#Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike

[whatsy0urdream]

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 141 - 144

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 141 – 144

September 14, Day 141, Miles 27.3, Mile Marker 2605.1  Back story time! When I lived in West Valley City, Salt Lake City area, for a while I worked in Park City and would drive up the mountain pass every day for work. I was going through an especially hard time as I had just lost my dream job and I wasn’t handling it well. But then I started seeing moose every day on the way to work, and I mean…

[danvswild]

"Have you ever read Wild?"

Okay this is a question I got all the time when I told anyone that I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. And the answer is yes. I also saw a Tik Tok on how to annoy thru-hikers and this question was on the list lol

Well I personally don't mind the question and I bring up this book now because this next part is where Cheryl Strayed began her journey on the PCT. From Mojave/Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows. This stretch lasts for roughly 150 miles and it took me about 6 days to complete.

After my well earned rest in Tehachapi, I headed back out on the trail to go through one of the most beautiful sections of the trail so far.

This is the foothills of the Sierra so naturally, the terrain changes into a more lush landscape and we began to gain some elevation. The campsites between Tehachapi and Kennedy Meadows were all stunning and at night I could see SO MANY STARS it was unreal.

I also need to note that the water carry out of Tehachapi was the longest by far! I want to say it was close to 40 miles? but don't quote me on this. I was very mindful of my water consumption in this part and hiked FAST trying to catch up to some hikers who left a day before me.

I also want to note I cried the most on this stretch of the trail. Not because of sadness but more so because I was in awe of my surroundings and felt surreal and blessed. This is definitely why I love to be outdoors immersed in nature. The sheer magnitude and beauty of the landscape evokes a certain feeling in you (◕‿◕✿)

^That was where I bawled lol

Anyways, I was able to catch up to my fellow hiker Strider in the next stretch and I made it to Walker Pass. We hitched a ride into Ridgewood and stocked up on some supply to push to Kennedy Meadows!

Fast forwarding a little bit, this next section was very hilly and I witnessed some of the most striking sunsets here. I can't stop recalling how beautiful it was and I keep thinking I need to use the word "beautiful" a bit less lol

Push Push Push

And there I was, in Kennedy Meadows!

Aw man, you wouldn't believe what I felt there. PURE ECSTASY

The fact that I had hiked 700 miles was mindblowing and seeing others who had walked the same journey melded a sense of solidarity and unity in this community.

The common topic of this hiker haven was where to go next. Because of the high snow fall in the Sierras, many decided to bypass and go up north. As for my trail family, we decided to head up to Mammoth Lakes to go skiing for a day and jump up north.

As for me, I had decided to get off the trail to attend Electric Forest and skip up to the Canadian border to hike down lol In retrospect, this was not a good decision.. but I have no regrets! I'll try to talk more about this process in the next post ＼(*T▽T*)／

[drugstorewizard]

I think Shrek lives in Tahoe

[pcttrailsidereader]

Did You Know?

On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law. This law created the National Wilderness Preservation System to protect undeveloped land, "retaining its primeval character and influence" with "outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation." The Wilderness Act remains one of the world's longest standing acts of legislation for wilderness. The Act has been noticed by other countries as a way to protect their own wild places, biodiversity and ecosystems. No small testament to the power of protecting our most wild places not just in the United States but throughout the world.

Near Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness

It seems to me that if you have thru hiked the Pacific Crest Trail sights and sounds, landmarks and monuments get seen, heard, passed through and in some cases passed over. Section hikers on the other hand may have a similar experience to thru hikers but likely given the nature of sectioning may allow for lingering longer along the way.

Whether or not you are or know a thru hiker or you are or know a section hiker did you know the Pacific Crest Trail passes through fifty wilderness areas (both federal and state). More than any other National Scenic Trail in the United States. From fifteen identified wilderness areas in 1964 to fifty today, sixty years later, the importance of these lands is obvious. Acknowledging and protecting these spaces really hits anyone who has the opportunity to visit and/or pass through. Here are a some that you may have visited or heard about from south to north on the PCT; Hauser, Anza-Borrego, John Muir, Desolation, Marble Mountain, Three Sisters, Goat Rocks, and Pasayten.

Across three states these wilderness areas are a tribute to the importance of protecting large forests and watersheds that together help combat climate change. These spaces not only offer safe refuges for threatened plants and animals but offer a gateway for humans to connect more deeply with nature. Finally, many wilderness areas intersect and envelope indigenous peoples' ancestral lands. Taking into account the treasure these spaces hold as homelands for these native people.

