8 ms·

Hiking the 2,650-Mile Pacific Crest Trail

cossatot 12y ago
195 oz for all his things... Pretty impressive for a 2500 mi trek! I think my bag weighs something like that biking to work most days.
- adminprof 12y ago
  Does anyone know whether someone packing today could carry the same functionality in a lot less weight? I imagine a lot of the electronics items and compass and maps could be replaced by a top-of-the-line phone.
  - brc 12y ago
    If you read the article it lists the things he took. Maps etc didn't appear to be a part of it. I would say his phone did the majority of the navigation.
    - mordechai9000 12y ago
      Maps and compass are in fact on the list under miscellaneous. Halfmile Maps http://www.pctmap.net/ http://www.pctmap.net/.
  - mordechai9000 12y ago
    I doubt that phone + battery + solar charger is going to weigh less than a compass and a few sheets of waterproof maps. Since you have to resupply at points along the trail, you don't need to carry detailed maps for the entire route in your pack. I personally wouldn't want to rely 100% on a phone. It would have to be ruggedized, you would need a way to charge it daily, and it would have to have all the maps (which for this purpose are detailed topographic maps) stored locally, as there is no cell coverage in a lot of wilderness areas. Most of the time on the PCT, maps are superfluous. The trail is well defined with clear signs. Even so, it's always a good idea to pay attention to where you are and what the area around you is like. If something goes wrong (injury, medical emergency, wrong turn at Albuquerque), that knowledge could save someone's life.
  - fletchowns 12y ago
    I can't even imagine taking my phone. One of my favorite parts of backpacking is not looking at an LCD screen for 10+ days.
    - rconti 12y ago
      I went on a backpacking trip where I took my phone but didn't look at it. Isn't this the same thing? It seemed prudent to have the possibility to find cell service and get an exact GPS location, even though I likely only had coverage in a couple of spots over the course of a week.
      - fletchowns 12y ago
        I prefer topo maps and compass, GPS isn't really necessary. For emergencies I do carry a SPOT though: http://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100 http://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100
  - bitexploder 12y ago
    PCT is trickier to navigate. You don't want to go without a regular compass. Many I have talked with say the guide books are good, but they needed additional maps for some sections. Its especially tricky when the snow is covering up parts of the trail and you just have to guess it. I dunno, I think you can avoid the phone and come out about the same.
  - chrismartin 12y ago
    Yes. A full set of maps [1] takes about 455 pages, approximately 3 pounds double-sided. You don't want to carry all of that at once, but rather break it into sections and have someone them to you along the trail. I carried paper maps last year, a few sections at a time, but would have been fine without. Many hikers in 2014 carried only a smartphone and solar charger (or external battery) for their navigation, camera, journal, flashlight, music, and so forth. The smartphone apps [2] that use Halfmile's GPS data [3] can easily get you from Mexico to Canada. The sCharger-5 [4] is the unofficial solar charger of the PCT, I carried one last year as did many others. The West coast is sunny enough that you attach it on top of your pack and have 5 volt USB power most of the time. [1] http://www.yogisbooks.com/pacific-crest-trail/halfmile-map-set-printing-services-1 http://www.yogisbooks.com/pacific-crest-trail/halfmile-map-s... [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.tadteam.halfmilepct https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.tadteam.ha... [3] http://www.pctmap.net/ http://www.pctmap.net/ [4] http://www.suntactics.com/product/usb-solar-charger-5/ http://www.suntactics.com/product/usb-solar-charger-5/
nosuchthing 12y ago
“The birth of the Internet in the late 1990s revolutionized information flow, and exposed more people to the trail. You could sit on your PC at home, research about a subject to your heart’s content, then discuss it and ask questions in online forums. These discussion sites have a way of stoking passion, and I think that passion started translating into more people taking action, and tackling the trail.” I relate to this happening in Southern California. There's definitely a healthy cultural atmosphere that's sprouted from the internet's ability to let people know about niche hole in the wall shops or obscure happenings hidden amongst the vast seemingly desolate sprawl that someone who would never have otherwise left their house can now discover from their bedroom.
- Implicated 12y ago
  I agree completely. The internet has really empowered me to get out and maximise my time on the trail. It's also allowed me to maximise my dollar... I built a tool [1] to help people find cheap used (lightweight) gear purely out of my passion for the trail and the people. 1. https://lwhiker.com https://lwhiker.com
andrewguenther 12y ago
This is so awesome to read about, but I just can't imagine dropping everything for 150 days...
- brc 12y ago
  Then that is why you need to go! I haven't done a 150 day hike, but I have done 100 - 150 day travel before. Things like that are a great way of creating chapters in your life. Everything in the old chapter closes before you go. You stop working, get rid of 'stuff', move out of your living space and simplify down to essentials. When you're done, a new chapter starts. In the new chapter, you'll do things differently because you get a new chance to start, and because a long break generally gives your brain a chance to bubble up what it think the long term priorities are. Call it a life reboot with a disk reformat and OS update. Sometimes you need to take the server offline for a while to bring it up to spec.
- davnicwil 12y ago
