On Saturday, May 6, I will be hosting the fourth annual Celebrate Anza event at my place along the Pacific Crest Trail in the tiny community of Anza, east of Temecula. Hot food service begins at 11:30 through the mid-afternoon or later.

I love hosting this family-friendly event at my property each year. It is a chance for friends from “my other life” to experience all the beauty that the desert mountains of southern California offer at the height of the PCT thru hiker season, when 50+ hikers per day are passing by enroute from the Mexican border to the Canadian border many months away. Mingle with the hikers over lunch and ask them the question everyone wants to ask: “Why are you doing this?” The answer you get may surprise you and get you thinking about what you are doing with your life. The wild flowers this spring are the best in years (we are at 4200 feet in elevation, so our wild flower season is just beginning), and there is plenty of time before and after the event to take a hike yourself. … Canada is just 2,500 miles away.

Friends coming from a distance are welcome to camp at my place, with access to a bathroom and meals (Friday late dinner through Sunday breakfast) supplied at the ranch house. RSVP to pct145trailangelmary@gmail.com is requested for supported camping. No RSVP for the event itself, but you can contact me at this same email address for driving and parking directions. My place is two hours from San Diego, two hours from Orange, two and a half hours from downtown LA, one and a half hours from Riverside, and thirty minutes from Idyllwild.

Last year, despite an early threat of rain, we had a great time, with 24 invited guests and 27 PCT thru hikers served lunch.