Sixty years on the Wilderness Act is a shining piece of legislation that has evolved over six decades. As time as gone by the protected lands have grown from 9.1 million acres to over 111 million acres. The Pacific Crest Trail has enjoyed a great benefit thanks to the Wilderness Act.

If you didn't know it before, take some time to find out more about the wilderness areas all along the PCT. You can explore them even if it is a day hike. You will not be disappointed. In a these times when we question so many things including the choices our leaders make, we can be proud of the fact that sixty years later we still recognize the importance of wilderness. In this sixtieth year of existence protecting wilderness for generations to come is essential as long as we do not lose sight of why, as a nation, we value these places so deeply.

[ellanmwebb2]

Flora and Fauna of the Pacific Crest Trail,

Ella Webb

[kinfriday]

Grim

As consciousness caught, I was warm and comfortable on my sleeping mat. Cocooned in my sleeping quilt, the world still felt far away.  

Still, it was time to get up, and get going. With a deep breath I threw off my quilt only for 26 degree air to hit me.  

“Oh dear Gods!” That certainly woke me up. Clutching my quilt, laying back down immediately, my eyes focused on the frozen condensation clinging to the top of my tent.  

What followed was a five minute pep up session.  

“You have to do this, It's resupply day. It’s not going to get any easier waiting here, just a few minutes of discomfort, then its oatmeal time and you’ll be rolling.”  

There was nothing to do, no way of getting rapidly warm, there was only facing and ultimately accepting the cold.  

This was what I signed up for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Scorching hot days in the Mojave, then frigidly cold mornings in the High Sierras.  

The world did not care that we were heading into June, it still found cause to be freezing. 

Later on that morning, I’d lose feeling in my index finger and thumbs, and with that numbness, a loss of the ability to open and close them. It was miserable, my coldest day, no matter the gear I had, or the preparations I had made to be ready for those conditions.  

My circulation is poor, I’m deeply affected by the cold and that was just another reality to face.  

And how did the PCT end up for me? Did I ultimately make it to the Northern Terminus? 

I didn’t...  

Right at the Washington border, with about a month left to go, a severe injury took me off the trail and sidelined me for four months.  

Another goal missed, after countless work, countless dollars, and endless hours of effort.  

Life is often like that, I’ve found. When you have a goal, there’s two ways it can go, success or failure. Some people are great are finding success, other people are more like me and often on the struggle bus.  

No matter what though, failure is the base state, it’s the resting condition. Success is an active process, it must be perpetuated and maintained, which, in our world of entropy means that success will always degrade into failure.  

Seems grim doesn’t it? Eventually you will get too old, too hurt, too sick, too burnt out, and the routine will fly off the rails, destroying the heady idea that your current motion will carry you on through whatever challenge.  

Maybe it will, for a little while, but inevitably the cart will slow, come to a stop, and often roll back against the inevitable incline that you’ve encountered.  

We will all encounter these moments, and this is where many people will give up. It’s a natural result of the process. You get knocked down hard enough, or enough times, and it can entirely reshape your world and focus.  

I know this because I’ve been there many times, I’ve not just been knocked down, there have been moments where my entire world has burned to ashes, incinerating everything I ever thought I knew about myself, or the world before me, leaving me with nothing to do but start again.  

Eventually, at least in my case, there’s a question that begins to float like a demon in my head, one I’ve given far too much power too in the past.  

Why try at all? If it all ultimately comes to nothing, if I’m just going to fail, like I always fail, what’s the point in the effort? Relax, grab the pretzels, curl up in your chair and wait for the bus. Why do the work, when you can just coast. No ones going to blame you. Hell no one is even going to care much.  

Define nihilism, yet it’s an unavoidable point, isn’t it? Memento Mori.... I could be the most successful person on earth, hit every goal I’ve ever tried to achieve and still, at the end, there’s ol’ Death. They make no exceptions for champions or losers, coming for us all.  

But what was the reason for the goal? What was the point of the effort beyond reaching it? Something motivated me to try, to work hard, to set out from the Mexican border and go for it, even knowing that up to 60% don’t make it for whatever reason.  

Something motivates me to get back on that treadmill too, no matter how many times my knees or hips give out, sidelining me for a week or longer.  