  > I just can't imagine dropping everything for 150 days Is this because the 'everything' you're doing instead right now is so awesome that dropping it to do a 150 day hike, no matter how great that would be, is inconceivable? Or is it because the practicalities of dropping the 'everything' for 150 days aren't reasonable? If the former, good for you, that's a nice problem to have! If the latter, really try to separate what's a hard, impassable limitation from what's just a deeply-ingrained habit of your current lifestyle, or a fear about how deviating from your current lifestyle vector might negatively impact your future. Using your time to do what your really want to do very rarely closes doors, on the contrary it's far more likely to open an awful lot of them (and windows, too!) in ways you can't imagine until you do it. Knowing nothing of your situation, I apologise if you do have actual, hard, limitations right now (dependant family members, no money to live off while unemployed, etc). But if you don't, you're in an incredibly privileged position that won't last forever. Take advantage! Don't just read about awesome stuff, make a plan then go and do it!
pjungwir 12y ago
Wow, this was a pleasure to read. Things sure have changed! In high school I did a ton of hiking in the California mountains in the early 90s, including several week-long Sierra trips ending with Mt. Whitney. I would love to hike the PCT someday. I had no idea it required 20-25 miles a day. With elevation change that's a tough day hike, let alone a sustained average with a full overnight pack. OTOH, when I was hiking more, a week-long pack was more like 50 pounds, and now 25 is heavy?
- Implicated 12y ago
  You would be pretty surprised what you can carry for under 18 lbs or so. (not counting food/water) Doing so comfortably is a different story. ($) There's a huge cottage industry of lightweight gear manufacturers [1] (I curate a list) that you won't find in the big retail stores. Lots of focus on smart feature engineering, lightweight hardware and materials, consistent feedback from customers driving their revisions. It's been pretty neat to watch. 1. https://lwhiker.com/brands https://lwhiker.com/brands
  - dikaiosune 12y ago
    Nice list! FYI the table isn't rendering very nicely on Android Chrome
    - Implicated 12y ago
      Thanks for the heads up! Fixed it up.
  - nedwin 12y ago
    The number of brands on that list is incredible. How big do you think the businesses behind them are?
    - sliverstorm 12y ago
      I can't speak in dollars or volume, but I visited Katabatic Gear a few years ago. To my memory, the owner had a small office & warehouse in the industrial part of town - comparable to a small auto shop - and one assistant. Plenty of these operations literally run out of a garage though, and Katabatic Gear used to be one of those. I believe Cold Cold World packs are all still made by the owner. I have been immensely pleased with my "cottage gear".
chrisBob 12y ago
I only hiked the JMT which is 220 miles of the pacific crest trail. That was plenty but it was also easier than expected in some ways. There are lots of hills but the footing is easy because they made it accessible to pack animals. I found it much easier than the parts of the AT that I have seen. One of the biggest things I learned was that through hikers are all a little strange. Have you ever had a grown man introduce himself as Hello Kitty while keeping a straight face?
- baddox 12y ago
  FYI, that's just a trail name. It's a common thing for hikers to choose (or be given) a silly trail name. It isn't a specific personality quirk.
brendandahl 12y ago
For those that are interested in doing the PCT and want to learn more I highly recommend the trail journal of Carrot Quinn on her 2013[1] hike. She gives an entertaining and real view of the trail. I hiked the trail in 2014 and found it to be one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done. 1. http://carrotquinn.com/pct-2013/ http://carrotquinn.com/pct-2013/
- pyre 12y ago
  A bit older, but this was the blog that an ex-coworker made while hiking the PCT for a second time: http://teamcolour.blogspot.ca/ http://teamcolour.blogspot.ca/
bane 12y ago
Anybody who's hiked the Appalachian Trail and the PCT able to compare?
- bitexploder 12y ago
  Hiked parts of both. Read extensively. Talked with many who have completed both. PCT: Almost all accessible by pack animals. 500 more miles. Grades are easier. Trail is much, much easier. Less elevation gain than the 2100 mile AT. Mostly out in the open. Better scenery overall. Supplying is harder. Level of fitness required to complete it about equivalent to AT. Water is hard on the PCT. AT: Here on the east coast, where I live, we don't have majestic mountain ranges. To compensate for this we blaze our trails up and over every mountain in sight. The elevation gain is much more than on the PCT. Parts of the AT can be brutal. You could do 20-30 per day on the PCT whereas 20-30 on the AT would be a significant challenge. Water and supply is much easier on the AT. Springs are everywhere and it is very easy to manage. Often referred to as a "Long Green Tunnel" because of how closed in everything is. The elevations are lower so you don't often break out of the tree line. Bugs, bugs bugs in the summer. Cowboy camping is harder to do on the AT, but quite feasible in many parts of the PCT. Also the trail terrain on the AT is much harder. Rocky/uneven, that is implied by my other comment on the PCT, but to be clear, it is rocky and in some parts downright brutal.
- gwright 12y ago
