There is just something about the pct that catches you. Each year about 300 people attempt to thruhike the trail, with about 60. Yogi jackie mcdonnell doubletriple crowner with 20,000 miles bink scott williamson triple crowner with 46,000 pct miles. From a high point of 200 feet in the high sierras to a low point of nearly sea level at the columbia river it is a trail of extremes. You will learn about the trails history and get to know the beauty of the pacific crest trail from mexico to canada. Thru hiking is a term used in referring to hikers who complete longdistance trails from end to end in a single trip. In 2015 the pacific crest trail association, which helps oversee the 2,650mile trail, issued 2,808 thruhike permits and documented 626 successful finishes, the latter a record total. Craigs pct planner is a resource that allows you to plot a pacific crest trail thruhike by inputting a starting date, starting point, ending point, hiking pace, hiking day length in hours, and how much time to add for every 1,000 feet of elevation gained. A psychological and emotional guide to successfully thruhiking the pacific. Dances with marmots is the journey of a new zealander on the pacific crest trail.
S successfully thruhiking all of these three trails is known as the triple crown of hiking. As always, i welcome this transition, but each time i do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension. The books latter halfnearly 150 pagespresents each of the 48 wilderness areas along the pacific crest trail route. Ten thruhikes that arent the pacific crest trail or. Cam swami honan described by backpacker magazine as the most. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the national trail systems act and the establishment of the pacific crest trail. Northern california, as he presents a brief breakdown of the pct and relates his years of experience as both a thruhiker and a sectionhiker. Thruhiking is monumentally hard for everyone, but humans are uniquely designed to excel at walking long distances.
Nov 18, 20 the pacific crest trail pct is the appalachian trails more isolated, lonelier western counterpart. See water reports, snow conditions, stream crossing water levels. A psychological and emotional guide to successfully thruhiking the pacific crest trail. Were here to help pct thru hikers and section hikers through the lengthy planning process. I am thruhiking the pacific crest trail because when i. Were here to help pct thruhikers and section hikers through the lengthy planning process. Pacific crest trail association 31 garden highway, suite 230 sacramento, ca 95833. S successfully thru hiking all of these three trails is known as the triple crown of hiking. Thruhikers, day hikers, volunteers, friends and family, future hikers, or armchair hikers and trail enthusiasts will all find something useful. Based off liz thomass wonderful gear chapter in pacific crest trials, heres a nonexhaustive list of suggested gear items for a pacific crest trail thruhike. It contains detailed information for more than 200 of the worlds great hikes and was put together with the mission of inspiring and enabling folks to go backpacking. This is a beautiful, 144page photo book of the pacific crest trail. Yogis pacific crest trail handbook answers all these questions. If you own appalachian trials do not buy this book.
At least made famous enough to be the only trail recognized by my friends overseas, where i have been living for the last 4 years. A thruhike on the pacific crest trail is at the top of many hikers bucket lists. We aim to be your number one resource for getting your gear, food, and resupply points in order so you can hit the trail. Getting your pacific crest trail gear list dialed is a key element of the planning process for a pacific crest trail thruhike.
I will be attempting the second of my three triple crown thruhikes for my trek dirty to me project with the pacific crest trail starting in march of 2021 the pct was made famous recently in the book and movie wild. Longdistance hiker tami asars userfriendly take on the. Mar 12, 2020 chris has hiked over 20,000 miles, hiked the pacific crest trail in 1982, written over 25 books about longdistance backpacking and hiking. In this complete pacific crest trail gear list, kim vawter, bft community manager, shares every piece of gear she packed for her pacific crest trail thru hike. Heck, im training for a half marathon and i am still very much in the run 2minutes walk 1minute stage. The pacific crest trail pct is a hiking trail that runs 2,650 miles 4,265 kilometers from mexico to canada through california, oregon, and washington. This book is carrot quinns recounting of her hike of the pacific crest trail. Nov 03, 2017 the pacific crest trail beckons me, but at 2,650 miles from mexico to canada, it would take a fivemonth commitment to thruhike, and thats if i were lucky enough to avoid calamity along the way. Chris has hiked over 20,000 miles, hiked the pacific crest trail in 1982, written over 25 books about longdistance backpacking and hiking. I think this book, along with the three pacific crest trail books, are what you need to effectively and safely plan this thru hike. Pacific crest trail is the allinone app for the official pacific crest national scenic trail. Trail legends and veterans offer pct hiking advice.
