Another misty 6am start to the day. Once again I slept very well last night, and waking up was easy. The tent site was full with the sound of people waking up. I watched the mist clear with a coffee in my hands and the sun eventually began to shine.

I packed up my gear and got ready to leave, making sure to put extra sunscreen on my legs since they were a bit burnt. When I picked up my pack, I was shocked by how light it was compared to yesterday.

Walking down the the trail seemed so easy, and I made good time along the hilly ridge towards Hauser Creek. Once I got close to the the descent, I had a view of the valley to the other side where the first notable climb of the PCT begins.

Stopping at Hauser Creek to collect water and have a snack, I saw a few of the people from the camp. We hung out for a little while and started hiking up the trail together. Myself, Lucy & Tiger from Australia, and Willem from the Netherlands, made the climb. Once we got to the top, we were treated to a cool breeze and a view back over the valley we had just crossed.

A couple of miles walking along the top, then we descended down the other side towards Lake Morena and the campground there. The descent took another hour or so, and we were all looking forward to burgers and beer in the village. When we arrived, there was a sign posted at the trailhead telling us that there was trail magic happening at the campground. Some very kind people had parked an RV, and were handing out snacks, cold soda, and offering a place to sit in the shade.

As soon as we got there, someone asked “Which one is skillet guy?”. Apparently word had already begun to make its way around the other hikers. So this is what they’re calling me now “Skillet”, didn’t take long for me to find my trail name.

We headed to the malt shop and enjoyed some very tasty, but also quite expensive burgers. This shop also sold cans of beer and hiking resupply options.

After we finished eating, we headed back to the Lake Morena Campground. There was a separate area for PCT hikers and we walked into a very large area. Choosing a place for a tent was tricky with so many options. We set up camp and while we were hanging around, another kiwi showed up from Wellington. He’d walked all the way here from Campo on day 1 today. He and I chatted for a bit, I suspect he will be pushing for more miles tomorrow so I’m not really sure if we’ll meet him again.

There was just enough light in the day for me to make another trip to the shop to resupply before the sun went down. Once I returned, it was getting dark and everyone in the group was keen for an early night.