Left the campground to hit the trail at 6:30 am, and was feeling really good about being at the front of the pack. Headed to where I remembered coming into the campground, near some bathrooms. When I got there it didn't seem right, but I saw some more bathrooms in the distance so I began walking toward those. Soon I realized that this campground had many bathrooms...many similar looking bathrooms. It also occurred to me as I continued to wander that this campground was a hell of a lot bigger than I'd realized. Feeling more and more lost by the second, I desperately hoped that none of the other hikers that I'd just cheerily said goodbye to would see that I couldn't even find my way out of the campground. I'd already specifically turned down the idea to walk to the visitor's center down the road to get water and then picking the trail up near there. I had actually specifically chosen to retrace my steps through the campground and pick up right where I'd left off so that I wouldn't get lost. The irony of this decision was now weighing heavily on my soul.
Finally I came to the exit of the campground, near where I began. Defeated, I quickly walked to the road, still trying to escape the sight of the other hikers. I walked to the visitor's center and not too long after, with the help of Half Mile's GPS, found my way to the trail. I had wasted an hour. About five minutes later, Katie and Rachel walked up behind me and I admitted to my stupidity. Katie attributed it to the fact that it was early and so my mind was still waking up. I avoided any discussion of how I'm just bad with directions. Or knowing where I am. Or where I've been. Because those things can cause people to question whether you should be hiking 2,650 miles by yourself.
Mercifully, the day got much better from there. Gorgeous, dramatic views of high mountain ranges juxtaposed against low valleys. The spectrum of colors of flowers in the desert is stunning as well. Burnt orange, deep red, bright yellow, dark purple, light purple, baby blue, dusty pink.The weather was pleasant too. Comfortably warm with a light breeze.
I did seventeen miles, mostly by myself, and camped at Sunrise Trail camp where I saw a bunch of hikers congregated in different areas. I wandered over to a big group sitting in a circle to see if I knew anyone. I didn't, but they were very welcoming and invited me to sit down. Kara and Allie had met on a PCT Facebook group and decided to hike "solo together". Honeybear and Shasquatch were an aunt and nephew pair. There was a German couple who appeared to be in their thirties and were very excited to have gotten away from Berlin. The woman said it was too big and stinky and dirty. Lastly there was Peter, a man who worked for the New York City transit authority for thirty years and retired early to follow his dream of hiking the PCT.
Everyone went to their tents as the sun went down, and I went off to a nice area obscured by bushes to cowboy camp.
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