D - 2 : Scout and Frodo

I was up bright and early again this morning, as jet lag is taking its toll on me. I packed up two boxes of extra clothes that I'll need after my hike but are not of much use til then while I'm on the trail. I was told at the post office this morning that as long as I don't open the boxes at each post office, I can forward them on for free, so inshallah the boxes will follow me all the way up to Canada having paid for postage only to Idyllwild! Boom!

Having said my goodbyes to Kathryn and Nick, and having sorted my boxes, I headed to Scout and Frodo's place in northern San Diego. Scout and Frodo are legends among PCT hikers, and rightly so. Ten or so years ago they hiked the PCT and fell in love with it, experienced the goodwill of so many people along the trail that they decided they would pay that good will forward. So for about 6 weeks every year they open their house up to tens (and sometimes hundreds!!) of aspiring PCT hikers. They pick hikers up from airports, trainstations and bus stations, feed them, give them lodging for a couple days, and then take everyone to the start point in convoy every morning ready to start the trail. How amazing is that? They provide all of this for free, and actively refuse any sort of payment. Instead they ask that people make a donation to the Pacific Crest Trail Association, which oversees the trails upkeep. They are definitely going to be a difficult trail angel act to follow for anyone else that helps me out in the future. The bar has been set, and it has been set.

I also met a bunch (appologies for the american terminology) of other hikers for the first time, and so far I've met: Ron, Kim, Wendy, Chris, Laura, Greg, Matt, Luke and Ryan, and there is one more that will arrive later this evening. All of them are heading out early tomorrow morning, meaning I'll be meeting a whole new group who will start with me on saturday! It has been great meeting other hikers for the first time as up until now for all my contact with hikers has been via online forums. We are from all over, in the group that I met today between us we have Americans, Canadians, a German and me a Brit. It feels like the calm before the storm, all of us comparing equipment, secretly thinking 'why didnt I think of that?' when someone brings out the latest in lightweight hiking technology. Most of the current group are new to long distance hiking, which is comforting as it means we'll all be in the same boat dealing with the day to day life on the trail. The excitement is really mounting now as I'm less than 36 hours away, bed time now though.