Pacific Crest Trail: Mile 1

Section A
Campo to Lake Moreno - Nobo
Miles: 19
Hiking with: Gary Driggs

A sign along the trail. I think this says --

"a job doing yard work in the USA isn't worth risking your life."

Lodging: Mt. Laguna Lodge

Car Rental: Hertz Car Rental – Imperial County Int’l Airport, El Centro, CA

Dining: El Paso Taco Shop (on Hwy 94/Campo Rd just 100 yards west of Buckman Springs Rd.). This place had just changed owners but we tried it anyway – it was fantastic food!!!

Start: Parked a car to the side of the Campo Trading Post. We stopped in the previous night and asked if it was OK to park in their lot. The employee said he didn’t care but wasn’t working the next day. OK – it seemed as though they didn’t care, but it’s always polite to ask.

End: Lake Morena St. Park. I made online reservation for a campsite on the east side where the PCT passes. We didn't camp as the spot was only used to park our car. There is also a designated tent camping area for PCT hikers in the NE corner of the park if you’re a through hiker. The park was about 50% full. I can see where this would be a nice quick get-away for San Diego residences – supposedly good fishing in the lake.

People along the trail: About 7 miles into the trail we came across 4 guys hiking south. I asked them if they were section hiking, they responded they were thru hiking. Puzzled by this response as all thru hikers go Nobo, I quizzed them more. When did you start? “Yesterday evening.” Where are you going? “Canada.” Why are you going south? “We’re not, we’re going north.” After breaking out my GPS and showing them on my map I convinced them they were heading south. The previous evening they started from the southern terminus and hiked into the dark and camped next to the trail unaware of their surroundings and any landmarks. When they woke up the next day they pulled out a compass and said this way is north and off they went (Sobo). The PCT snakes in every direction without any rhyme or reason, and they happened to stop on a short section that headed south. Fortunately they had only gone a couple miles. If we hadn’t crossed paths with them they would have been very surprised to see the Border Fence again.

Description: We got up early in Mt. Laguna at about 6,000 ft.. The wind was blowing about 30 mph and it was in the 30s. We drove down to the Campo Trading Post, parked the car and started on the trail across from the Border Patrol by 7am. This area is "high desert". Having lived in the desert for over 25 years -- I know what the desert looks like 95% of the time. I also know the unsurpassed beauty of the desert the other 5% of the time. Most of the accounts of this section were by hikers from the east coast that just call it "Desert". Don't believe them!!! OK -- it rained hard the previous weekend and the desert was in full spring color with everything green and blooming. We crossed about 5 streams that normally don't flow -- what a treat!!! Although the temperatures weren't extreme, the sun was still beating down on us which slowly took its toll. We went a little slow but arrived at Lake Moreno about 7pm, got in our car, ate at a local Taco Shop (which was great!), picked up the other car at the Campo Trading Post, dropped off a car again at Lake Moreno (where tomorrows hike will end), and drove back to the Mt. Laguna Lodge.

Alternate Shuttle Plan: As a Tri guy, I had originally planned on doing solo day hikes. I would drop my bike off at the trail’s end (chain it up or hide it in some bushes) then drive to the trail head, park the car and start hiking. At the trail’s end I would jump on my bike and ride back to the car. Figuring it would be easier to hike uphill rather than bike uphill I would hike either Sobo or Nobo depending upon the terrain. I used www.mapmyride.com to map out a return road bike route from Lake Morena to the Campo Trading Post. Although this hike is almost 20 miles the bike ride from Lake Morena to the Campo Trading Post is only 8 miles and 90% downhill. The day before my first hike/bike attempt of the PCT my father-in-law decided he wanted to come along – friends always improve a hike, so the bike plan was swapped for the car rental/shuttle plan. Perhaps when I’m done with the PCT I’ll come back and do the hike/bike plan.