  I've completed both the AT and PCT on thru-hikes. The PCT is logistically more difficult than the AT. The AT is physically more difficult than the PCT. Both are long distance hikes where, once initial physical issue have been conquered, become more of a mental challenge than physical challenge. The PCT seems to be more hostile to feet than the AT. Lots of hikers have a difficult time figuring out the right combination of miles, shoes, socks, and so on during the Southern California part of the PCT. Blisters are very common. The AT's ups and downs can be more hazardous to ankles and knees. Hiking poles are common and useful on both. Resupply options on the PCT are less frequent than the AT leading to longer sections between resupply than on the AT. There are only three or four shelters on the PCT so camping locations must be thought out in advance (i.e. consulting maps to identify level ground) or discovered en-route. You have to be prepared to dry-camp as stopping for the day at the last water source will cut into your daily miles too much. Weather can be challenging on either trail but the 'season' for hiking is much longer on the AT than the PCT. PCT hikers can't spent lots of time in town if they want to finish before the snow arrives in Washington. I'm happy to answer any more specific questions.
morgante 12y ago
Probably the happiest time in my life was the month I spent hiking the Long Trail in Vermont. The rhythm of waking up every day and exhausting myself physically (but having plenty of mental energy for thinking) helped me to gain a much better perspective on life. It was also a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level with my father before I went off to college. I plan to attempt the PCT or AT some day, but their considerable length makes it a much bigger commitment than hiking the short 270-mile Long Trail. Unfortunately it's hard to justify taking 6 months off from education or employment—many people see it as a "hippy" thing to do. At present, my plan is to hike the AT when/if I sell a startup. People seem to be more understanding of you taking out in nature when you're wealthy.
- mauvehaus 12y ago
  Logistically, the AT is pretty straightforward. There are a couple 70-80 mile stretches between resupply in VA and the 100 mile wilderness in ME. Most of them can be broken into shorter stretches at a cost of some inconvenience. As for making the time, I quit my job to do it northbound in 2010. Best 5.5 months of my life, like your experience on the LT. If you don't have family obligations (partner, dependents, etc), go for it, provided you can afford a reasonable cost per mile and a few months afterwards.
  - morgante 12y ago
    > Logistically, the AT is pretty straightforward. Sorry, I meant that it's difficult to find a chunk of ~6 months. How was your adjustment back into civilization? I somehow feel that it would be a challenge to find a new job afterwards, as so many employers have a strong bias against periods which look like "unemployment."
- curun1r 12y ago
  If you don't have the time available to do the entire PCT, you can do one of the most scenic portions of it called The John Muir Trail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_Trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_Trail) which is actually a bit shorter than the trail you mentioned, but makes up for it in climbs. It's still an endeavor, but one that can be done with PTO rather than needing a leave of absence or quitting your job.
jmspring 12y ago
Hiking the PCT is certainly an amazing accomplishment. As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors hiking and biking, the PCT has some interesting politics. The PCT expands or gets rerouted and the land that is taken over goes from being open to mountain bikes to closed. The forest service took a short term moratorium on biking and has basically made it permanent; yet in parts of the Sierras (especially around tahoe) mountain bike groups take it upon themselves to maintain parts of the PCT.
smegel 12y ago
> less than 50% who set out to reach Canada make it there That seems like a pretty damn good rate to me, for such a tough trek.
jroseattle 12y ago
I would really love to do this sometime, but I don't have 6 months of my life to contribute to such an endeavor. House/kids/job/wife/etc. I can't describe the jealousy toward others who can simply take off and do this. If you're young and reading this, and are thinking about it -- just do it.
- quickpost 12y ago
  Echoing this! Young-uns (or not so young-uns) - go fucking do it! Kids are awesome, but once you have them, achieving an extended adventure like this becomes seemingly impossible. At least until they're grown up.
GigabyteCoin 12y ago
>and those who do must maintain a 20-25 mile per day pace to beat the early snowfall in Northern Washington. Why not hike north to south, starting in Washington in early spring?
- bjwbell 12y ago
  You won't get very far in spring. The PCT in Washington goes through the north cascades, which has one of the deepest snowpacks in north america.
  - GigabyteCoin 12y ago
    Alright, leave in Summertime then. I don't think the winters in southern cali are too tough..
    - rconti 12y ago
      You might find the Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada (13,153ft) difficult to deal with in the snow. In fact, the many 10k+ft sections of the PCT in California are likely the reason not to start EARLIER than April. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forester_Pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forester_Pass
snowwrestler 12y ago
Ray Jardine was an amazing guy--an engineer who was incredibly innovative in solving problems in outdoor adventure. For example, he invented the spring-loading camming device, which is a revolutionary and essential piece of rock climbing protection. Creating this device (he called the first product the "Friend"), allowed Jardine to protect a very smooth and steep crack climb, which was the first in the world rated 5.13. Many innovations in ultralight backpacking can be traced back to Jardine: the tiny backpack without a hip belt, wearing running shoes instead of hiking boots, carrying an umbrella, using a one-layer quilt instead of sleeping bag, using an alchohol stove, etc. It's all laid out in the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook, which blew minds when it was published. Jardine had to hand-make most of his own gear to make it small and light enough; now you can go into REI and buy versions of most of it.

