Where to start… there are so many things that books, blogs, and videos failed to convey to me before this adventure; yet we have hiked sections of it, done our research, and planned as much as possible.

We flew to San Diego, took the Flyer van to the Old Town Transit station, and the shuttle van with Just Paul as our guide, who would take seven of us to the southern terminus about a half mile from Camp Lockett, where we would spend the night. We checked our bags with tent stakes and carried our bear cans with our lithium battery headlamps.

Our cans were opened at security, and our oxygen absorbers were thoroughly inspected at the bottom. I repacked mine while the TSA agent only emptied half of Caleb’s when he realized it was only dry food as well. On the van we meet Gert and Ravi from the Netherlands (they had never met), Rachel from New Jersey, and Graham and Sara from New York.

The couple goes directly to camp, opting to hike to the terminus in the morning before a 20+ mile day. The rest of us get our pictures there, and then we walk with the others to clap at the border fence (it makes a unique sound) and watch as they attempt to poke a limb through and take a picture. The 6pm campfire talk is two hours long and though not required, we feel obligated to sit through it at the end of a long day.

We listen to the main trail health issues (heat illness, hypothermia, and altitude sickness), hitchhiking protocols (don’t forget your bag), and the importance of maintaining water levels (Don’t die!) throughout from Just Paul, One Speed and Papa Bear who promises us pancakes in the morning. I fall asleep to the sound of barking dogs, people partying at the equestrian center, gunfire in the distance, possibly a loud bat, and some snoring.