The PCT and Me - Introduction

I'll let you in on a secret.... I love to hike.  Seriously.  If you have spent any time at all reading posts from my Colorado Plateau blog you might have picked up on that, but my passion for hiking is actually somewhat of an obsession. In recent years my life has been dominated by a need to make miles on foot, and accordingly I have consistently logged 50+ miles per week in all seasons and all conditions.  It's my thing.

So it should come as no surprise to learn that the Pacific Crest Trail had been on my bucket list for a while - actually 37 years.  At the tender age of 20 I first heard of this thing called the PCT and despite having no actual backpacking experience decided that launching myself into a six month adventure was something I should do.

Accordingly I bought gear, guidebooks, and devoured whatever information I could about the newest National Scenic Trail.  Serendipitously I stumbled upon a feature published in a local newspaper about a man who was hiking the PCT over a period of several years, taking the 2,651 mile journey and dividing it up into more manageable chunks of around 500 miles each summer.

In the days before the internet I looked him up in the phone book (remember those?).  Out of the blue I called him and asked if we could meet to answer some of my questions.  He readily agreed and gave me directions to his house.  Although I did not know it at the time that was a turning point in my life, but not the one I imagined.

The individual in the article was named Dick, and he was a very interesting guy.  At 70 years of age he was running marathons and trekking long distances each summer.  He was very easy to talk to and we spent several hours discussing his experiences.  Before we parted company he mentioned he had an backpacking trip planned to Grand Canyon in several weeks, and that one of the participants had cancelled.  He wondered if I might be interested in going along.  I of course thought it was a splendid idea.

That summer I went to the Grand Canyon with Dick, his friends and grandson, and that started a lifelong love affair with a different and amazing landscape.  Sadly, I did not hike the Pacific Crest Trail that year, or the next year - in fact it took me 35 more years before I ever set foot on the trail.  The reasons were many and don't matter all that much. 

When I finally did get to undertake one of my life's greatest adventures, it was precipitated by some very challenging circumstances.  I won't bore anyone with details but sometimes adversity forces us to reexamine our priorities, and that is exactly what I needed.  While not life altering in the classic sense, hiking the PCT made me realize what stands in the way of our dreams and goals is really ourselves.

Over  the course of several posts I want to share some of the experience and things I learned. Instead of being a travelogue like previous submissions, I want to try and give readers a sense of what it was like to live out of a backpack for weeks on end.  I also know that were I to repeat the experience or attempt any other long distance trail, there are things I would do differently.  So, without further ado, here is Part One.

The PCT

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of several National Scenic Trails designed to preserve long distance routes that traverse areas of particular natural beauty.  The idea of the trail surfaced in the 1920's and over the ensuing decades eventually coalesced into the route we have today.  This was accomplished over many years as devoted advocates and sponsors worked tirelessly with land managers and property owners to develop a seamless trail.

The  PCT was granted official recognition by Congress in 1968.  The route attempts to follow as much as possible the higher terrain found along a north - south line that travels the length of California and into Oregon and Washington.  The terminus at either end are the international borders of Mexico and Canada.

The trail is listed officially as 2,651 miles in length, but every year slight modifications occur due to reroutes or closures in the event of fires or other environmental issues.  54% of the trail is located in Federally designated wilderness areas, and it visits several National Parks including Kings Canyon/Sequoia, Yosemite, and North Cascades.  It reaches a high point of 13,200 feet above sea level in the High Sierras at Forester Pass, and hits a low of 180 feet at the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon/Washington border.

The topography is incredibly diverse as you might imagine, as the trail travels through 16 degrees of latitude along the way, and environments range from Mojave desert to sub-alpine forests and just about everything in between.  The elevation changes encountered along the length of the trail are the equivalent of scaling Mt. Everest 17 times from sea level, with a significant amount of that occurring in the southern and central sections of California, and the Cascades of Washington.

In the southern reaches, challenges involve primarily water or the lack thereof, and long stretches of shadeless terrain as the trail climbs and descends isolated mountain ranges punctuated by broad desert valleys. Once the path reaches the typically well watered High Sierras in central California, NOBO (northbound) hikers often must contend with problems involving snow covered passes and crossing cold, swift flowing creeks and rivers fed by melting snow.

Northern California is characterized by heavily forested sections and evidence of ongoing volcanic activity, with mountains and valleys dominated by summits like Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen.  When the trail crosses into Oregon, the elevation changes become less pronounced as the path continues a relatively level trajectory until descending into the Columbia River Gorge at the Washington border.  Along the way views of more volcanic mountains like Mt. Hood, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake) and many others dominate the skyline.

Crater Lake NP - photo courtesy NPS.gov

Once the path crosses into Washington the character of the trail reflects the rugged nature of the North Cascades, with many high passes and ridges and frequent descents into river valleys.  This is likely to be the wettest section as well, since the mountain ranges lie directly in the path of storms that occur throughout the year, and snowfields and small glaciers abound in the northern half of the state.  There are also some impressive summits reaching lofty heights including Mt Adams and Mt. Rainier, which tops out at 14,410 feet.

Mt. Rainier - photo courtesy of NPS.gov

Beyond simply covering a very long distance especially to those on foot, the trail offers challenges that vary from day to day, and a hiker's experience will be influenced by a variety of factors that can greatly increase the difficulty of the journey.

WHY?

The reasons for attempting a through hike of the PCT are as different as the people who are doing it.  For many, the idea of a physical and mental challenge may be the motivation.  For some, it could simply be the desire to immerse oneself fully in the natural world in a way modern life doesn't allow.  Others may be seeking answers to personal questions, hoping that the time spent in quiet reflection will provide insight into what direction the next steps in life should be.

I met many hikers in my time on trail, and "why?" was a common question among participants.  As I thought about my own reasons for doing it, I realized that my "why?" was not easily quantifiable.  I knew of course that I had wanted to do it from a reasonably early age, but why is still vague and ill-defined for me. I can't give any meaningful insight into my motivations or what brings others to make the effort, but I believe most people really just want to do something out of the ordinary and amazing with their life.

Logistics and Planning

When I first envisioned tackling this grand adventure over 30 years ago, the conventional wisdom was that planning and organizing the trip should take almost as much time as actually doing the hike.  This was in part in response to the fact that in those days few people were actually attempting a through hike, and resources along the route were scarce and undeveloped.  Over time the trail, logistics, and planning tools have evolved significantly, and now it is possible to make the effort with far less forethought.

That said there are still many things to consider and plan for, and personal experience has led me to the conclusion that a thoughtful approach will result in a far better outcome.  Of course everyone is different and there will be those who plan the trip in exquisite detail while others will truly "wing it", but I believe that to be better organized with greater attention to details will reward the hiker in the long run.

In my opinion the absolute best place to start is with the Pacific Crest Trail Association.  This non-profit organization offers an amazing variety of information and resources to individuals who want to experience the PCT, and serves as the official permit issuing agency for through hikers. 

I also want to share this bit of advice.  On the internet there are blogs, YouTube channels, and online postings regarding every aspect of long distance hiking imaginable.  The correct analogy is that there is so much information out there it's like drinking from a fire hose.  Everyone who is sharing has an agenda, even me.  We all want to be influencers as we are convinced our experience is the only valid one.

The truth is that your encounter with the PCT (or any long distance trail) should be unique - your and yours alone.  The saying adopted by most through hikers is HYOH.  Hike Your Own Hike.