195 oz for all his things... Pretty impressive for a 2500 mi trek! I think my bag weighs something like that biking to work most days.

adminprof 12y ago
Does anyone know whether someone packing today could carry the same functionality in a lot less weight? I imagine a lot of the electronics items and compass and maps could be replaced by a top-of-the-line phone.
- brc 12y ago
  If you read the article it lists the things he took. Maps etc didn't appear to be a part of it. I would say his phone did the majority of the navigation.
  - mordechai9000 12y ago
    Maps and compass are in fact on the list under miscellaneous. Halfmile Maps http://www.pctmap.net/ http://www.pctmap.net/.
- mordechai9000 12y ago
  I doubt that phone + battery + solar charger is going to weigh less than a compass and a few sheets of waterproof maps. Since you have to resupply at points along the trail, you don't need to carry detailed maps for the entire route in your pack. I personally wouldn't want to rely 100% on a phone. It would have to be ruggedized, you would need a way to charge it daily, and it would have to have all the maps (which for this purpose are detailed topographic maps) stored locally, as there is no cell coverage in a lot of wilderness areas. Most of the time on the PCT, maps are superfluous. The trail is well defined with clear signs. Even so, it's always a good idea to pay attention to where you are and what the area around you is like. If something goes wrong (injury, medical emergency, wrong turn at Albuquerque), that knowledge could save someone's life.
- fletchowns 12y ago
  I can't even imagine taking my phone. One of my favorite parts of backpacking is not looking at an LCD screen for 10+ days.
  - rconti 12y ago
    I went on a backpacking trip where I took my phone but didn't look at it. Isn't this the same thing? It seemed prudent to have the possibility to find cell service and get an exact GPS location, even though I likely only had coverage in a couple of spots over the course of a week.
    - fletchowns 12y ago
      I prefer topo maps and compass, GPS isn't really necessary. For emergencies I do carry a SPOT though: http://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100 http://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100
- bitexploder 12y ago
  PCT is trickier to navigate. You don't want to go without a regular compass. Many I have talked with say the guide books are good, but they needed additional maps for some sections. Its especially tricky when the snow is covering up parts of the trail and you just have to guess it. I dunno, I think you can avoid the phone and come out about the same.
- chrismartin 12y ago
  Yes. A full set of maps [1] takes about 455 pages, approximately 3 pounds double-sided. You don't want to carry all of that at once, but rather break it into sections and have someone them to you along the trail. I carried paper maps last year, a few sections at a time, but would have been fine without. Many hikers in 2014 carried only a smartphone and solar charger (or external battery) for their navigation, camera, journal, flashlight, music, and so forth. The smartphone apps [2] that use Halfmile's GPS data [3] can easily get you from Mexico to Canada. The sCharger-5 [4] is the unofficial solar charger of the PCT, I carried one last year as did many others. The West coast is sunny enough that you attach it on top of your pack and have 5 volt USB power most of the time. [1] http://www.yogisbooks.com/pacific-crest-trail/halfmile-map-set-printing-services-1 http://www.yogisbooks.com/pacific-crest-trail/halfmile-map-s... [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.tadteam.halfmilepct https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.tadteam.ha... [3] http://www.pctmap.net/ http://www.pctmap.net/ [4] http://www.suntactics.com/product/usb-solar-charger-5/ http://www.suntactics.com/product/usb-solar-charger-5/

