Warner Springs...

I just had an amazing breakfast put on by the Warner Springs community center. 3 pancakes, 2 home grown organic sausage, 3 eggs scrambled, and orange juice for a mighty 4 dollars. I also picked up my packages from the post office so from here it is off to Idyllwild by this weekend and hopefully Big Bear in two weeks. Feet are good, health is good, for now, my stomach is full. I feel like i could eat about 10k calories a day, and my body is finally starting to tell me FEED ME instead of trying to force an appetite. I scored an entire sleeve of oreo's out of a hiker box this morning as well. Hiker boxes are big boxes set up in places where hikers frequent and you can dump anything you don't want but someone else may. you can also take as well. so i dropped some granola, took a sleeve of oreo's. fair trade.... later skaters.... kristo

back on the trail!

I am finally back on the trail and KO is over and thanks to 2 amazing trail angels from Oregon - Lego'laus and Pocahontas who will be attempting their own thru next year to celebrate their 26th anniversary and Pocahontas turning a young and spy 50. I hikes 9 miles from Barrel Springs through some awesome meadows and rolling oak fields. I felt like I was walking in the foothills of Amador county, which helped in curing the small bout of homesickness I have been feeling the last couple days. I need to stay in WS tonight so I can pick up a couple packages at the post office when they open in the morning. I am camping tonight under some oaks with three guys from the east coast who have all hikes the AT before: chef, funk, and trooper. Good guys. We all haven about 40 miles to make by Wed so we can eat at the Paradise Cafe on the way to Idyllwild for the weekend and resupply! Great day, great weather, great vibes, so amazing to be back on the trail and heading north!!

Kickoff....

I am not eloquent enough to truly put into words how amazing the PCT community is and the party they throw every year for alumni to reconnect and to help support the current years hikers is unbelievable. At Lake Morena there are nearly 1000 people that are all in love with this trail. This amount of people and not knowing a single one of them has left me full of anxiety. I haven't had an anxiety attack in a while, but had one today. I started feeling really lonely today, it's been 10 days since I left home and could really use someone here to help me feel comfortable.
I have made some acquaintances and hiked with a few people and they all have their own things going on, so even though so many like minded people are here, my personality is one to be more shy and reserved, and not very easy to meet people and open up. So I have been pretty lonely all weekend. I am really looking forward to getting back to hiking where I don't have the time to sit and loiter and think about stupid depressing things...

Back to hiking. I am at the 101 miles hiked point. I have about 9 left before I get to Warner Springs and should be about 4-5 days from Idyllwild after that. The hiking is getting easier, the hills and elevation gains are no longer a worry for me. I was worried about dreading the climbs as I came to them, but as you get stronger they become less of an issue.

So, send me a txt or something, I love getting them when I turn on my phone when I have service, it really helps me feel connected to you folks. otherwise I start feeling like I am living in my own world secluded from everything but my own thoughts.

Hope you all are well!!!


~ Kristo

some pics

from my iPhone...

from Campo and the border to Scissors Crossing mile 77+

Well as is type this I am at the Stagecoach Campground on state route 2 near the town of Julian. No cell service, which sort of sucks but it gives me time to jot this all down for you without being distracted by all the interwebs, emails and txts I COULD be doing.
So, I have hiked 77 miles in the first 5 days and it has been amazing. Tough at times, but so beautiful. The weather has been HOT, well into the 100+ category. It's amazing how quick my body is adapting and getting stronger. Of the 10 people our trail-angels dropped off at the border Thursday morning, I was the first into Scissors and couldn't be more proud of myself. It's not a race I know, but after day one or day 2 I would have placed me about middle of that pack, to know its just my fat ass that is slowing me down now is comforting. I know within 2 weeks I should be able to shred 20+ miles easily. Hell, I hiked 15 today by noon to get here and I hiked 10 by 11 am yesterday.
I have met so many people. This year, due to the weather, there seems to be an influx on hikers. Last night, I dry camped (no water source) at the bottom of this canyon, with 15 hikers. I have been hiking with 4 folks since we got dropped off and today we parted ways. I was coming here they were going on because they already re-supplied in Mt. Laguna. I am sharing a hiker cabin tonight with 4 other hikers: Atlas, Power Nap, and some other yet to be named guy.
My trail name is Lion King. If you know me at all you know that is fitting, being a Leo and all plus the large lion tattoo on my left calf that anyone who has hiked behind me before has surely spent time looking at.
It's on to Warner Springs (mile 110) then back to KO at Lake Morena over the weekend, then back on the trail.... Thank you so much for following...

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at kristoHIKES@gmail.com


Thanks
Kristo ~ lion king

First three days....

well it's been hot since the get! I have been hiking in a group of 6 until tonight, we lost one at Mount Laguna Lodge. His name is Blacksnake, he is 68, on his 4th attempt of the PCT. He is from Ireland but most recently of Houston. Also, George a 58 year old fresh on retirement after serving 38 years on the force as a detective. Maya, a nurse from Berkeley and David a scientist from Seattle both my age.
We are a solid 16+ miles per day do far, probably take it easy on the way into julian and then up to Warner springs before kickoff.
Some other hikers met or camped with are: yoshi, chef, blaze and her sister,wolf (24k miles hikes, did 43 yesterday on his first day) Marcos from Germany, oh and a few more who have evaded my memory for now. Anyway, thought i'd do what I could when I had a chance! Thanks for following along...

Kristo

when it's time for leavin, I hope you understand...

Well, I am off. I spent over 12 hour yesterday making my way from the comforts of Nor*Cal and the Bay Area down to sunny San Diego. I took a bus, then a train, then a bus, then another train. I was able to arrive just in time to get some shrimp and chowda for dinner at Anthony's little restaurant on the harbor. Today I will be running a few errands before meeting up with Scout and Frodo, two very kind Trail Angels that open their home to hikers all season long in order to make it a little less stressful for us hikers traveling from a far to start out hikes. Starting in a few hours I'll be surrounded by people who are passionate about hiking and more importantly the PCT. I finally will start meeting in person some of the hikers I have been communicating with for a half year now while preparing for this little walk.So it's finally all happening, and I will be on the trail first thing tomorrow morning...I am finally getting excited...not that I haven't been excited, but with all the change, moving, ending a long term relationship, the last month has been pretty stressful and trying. I have done my best to keep my head up and stay tough, and I have had my weak moments, but I am fortunate for my family being so supportive, and my friends, some old, some new, helping me find a comfort in being me again, and that I what I am doing is admirable. For a while it has felt like everyone is more exited for me than I am for myself. Well, now I finally able to mentally relax, and breath and take it in...Thank each and every one of you for the support and for following me along the way so far, it's about to get fun....


Until next time ~

Kristo