Spring is here and Summer is around the corner, and since I gained all of my weight back from my last trail, I now need to get into shape for bathing suit season. So, what better way to do it than to hike the Pacific Crest Trail?! There are a few questions I have been asked over and over, so I thought I would answer them here. Before you read on, go ahead and turn up your speakers and play Here I Go Again by Whitesnake.
Did you know when you got done with the Appalachian Trail you were going to do the Pacific Crest Trail?
Nope, I had no Idea I was going to do the PCT. In fact, I thought the next long distance trail I would attempt was going to be Te Araora in New Zealand in one or two years. Then I was sitting looking at a map of the PCT in Clara's Apartment and was convinced otherwise. First of all, the PCT goes through California, Oregon, and Washington, which are three states I have not been too (Yes, I know it’s stupid I have traveled to many Western European countries, and a good chunk of the Eastern European countries but still have never been to California), so I think it is really cool to see a part of the United States I have never seen before. Besides checking out states I have never been to, I noticed the trail goes through so many amazing places that I have always wanted to visit: It skirts the Mojave Desert, goes through Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, Lassen, Crater Lake, and will even give me a chance to Climb Mt. Whitney. Overall the PCT will pass through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. Many of these areas are on my bucket list and would take years of planning and logistics to visit, so I was amazed to realize I could experience them all in one journey. So, after staring at the map for hours and hours (I should mention the Map was mounted across from the toilet), I knew it was something I wanted to do. Once I knew I wanted to do it, I did the most logical thing next, I stood up on a bar stool in Clara's apartment and exclaimed lets hike the PCT! I think I threw her for a loop since 5 minutes before that we were talking about where we wanted to eat that night. She didn’t say no, but she did look at me like I was an idiot (I now know that look very well). Over the next few weeks we discussed it at length and finally we agreed to hike it together, we set the start date of May 5th and let the details fall in place over the last few months.
On a side note I think it is really interesting the relationship Clara has with the PCT is the relationship I had with the AT before my thru hike. The AT was my “local” big trail. I learned to backpack on or near the trail and was familiar with the landscape as well as the ecology in the lower sections of the trail, and while there were surprises all along the way, the trail felt very familiar to me, at least until I got to New Jersey/New York when the trail takes on a slightly different terrain. In the same way, Clara grew up hiking on or around the PCT and has already informed me with in depth facts of the landscape and fauna. This is her “local” big trail, and while she may not be as familiar with the northern sections of the trail, I have a feeling she is going to experience a sense of belonging in the southern sections.
So you hiked the Appalachian Trail, that should make the Pacific Crest Trail easy, right?
Well, yes and no. There are not a ton of similarities between the AT and the PCT (Trust me, I thought there were until I actually did research on it). They are both long distance trails, the AT is 2,200 miles long and the PCT is 2,600 miles long but, besides being a long distance hike, they are very different. The AT is wet, like really wet, like really really wet; the PCT on the other hand, is a lot drier. When we are in the desert we will have to carry 6-8 liters of water on us vs. the normal 2 liters of water carried on the AT. The AT was a beautiful trail, but it can be described as a long green tunnel, which is partially true. In contrast, the PCT varies so much from the initial desert walks, to climbing up through the Sierras, then hot volcanic Lassen, followed by the wet, cold Cascades. If you leave early or finish late on the PCT you need an ice ax and sometimes crampons. The highest point on the AT is Klingmans Dome in the Smokies at 6,600 feet; the highest point on the PCT is Forester Pass at 13,000 feet. The PCT is also only a short side trail away from Mt. Whitney which, at 14,500 feet, this is another BIG difference. On the PCT there are endless numbers of side trails to natural points of interest that most people will only read about; on the AT, there was never really a good reason to get off trail, unless you were going in town for a beer. Speaking of towns, resupplying is much different on the PCT. On the AT, there were a lot of road crossings and towns were rarely more than 5-8 miles from the crossing; on the PCT road crossings are much less frequent and the hitches are further. A couple of the hitches are more than 50 miles and even with that some of the towns that we will hitch into are very small, so we will have to mail ourselves some of our resupplies since a grocery store will not be available at each stop. I could keep going and highlight more differences, but this paragraph is getting long and I believe I have made my case.
Hold on a second, you’re hiking this trail with Clara, do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, you two haven’t even lived in the same city.
Well I don’t think it’s a bad idea and apparently neither does Clara. Starting a hike is all about timing and the timing is now. I don’t see the point in waiting to move to a new city and setting down roots just to leave everything to hike a trail the following year. I (we) figured that while I transitioned from Cincinnati to DC, it opened up a window to do the PCT and Clara was game for it. Personally, I am at my best when I am really hot, dehydrated and hungry so there is no way we will ever get into any tiffs on the trail! Besides, if ever we are having a bad day (which is highly unlikely) we have a trick up our sleeves: we bought a tent the size of an RV. We can both be in the tent at the same time and not even see each other (ok, maybe just not touch each other). When it is all said and done, I am not worried about hiking with a partner. She really cares for me - so much so she already took out a large life insurance policy on me.
Wait a second; you guys have only been dating since June? Weren’t you hiking the AT in June last year?
Well that’s an interesting story which involves running through the entirety of the Shenandoah’s, a train and a bonfire. The rest of the details I will have to fill you in on over beers.
Okay, Okay one last question about Clara and you. Do you think other hikers will make fun of you for having all matching gear?
Yes.
Shouldn’t this trail cost less since you already have all of the gear?
Unfortunately not. Very little of my gear survived the AT. My pack was falling apart, my tent had more holes in it than my resume does, and all of my clothes looked like they went through a paper shredder (also, no matter how many times you wash your clothes, they still smell). Very few pieces of outdoor equipment are designed to withstand the abuse of a thru hike. I am able to reuse my sleeping bag, my hiking poles and my headlamp and knife, but almost everything else is new. I had the luxury of testing out my hiking style on the AT and then make the changes I wanted for the PCT, plus hiking with a partner throws a new twist into things. Not only will we need a bigger tent, but we will need to be able to cook food quicker to avoid two ravenously hungry hikers from imploding at each meal. Even with having to buy new gear, I still believe thru hiking is relatively cheap; there are not many adventures you can go on for 5-6 months that are so inexpensive.
When do you think you will be done with the trail?
I am thinking late September. We are starting the trail a little later than the average start date, but that was decidedly partly to ensure that a lot of the snow had melted in the high Sierras, which had the chance of being above average due to El Nino. We can put in more miles per day on the PCT than the AT since the grade is easier, but I don't want to be a mile monster (nor do I think my partner will let me). There is pressure to not linger, however. Come late September, nothing is guaranteed through the Cascades which can easily be snowed in by an early winter storm and end any hopes of finishing a thru hike.
Okay last question, will you see any moose?
God I hope so. I googled the habitat of moose and it looks like I go through Moose Territory in upper Washington State, but no blogs about the PCT mention anything about Moose, so if I don’t see one I’ll just have to hike the Continental Divide Trail next.