From Karl's sister Lena: Karl's off!

After a very rainy hour drive from San Diego, the border patrol escorted us to the PCT monument (with its border-fence-background) via a muddy dirt road. We were the only ones there! We parked and hiked up about 20 feet to the monument. It was spooky and cool and misty. Two truckloads of hikers came about 5 minutes later and everyone was taking pictures. Karl signed the logbook (hidden in a cabinet in a plastic baggy on the back of the monument) and we headed back down and across the dirt road where Karl started hiking north at the trailhead. Next stop...Canada!

Well, not quite:
Karl hiked in on-and-off rain, shoes and feet soaked all 20 miles to Lake Morena, but "it was a fun hike." (Feet just feeling rather mangled).
Now for a couple days camping with hundreds of PCT fans and thru-hikers at the Kick-Off.

I'm heading to San Diego on Monday, 4/23, and I'm starting the hike on Thursday, 4/26. I'm doing some last minute dehydrating double checking all my resupply boxes, and typing up instructions for my Mom at home base. 

I taped up my first box and that felt wonderful, I'm shipping it soon so it will be waiting for me in Southern California.