nosuchthing 12y ago

“The birth of the Internet in the late 1990s revolutionized information flow, and exposed more people to the trail. You could sit on your PC at home, research about a subject to your heart’s content, then discuss it and ask questions in online forums. These discussion sites have a way of stoking passion, and I think that passion started translating into more people taking action, and tackling the trail.” I relate to this happening in Southern California. There's definitely a healthy cultural atmosphere that's sprouted from the internet's ability to let people know about niche hole in the wall shops or obscure happenings hidden amongst the vast seemingly desolate sprawl that someone who would never have otherwise left their house can now discover from their bedroom.

Implicated 12y ago
I agree completely. The internet has really empowered me to get out and maximise my time on the trail. It's also allowed me to maximise my dollar... I built a tool [1] to help people find cheap used (lightweight) gear purely out of my passion for the trail and the people. 1. https://lwhiker.com https://lwhiker.com

andrewguenther 12y ago

This is so awesome to read about, but I just can't imagine dropping everything for 150 days...

brc 12y ago
Then that is why you need to go! I haven't done a 150 day hike, but I have done 100 - 150 day travel before. Things like that are a great way of creating chapters in your life. Everything in the old chapter closes before you go. You stop working, get rid of 'stuff', move out of your living space and simplify down to essentials. When you're done, a new chapter starts. In the new chapter, you'll do things differently because you get a new chance to start, and because a long break generally gives your brain a chance to bubble up what it think the long term priorities are. Call it a life reboot with a disk reformat and OS update. Sometimes you need to take the server offline for a while to bring it up to spec.
davnicwil 12y ago
> I just can't imagine dropping everything for 150 days Is this because the 'everything' you're doing instead right now is so awesome that dropping it to do a 150 day hike, no matter how great that would be, is inconceivable? Or is it because the practicalities of dropping the 'everything' for 150 days aren't reasonable? If the former, good for you, that's a nice problem to have! If the latter, really try to separate what's a hard, impassable limitation from what's just a deeply-ingrained habit of your current lifestyle, or a fear about how deviating from your current lifestyle vector might negatively impact your future. Using your time to do what your really want to do very rarely closes doors, on the contrary it's far more likely to open an awful lot of them (and windows, too!) in ways you can't imagine until you do it. Knowing nothing of your situation, I apologise if you do have actual, hard, limitations right now (dependant family members, no money to live off while unemployed, etc). But if you don't, you're in an incredibly privileged position that won't last forever. Take advantage! Don't just read about awesome stuff, make a plan then go and do it!

pjungwir 12y ago

Wow, this was a pleasure to read. Things sure have changed! In high school I did a ton of hiking in the California mountains in the early 90s, including several week-long Sierra trips ending with Mt. Whitney. I would love to hike the PCT someday. I had no idea it required 20-25 miles a day. With elevation change that's a tough day hike, let alone a sustained average with a full overnight pack. OTOH, when I was hiking more, a week-long pack was more like 50 pounds, and now 25 is heavy?

