I got up at 2 AM and my wife, Valorie, took me to the Seattle Tacoma Airport.
My flight on Alaska Airlines left at 6:30 AM and I arrived in San Diego at 9:15.
What is so amazing about this adventure are the people who support the hikers. They are called "trail angels".
This video explains who trail angels are (https://youtu.be/cVi6Ce0vvZM):
Bob Riess is one of these people. He is the original "trail-head hiker host" who pioneered the idea in 1999. He has hosted over 500 hikers, and helps them get last minute supplies, hosts them for the evening in his home, and then gets them to the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail at sunrise.
He met me at the airport and hosted me for the day and night in his home.
There are two other hikers here. One from San Francisco and another from Germany. There are two others arriving tonight. We will have an early breakfast and arrive at the trail head at first light.
Here is a short video about Bob and the work he does (https://youtu.be/7t4h5lUq25I):
Tomorrow morning I will start walking the trail. I'm not sure I will get much sleep tonight.
An amazing journey is just beginning!
