Hero’s Journey

PCT 2018 Day 1, April 23, Monday.

Start Mexican Border near Campo, California, mile 0

End mile 20 Lake Morena Campground Miles walked: 20

[Note: My daily miles for this thru-hike are higher than average, and should not be used for planning purposes.]

My brilliant number one best daughter drove me to the airport last week, and I fly to San Diego and visit brilliant number one best son for a few days, playing tourist. Leaving the apartment in early morning, I make my way via two buses and one trolley to the small community of Campo and the start of the Pacific Crest Trail. On the last bus I meet 4 other hikers of varied backgrounds, Uncle David, Bryan, RJ, Pippin, Bryan. We walk a short distance to the border and start of the trail. Fools gold specks sparkle in the dirt of the pathway. The terrain is rounded granite boulders with a thick planting of shrubs and a few scattered trees. The temperature is a challenge, and I pass many scattered clumps of hikers taking a break from the heat of the afternoon, taking refuge in shady nooks along the side of a mountain. Water sources are infrequent, so I press on to Morena Lake campground, with faucets and even a shower. I overhear several hikers who ran short of water and had trouble with the heat.

Joseph Campbell talks about the standard story template we know from myths and movies in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. He describes 17 steps to the story cycle where a person begins a quest, undergoes challenge, struggles, and returns home changed. So how will I be changed by journey’s end? Not that I am a hero, merely a protagonist in my own tale.