Monday, March 30 – Wednesday, April 1, 2026 — Zero Days (0 Miles)

Monday through Wednesday were back to work days at Thousand Trails Palm Springs, settling into the now familiar rhythm of balancing trail life with a full-time schedule.

After several physically demanding days on trail, the downtime was welcome.

Evenings were simple. I spent time relaxing, watching TV, and getting into the hot tub, which has quickly become one of the best recovery tools I have. Sitting in the hot water after long mileage days helps ease the lingering soreness in my feet and legs, even if it is only temporary.

The setting here adds to it.

Towering palm trees overhead, warm desert air, and clear skies transitioning into sunsets and stars make it feel like a completely different kind of experience than the trail, even though I am still right in the same region.

One thing that stood out this week was the number of people at the campground who were curious about what I was doing.

Several people asked about the Pacific Crest Trail, how far I had gone, how I was managing work alongside hiking, and what the experience had been like so far. It was interesting to step out of the day-to-day grind of the trail and talk about it from a more zoomed-out perspective.

Explaining it out loud made me realize how much has already happened in a relatively short amount of time.

These zero days were less about logistics this time and more about recovery and reflection.

Resting the body, thinking through what is working and what is not, and mentally preparing for the next section ahead.