Bushcamp to Campo
41.5 miles
Sobo mile 2652.6
Total mileage 5305.2
When my wrist watch alarm buzzed me awake at 3am I wasn’t even mad. With a smile I flipped the alarm setting permanently off, glad to know this would be the last time I’d have such an early wake up for the foreseeable future.
I descended Mount Laguna in darkness, and by the time the sun began to rise I was back in the desert.
The overcast sky made for a vibrant sunrise as I plodded my way along a rocky ridge line towards Kitchen Road.
As the morning progressed I passed beneath multiple underpasses before making my way through Boulder Oaks Campground.
When I arrived at Lake Morena I made a quick pit stop to rinse out my filthy shirt in the bathroom sink. My family would be waiting for me at the southern terminus, so I figured I’d at least make an attempt to clean myself up a bit…it didn’t help.
Shortly after leaving the lake I reached Hauser Canyon, where I had my final 1000 ft. climb of the trail.
My phone knew I was getting close…
The remaining 12 miles were pretty much flat, over easy terrain with overcast skies keeping me cool, making the last few hours extra enjoyable.
With less than three miles to go, I began finding these notes on the trail. Definitely feeling the love!
Then I found this Vitamin Water. It was a welcomed sight after having finished the last of my water a couple miles back.
And finally I reached the last mile…
Approaching the terminus I found Paige, my mom and dad along with my sister and her fiancé all cheering me on as I tagged the monument. It was an incredible moment that I was beyond happy to share with them.
Pictures were taken.
Beers were drank.
Hugs were given.
I couldn’t have asked for a better end to my journey. Paige and my family have provided such incredible support over the past seven months, I can’t even begin to thank them enough!
P.s. Thanks for following along and sharing in my adventure. It’s been an incredible experience that wouldn’t of been successful without the overwhelming support you all provided.
Over the next month I’ll be writing trip summaries, gear reviews and many other articles on trail topics I’ve been looking forward to sharing, as well as starting a YouTube channel. Stay tuned for all of that!
What’s next??? On November 30th I’m flying down to South America on a one way ticket for a ten day cruise around Antarctica. After that I’ll remain in Chile to begin a whole new backpacking adventure. I’ll be blogging all of it, so if you enjoyed this journey there’s another one just around the corner.
Cheers!