The pct covers the sierra nevada and cascade mountain ranges and includes deserts, glacial valleys, forests and more. The pacific crest trail, commonly known by backpackers as the pct, is a popular 2,650 mile thru hike from mexico in the south to canada in the north along the western united states. The book is mundane, mildly interesting, a rather typical story of the endless repetition of a long distance hike. Thruhiking, or throughhiking, is to hike an established endtoend hiking trail or longdistance trail with continuous footsteps in one direction. While i planned about 95 % of my upcoming pct thruhike through the interwebs, books provided more of the personal inspiration. Dances with marmots, a pacific crest trail hiking adventure. Cheryl strayed recounts her emotionallycharged pacific crest trail voyage in this wildly popular nonfiction book turned movie. How i lost my mind and almost found myself on the pacific crest trail 2008 dan white a thru hikers heart. Grandma gatewood hiked the at three times in sneakers and a pack that was a glorified hobo kit. Getting your pacific crest trail gear list dialed is a key element of the planning process for a pacific crest trail thru hike. Northern california, as he presents a brief breakdown of the pct and relates his years of experience as both a thru hiker and a sectionhiker. The complete pacific crest trail gear list bearfoot theory.
A thru hike on the pacific crest trail is at the top of many hikers bucket lists. When it comes to the mental grit needed to thruhike the appalachian trail, author zach davis tells it like it is in this needtoknow guide. In 2017, the nonprofit pacific crest trail association reports it issued 3,496 thruhike permits and 2,5 section permits. Pacific crest trail thruhike planning resources alpine. In this complete pacific crest trail gear list, kim vawter, bft community manager, shares every piece of. The outdoor classic award is given annually to outdoor books of lasting significance. Aug, 20 i think this book, along with the three pacific crest trail books, are what you need to effectively and safely plan this thru hike. How to pack for a pacific crest trail thruhike rei co. It always feels weird to be critical of books about thru hiking when i havent done it. The pacific crest trail pct is the appalachian trails more isolated, lonelier western counterpart. Of course, where the pacific crest trail really shines is in the glorious images of the trail and the majestic mountains, deserts and forests it passes through. The 12 best books and movies about thruhiking backpacker. The pacific crest trail beckons me, but at 2,650 miles from mexico to canada, it would take a fivemonth commitment to thruhike, and thats if i were lucky enough to avoid calamity along the way. I think this book, along with the three pacific crest trail books, are what you need to effectively and safely plan this thruhike.
When i started on the pct, i met many appalachian trail thruhikers, most of whom had trail names. The best time of the year to hike the pacific crest trail. Ray jardines lightweight backpacking 2009 ray jardine. The pacific crest trail is a registered national scenic trail that winds through scorching deserts, glacial ranges, volcanic peaks, oldgrowth woodlands and. The pacific crest trail is one of the worlds great longdistance footpaths, hiked by thruhikers, day hikers and backpackers.
Apr 18, 2018 the pacific crest trail is one of the worlds great longdistance footpaths, hiked by thru hikers, day hikers and backpackers. Craigs pct planner is a resource that allows you to plot a pacific crest trail thru hike by inputting a starting date, starting point, ending point, hiking pace, hiking day length in hours, and how much time to add for every 1,000 feet of elevation gained. Bureau of land managementbob wick the pacific crest trail, also known as the pct, is americas second longest trail, stretching from mexico to canada through the states of california, oregon, and washington. These books are no longer a backup to my gps, but are part of the arsenal needed to successfully hike from mexico to canada, unless youre one of those hikers who has done it a bunch of times. Thruhiking is a long commitment, usually taking between. The pacific crest trail, commonly known by backpackers as the pct, is a popular 2,650 mile thruhike from mexico in the south to canada in the north along the western united states. Using your data it outputs how many days it will take between your selected resupply points, what the elevation. The book was also a solid reminder to create a list for the following three things.
