03    ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off)

ADZPCTKO Lake Moreno

I spent the next two days at the annual kick off meeting at the camp ground at Lake Moreno. In total about 700 people attended. The whole meeting is arranged by a group of hikers who have once or more often thruhiked the PCT. During the two days presentations about various subjects are given. The National Forest Service, who has the responsibility of the complete trail, thruhikers from years gone by and others want to help us. They give lectures on subjects like "How to react when seeing a bear", "How to cross snow fields", "How to get across creeks" or even "Flowers along the PCT". Also many conversations are held. I met the first hikers, some of them I was to meet off and on again during the coming months. We were very well taken care off. Even the weather was kind to us. Rain and clouds from the first day were forgotten soon. National Forest Service, National Park Service, Pacific Crest Trail Association and some small suppliers had set up a number of booths. One of them was the outfitter Adventure 16 from San Diego. They accepted orders for delivery on day two during the first day. I ordered my food for the two day hike to Mount Laguna.

US Postal Service had set up a mobile post office. Here I could mail my bounce box. Everything I would not need in the coming weeks was sent self addressed to a post office several hundred miles up the trail. In case of I decide at that post office that I don't need anything from the box I can bounce it free of charge on to another post office. Once I decide to open it up I have to pay for onward mailing again. In the evening a film about last year's hiking was shown. Time passed by very fast. And now the hike was to really start.

Photographers want to take pictures of this year's hikers

Waiting for the next meal

One of many preparation talks for this years hikers

My camping spot with the Poncho-Tarp

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