Implicated 12y ago
You would be pretty surprised what you can carry for under 18 lbs or so. (not counting food/water) Doing so comfortably is a different story. ($) There's a huge cottage industry of lightweight gear manufacturers [1] (I curate a list) that you won't find in the big retail stores. Lots of focus on smart feature engineering, lightweight hardware and materials, consistent feedback from customers driving their revisions. It's been pretty neat to watch. 1. https://lwhiker.com/brands https://lwhiker.com/brands
- dikaiosune 12y ago
  Nice list! FYI the table isn't rendering very nicely on Android Chrome
  - Implicated 12y ago
    Thanks for the heads up! Fixed it up.
- nedwin 12y ago
  The number of brands on that list is incredible. How big do you think the businesses behind them are?
  - sliverstorm 12y ago
    I can't speak in dollars or volume, but I visited Katabatic Gear a few years ago. To my memory, the owner had a small office & warehouse in the industrial part of town - comparable to a small auto shop - and one assistant. Plenty of these operations literally run out of a garage though, and Katabatic Gear used to be one of those. I believe Cold Cold World packs are all still made by the owner. I have been immensely pleased with my "cottage gear".

chrisBob 12y ago

I only hiked the JMT which is 220 miles of the pacific crest trail. That was plenty but it was also easier than expected in some ways. There are lots of hills but the footing is easy because they made it accessible to pack animals. I found it much easier than the parts of the AT that I have seen. One of the biggest things I learned was that through hikers are all a little strange. Have you ever had a grown man introduce himself as Hello Kitty while keeping a straight face?

baddox 12y ago
FYI, that's just a trail name. It's a common thing for hikers to choose (or be given) a silly trail name. It isn't a specific personality quirk.

brendandahl 12y ago

For those that are interested in doing the PCT and want to learn more I highly recommend the trail journal of Carrot Quinn on her 2013[1] hike. She gives an entertaining and real view of the trail. I hiked the trail in 2014 and found it to be one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done. 1. http://carrotquinn.com/pct-2013/ http://carrotquinn.com/pct-2013/

pyre 12y ago
A bit older, but this was the blog that an ex-coworker made while hiking the PCT for a second time: http://teamcolour.blogspot.ca/ http://teamcolour.blogspot.ca/

bane 12y ago

Anybody who's hiked the Appalachian Trail and the PCT able to compare?

bitexploder 12y ago
Hiked parts of both. Read extensively. Talked with many who have completed both. PCT: Almost all accessible by pack animals. 500 more miles. Grades are easier. Trail is much, much easier. Less elevation gain than the 2100 mile AT. Mostly out in the open. Better scenery overall. Supplying is harder. Level of fitness required to complete it about equivalent to AT. Water is hard on the PCT. AT: Here on the east coast, where I live, we don't have majestic mountain ranges. To compensate for this we blaze our trails up and over every mountain in sight. The elevation gain is much more than on the PCT. Parts of the AT can be brutal. You could do 20-30 per day on the PCT whereas 20-30 on the AT would be a significant challenge. Water and supply is much easier on the AT. Springs are everywhere and it is very easy to manage. Often referred to as a "Long Green Tunnel" because of how closed in everything is. The elevations are lower so you don't often break out of the tree line. Bugs, bugs bugs in the summer. Cowboy camping is harder to do on the AT, but quite feasible in many parts of the PCT. Also the trail terrain on the AT is much harder. Rocky/uneven, that is implied by my other comment on the PCT, but to be clear, it is rocky and in some parts downright brutal.
gwright 12y ago
I've completed both the AT and PCT on thru-hikes. The PCT is logistically more difficult than the AT. The AT is physically more difficult than the PCT. Both are long distance hikes where, once initial physical issue have been conquered, become more of a mental challenge than physical challenge. The PCT seems to be more hostile to feet than the AT. Lots of hikers have a difficult time figuring out the right combination of miles, shoes, socks, and so on during the Southern California part of the PCT. Blisters are very common. The AT's ups and downs can be more hazardous to ankles and knees. Hiking poles are common and useful on both. Resupply options on the PCT are less frequent than the AT leading to longer sections between resupply than on the AT. There are only three or four shelters on the PCT so camping locations must be thought out in advance (i.e. consulting maps to identify level ground) or discovered en-route. You have to be prepared to dry-camp as stopping for the day at the last water source will cut into your daily miles too much. Weather can be challenging on either trail but the 'season' for hiking is much longer on the AT than the PCT. PCT hikers can't spent lots of time in town if they want to finish before the snow arrives in Washington. I'm happy to answer any more specific questions.

