Day 2, ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off)

April 26, 2013 (Friday)

Post From Melissa:
Beautiful morning! I awake on day 2 to find numerous blisters on my feet. I knew going to bed I had 2, but upon waking, I found 10! Yes...ten blisters. Exactly 5 on each foot. Ouch! Thank goodness we are at ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off) for the next two days so my feet can recover.

ADZPCTKO is an annual event put on by volunteers to help through-hikers prepare for their journey. They feed us 2 dinners/1 breakfast, provide vendors to buy awesome ultra light gear from, and provide lots of informational classes from us to learn from.

We attended classes on trail conditions, desert hiking techniques, overuse injuries, water & snow conditions, a class on bears, food, and fire. A lot of very helpful information to give us the tools needed to succeed. We also learned over 1,000 people are hiking the PCT year! Crazy high turnout...

After attending classes we wander back to our campsite and find our tent is in direct sunlight and feels hotter than hell inside...our food is melting so we quickly relocate in the shade beneath a tree nearby. 

Next we notice there is a local's house right near our campsite and the owner is offering BBQ'd sausages for a small donation. Yum...sure beats eating a bar or dehydrated meal! We then decide to hit up the local store for some refreshments. We got a ride to the store from a female hiker who was also enjoying a sausage. Our first "hitch". It was a very small store but they have an impressive collection of booze. Perfect for thirsty through-hikers.

While at one of the classes during the day we learn that there is a trail angel named Dr. Sole who helps hikers who are having problems with their feet. We tracked him down at campsite #37 and let him work on my blisters. He was such a great guy and I really enjoyed chatting with him while he poked and cleaned my blisters. My feet hurt quite a bit afterward but they were now on the mend.

We ended the day hanging out with the fun guys we shared #61 campsite with, and enjoyed some bean & cheese burritos provided by the event organizers.

By 9pm we were wiped out and quickly went to bed...until I had to use the bathroom at 4:30am. Nick had to get up since he was next to the door and decided to escort me (what a great guy). When we came back to the tent a few minutes later and were settling in we heard a loud fart...Nick accused me and I swore it wasn't me. Keep in mind we are just feet away from 4 other tents. It could have been anyone. We were laughing so hard I had tears coming down my face. He made me swear it was not me. LOL. Later we would hear a symphony of farts all around us...and that is what happens when you feed hikers beans!