Appreciation: for Mira for being my trail angel, and brought me a battery bank, coconut water, sparkling water, fresh fruits, and vegetables. For Kevin, a field biologist, who gave me a ride between my resupply at Cabazon Post office. For Minors lettuce and small water falls at the Lost Springs at the end of the day. It was the most delicious minors lettuce I had ever tasted.

Best learning: patience requires for eating prickly pears! They look so delicious especially when hiking in the scorching sun but they have so many tiny thorns that need you to be present and take time to harvest them.

Challenge: San Jacinto peak summit and crossing the plain in the wind storm to I-10! It involved crawling under and over fallen trees, navigating steep snow slopes, chasing my only hat blown with the wind with my full pack!

Disappointment: not camping at the Apache springs after a 25-mile day. I instead camped at the ridge and I regretted for a day. Next time!

Epic: 3am alpine start to attempt climbing the San Jacinto Peak. I made it through a tough navigation in the snow to the top right in time for the sunrise. There are three other PCT hikers and we sunrise danced to cherish the beautiful moment. Coming down the Fuller Ridge was notoriously difficult with deep snow. I am so grateful for the skills I learned like off-trail navigation and snow travel in my outdoor career to make it possible. 

Funny moment: when I received my resupply box at the Cabazon post office, a customer who was standing next to me said, “Did you just walk through the wind storm in the desert?” I said, “Yes, it was intense!” She said, “Why are you walking? You can fly to Canada.”