de Luna
There was an impromptu hiker ‘wedding’ at Casa de Luna between Scientist and Legend. As I walked by Legends tent the next morning I heard him say, ” I can’t believe I lost my ring and my virginity in the same night.”
The line for Taco Salad below 
I got my PCT Class of 2018 bandanna at Casa de Luna — the next day we all found out what ‘House of the Moon’ really stands for.