PCT

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is the west coast sister of the better known Appalachian Trail.  It is a continuous trail approximately 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, closely aligned with the highest portions of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.  The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks.  The trail begins in Campo, California at the Mexican border at an elevation of approximately 3000 feet.  The trail climbs as high as 13,200 over Forester Pass, and then down to near sea level at the Columbia River which divides Oregon and Washington.  Of course there are plenty of ups and downs along the way with an estimate of elevation gained along the trail at 315,313!  The trail goes through deserts and mountains, through the Mojave Desert, Yosemite National Park, and the volcanoes in the Cascades.  It comes within 8 miles of Mt Whitney, begging for a side trip to the highest point in the contiguous United States.

The PCT became one of the first scenic trails in the National Trails System in 1968 and was dedicated in 1993.

I began hiking sections of the PCT in Oregon in the '70s when I was in elementary school.  Family vacations were taken on the PCT and I have fond memories of time spent there.  It was on one of these trips that my Dad told me the trail went from Mexico to Canada.  I had visions of food drops via helicopter at the time.  Traveling the entire PCT now is a lot easier as so many have gone before and provide maps and information to make the planning easier.  The hiking is the same however, 4-6 months and approximately 6,000,000 steps.  A start in April and an average of 20 miles a day with only occasional days off should get one to Canada before the snow starts to fall making the area largely unpassable.

The Southern California desert has a reputation of being very dry, hot, and with long stretches without water.  This necessitates carrying large quantities at 8 pounds per gallon.  The Sierra means snow, high mountain passes, and stream/creek fordings.  Northern California means more heat and less water again.  Oregon has the reputation of being the easiest State in the trek with many hikers making up for any lost ground by covering 30-40 miles per day.  Of course I am looking forward to enjoying this stretch again.  The trail goes by Crater Lake and through lava fields from volcanic activity in the past.  Washington has the rugged Northern Cascades, some of which my Dad & I experienced on our hike in the Goat Rocks Wilderness.  Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada is the final destination and the goal is to reach it by the end of September and hopefully before any major snow storms.

For more info on the PCT, please check out www.pcta.org.