morgante 12y ago

Probably the happiest time in my life was the month I spent hiking the Long Trail in Vermont. The rhythm of waking up every day and exhausting myself physically (but having plenty of mental energy for thinking) helped me to gain a much better perspective on life. It was also a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level with my father before I went off to college. I plan to attempt the PCT or AT some day, but their considerable length makes it a much bigger commitment than hiking the short 270-mile Long Trail. Unfortunately it's hard to justify taking 6 months off from education or employment—many people see it as a "hippy" thing to do. At present, my plan is to hike the AT when/if I sell a startup. People seem to be more understanding of you taking out in nature when you're wealthy.

mauvehaus 12y ago
Logistically, the AT is pretty straightforward. There are a couple 70-80 mile stretches between resupply in VA and the 100 mile wilderness in ME. Most of them can be broken into shorter stretches at a cost of some inconvenience. As for making the time, I quit my job to do it northbound in 2010. Best 5.5 months of my life, like your experience on the LT. If you don't have family obligations (partner, dependents, etc), go for it, provided you can afford a reasonable cost per mile and a few months afterwards.
- morgante 12y ago
  > Logistically, the AT is pretty straightforward. Sorry, I meant that it's difficult to find a chunk of ~6 months. How was your adjustment back into civilization? I somehow feel that it would be a challenge to find a new job afterwards, as so many employers have a strong bias against periods which look like "unemployment."
curun1r 12y ago
If you don't have the time available to do the entire PCT, you can do one of the most scenic portions of it called The John Muir Trail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_Trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_Trail) which is actually a bit shorter than the trail you mentioned, but makes up for it in climbs. It's still an endeavor, but one that can be done with PTO rather than needing a leave of absence or quitting your job.

jmspring 12y ago

Hiking the PCT is certainly an amazing accomplishment. As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors hiking and biking, the PCT has some interesting politics. The PCT expands or gets rerouted and the land that is taken over goes from being open to mountain bikes to closed. The forest service took a short term moratorium on biking and has basically made it permanent; yet in parts of the Sierras (especially around tahoe) mountain bike groups take it upon themselves to maintain parts of the PCT.

smegel 12y ago

> less than 50% who set out to reach Canada make it there That seems like a pretty damn good rate to me, for such a tough trek.

jroseattle 12y ago

I would really love to do this sometime, but I don't have 6 months of my life to contribute to such an endeavor. House/kids/job/wife/etc. I can't describe the jealousy toward others who can simply take off and do this. If you're young and reading this, and are thinking about it -- just do it.

quickpost 12y ago
Echoing this! Young-uns (or not so young-uns) - go fucking do it! Kids are awesome, but once you have them, achieving an extended adventure like this becomes seemingly impossible. At least until they're grown up.

GigabyteCoin 12y ago

>and those who do must maintain a 20-25 mile per day pace to beat the early snowfall in Northern Washington. Why not hike north to south, starting in Washington in early spring?

bjwbell 12y ago
You won't get very far in spring. The PCT in Washington goes through the north cascades, which has one of the deepest snowpacks in north america.
- GigabyteCoin 12y ago
  Alright, leave in Summertime then. I don't think the winters in southern cali are too tough..
  - rconti 12y ago
    You might find the Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada (13,153ft) difficult to deal with in the snow. In fact, the many 10k+ft sections of the PCT in California are likely the reason not to start EARLIER than April. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forester_Pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forester_Pass

snowwrestler 12y ago

Ray Jardine was an amazing guy--an engineer who was incredibly innovative in solving problems in outdoor adventure. For example, he invented the spring-loading camming device, which is a revolutionary and essential piece of rock climbing protection. Creating this device (he called the first product the "Friend"), allowed Jardine to protect a very smooth and steep crack climb, which was the first in the world rated 5.13. Many innovations in ultralight backpacking can be traced back to Jardine: the tiny backpack without a hip belt, wearing running shoes instead of hiking boots, carrying an umbrella, using a one-layer quilt instead of sleeping bag, using an alchohol stove, etc. It's all laid out in the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook, which blew minds when it was published. Jardine had to hand-make most of his own gear to make it small and light enough; now you can go into REI and buy versions of most of it.