On my daily horse ride on the PCT north from my place this morning, I happened to cross paths with the first northbound thru hiker of 2018 — an older gentleman looking for the solitude that the PCT used to offer thru hikers, who was taking advantage of the very low snow conditions on San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, and the Sierra. (Of course, conditions may change.) Apart from the two guys who hiked the trail southbound during the winter of ’14-’15, this is the earliest I have seen anyone seriously attempt a thru hike. — I wish him luck. Hiking conditions in my area are ideal right now and the trail is nearly deserted.