Dec 1, 2015 our cardboard boxes are absolutely dripping with oldschool cool. The alltrails version of jardines pct hikers handbook a more complete explanation of whats becoming known as the ray way in hiking circles. A psychological and emotional guide to successfully thru hiking the pacific crest trail by zach davis and carly moree mar 18, 2016 4. Overall i found it very interesting and mostly compelling, but i. Search online for trip reports to see pictures and learn about other peoples successful adventures. The pacific crest trail, appalachian trail, and continental divide trail were the first three longdistance trails in the u.
Searching our website can be especially helpful in finding location names on the pct. Bruce colter nelson preserves the integrity of the hike, albeit with common sense relocations and a flip flop caused by deep winter snows. The pct is strictly for hikers or equestrians no bicycles or mechanized vehicles are allowed, and you can traverse the trail for an hour or two, or several days, weeks or months. Books about the pacific crest trail fiction, memoirs, and guides are. These books will make you want to thruhike the pct. Dec 02, 2015 this is the story of a 2668 mile thru hike on americas premiere long distance footpath, the pacific crest trail.
Although this book is written with the pacific crest trail thruhiker in mind, the principles are largely the same. Schaffer, ben schifrin, thomas winnett, the late ruby jenkins, andy selters, the staff of wilderness press, and all the others who worked on the pacific crest trail series through the years for winning the 2008 national outdoor book award in the classic category. Jun 10, 2015 named one of the best trail experiences on earth, and part of our own backyardwere gathering everything you could want to know about the pct. And, as carrot quinn found out during her pacific crest trail odyssey, women are. He wasnt really a hiker, but decided to take leave from work, go to america, and hike the pacific crest trail. The idea behind the books is to break up a long trail into more. It always feels weird to be critical of books about thruhiking when i havent done it. An interview with chris townsend pacific crest trail and. Want to do some planning for your inevitable pacific crest trail thruhike but. In 2015 the pacific crest trail association, which helps oversee the 2,650mile trail, issued 2,808 thru hike permits and documented 626 successful finishes, the latter a record total. Thru hiking is a long commitment, usually taking between. Fortunately for those of us who dont have five months to go for a walk, there is another waysection hiking the pct.
Thru hiking, or throughhiking, is to hike an established endtoend hiking trail or longdistance trail with continuous footsteps in one direction. There are innumerable books on hiking, the natural world, and the various philosophies behind it all. Most spend late spring in southern california, early to midsummer in. Tales of the pacific crest trail 2009 no way ray echols trail life. Most uptodate trail and town data crowdsourced by thousands of hikers. Thruhiking is always a trialand the first trial is psychological. George spearing worked as a fireman in new zealand. In this book, you will learn how to avoid the most common emotional and psychological issues faced by hikers on this 5month hike.
A bit of that magic is captured in each of the pacific crest trail books that have been published over the. In 2017, the nonprofit pacific crest trail association reports it issued 3,496 thru hike permits and 2,5 section permits. The best pacific crest trail resources halfway anywhere. How i lost my mind and almost found myself on the pacific crest trail 2008 dan white a thruhikers heart. In the united states, the term is most commonly associated with the appalachian trail at, the pacific crest trail pct, and the continental divide trail cdt, but also refers to other endto. Pacific dream a pacific crest trail through hike 2005 john illig the cactus eaters. Wilderness press authors pacific crest trail authors. The hiking life is a compilation of tips and advice on trip planning, lightweight backpacking techniques, and improving your wilderness skill set. This is the story of a 2668 mile thruhike on americas premiere long distance footpath, the pacific crest trail. See more ideas about pacific crest trail, trail and thru hiking. Apr 17, 2015 thru hiking is monumentally hard for everyone, but humans are uniquely designed to excel at walking long distances. I am thruhiking the pacific crest trail because when i successfully thruhike the pacific crest trail, i will if i give up on the pacific crest trail, i will i wrote out these same lists before my at thruhike as well and then wrote them into the front of my journal. First and foremost, to get a breakdown on how clothing needs may change based on section, read this.
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