Week 1 & 2 Recap
May 9-23, 2023
This post is written on behalf of Madelynn by guest blogger Dan Bolliger!
I am hoping to provide short updates every two weeks detailing Madelynn's progress on the PCT and sharing some highlights.
Two weeks down!
Madelynn left for the PCT two weeks ago and has made her way north from Campo across the high desert, up into the mountains, and back down into the desert again. The photo to the left shows Madelynn at the Southern Terminus trailhead.
Madelynn has been making lots of new friends on the trail, while also camping and hiking on her own some days.
The high desert offer views different than we usually get in the PNW. Although with the wet spring, it is more green than it usually is.
Madelynn took some time to rest in Idyllwild before climbing San Jacinto Peak. She even got to meet the mayor - Max the dog!
The trail has not been without a few challenges along the way, and Madelynn has had to take some rest days, but is pushing on. She had blisters early on but was able to get different shoes that no longer give her blisters - although they fit a bit differently and it has taken some time to break them in. She also discovered that one of her hiking poles has formed cracks, so she will have to replace that at some point. I've sent one resupply shipment and I am getting ready to send the second one soon.
The next section of trail heads Northwest around LA and into more mountains, before dropping back down into the Mojave desert. The next biweekly update will likely find Madelynn back in the desert and headed towards the High Sierra! Madelynn has SO MANY more stories to tell and will likely post a longer section recap once she hikes the remaining 500 miles of the first section.
Here is a link to the map where I share messages and other smaller updates from Madelynn.