Something keeps me coming back again and again, even though every routine I have eventually flies apart and burns before me and that’s what I call my “why.” 

The Why is what transcends success or failure, it’s greater than me, it’s the point of me. It’s the reason I am.  

It does not ultimately matter that injury took me off the trail, or that since I hit a peak in 2020, I haven’t been able to get anywhere near that peak again.... yet.  

Deep down, there’s a focus beyond myself, there’s a purpose, and we all have one.  

That’s our why, and that’s what you need to get back up, again and again when the world, or circumstance pushes you down, because it’s not tied to your emotions, your motivations, your passion, it’s tied to who you are.  

Nihilism can't touch it, because it is pure meaning, unassailable in the face of the abyss.

It is far better to live the life you want than the lie you are given, because to live the life you want, to chase that purpose, is to honor the core of who you are, and no matter how it goes, to chase that is a success that many will never find, no matter how you have failed, because that’s what it means to be real.  

[mike-jacque-c-the-world]

02/27/24 - Tucson, AZ - SOMETHING IN COMMON - How often do two people with iconic long distance thru-hikes on their resume meet on the pickle ball courts? Answer at the end of this post. Meet Doug, who thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), 2,600+ miles from Mexico to Canada. Back in 2014, I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT), 2,100+ miles from Georgia to Maine. Not to be forgotten are the two ladies who 1) let us do it and more importantly, 2) wholeheartedly supported us during our multi-month journeys. The four of us have had a great time swapping trail stories whenever we get together in Tucson. Answer: Hardly ever if at all.

[lookitskevv]

Short I made from my pacific crest trail section hike in Washington!

Going through all the footage putting together a full video for next week, definitely makes me wish I was still on trail.

Would love if you check it out/like/comment/subscribe :)

[hostelhiker]

Missong the days on the PCT (2021)

#pct #pacificcresttrail #pctclassof2021 #thruhiking #thruhiker # thruhiking #hikertrash #appalachiantrail

[itsthefreeoutside]

Thru-hiking: Physical vs. Mental Challenges

The Mental Vs. Physical Side of Big and Long Adventures

Running, hiking, and backpacking are all a combination of physical and mental challenges. It is using strength and an accompanying mindset to accomplish a goal. The goal is simple yet complex, taxing yet basic. The merging and alternating adversity of a thru-hike make the journey the true reward. More than completing an adventure, it is about continually proving that mentally and physically, so…

[nature-hiking]

Starting the PCT - Pacific national crest trail, CA, April 2023

photo by: nature-hiking

on the first day of my PCT thru-hike attempt last year everyone quickly realised that the main challenges of the desert; heat and water access, would be greatly mitigated in '23 because of the record snowfall. there would be ample water access throughout the desert, with the longest dry section being a mere 13 miles.

this did of course mean that doing the sierra nevada immediately after the desert would be next to impossible because most resupply stops would still be snowed in.

in the end I would quit the PCT at kennedy meadows because I got the chance to buy a house in my ideal location in amsterdam. while I did try to come back and restart the trail in north california in july, I quickly found out how important the people hiking along with you are when you hit a boring section like the logging forests of northern california.

while i did hike a bit more in Lassen national park (really underrated US park) with someone I met in sacramento, I quit after that to start working on the house instead.

[whatsy0urdream]

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 134 - 140

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 134 – 140

[danvswild]

I got real lazy about posting but here's an update!

Hey folks it's been a minute. It was extremely hard to post updates while on the trail. I would go to libraries along trail towns to upload photos and try to write out a post since its much easier on a computer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Well I'm going to try to sum my PCT experience up in the next few posts :D

Last time I left off, I was at around day 30. Doing this almost six months later seems a lil weird lol but I'll try my best. Better late than never!

After Agua Dulce, I cowboy camped a bunch and went FAST. I was doing marathon days (26+ miles) and my pack felt super light by that point. Fast forward a few days, I got to the LA aqueduct, which is a flat and exposed part of the trail spanning about 20 miles.

Well my pals and I got ready for this part at Hikertown, which is a super cute hiker haven with a western town look that provides lodging. I'm going to be very transparent and blunt here lol As many hikers do, here I dropped some acid here and decided to continue on the aqueduct.

Absolutely beautiful here. Maybe it was the acid, but this day still remains my favorite day on the trail! Afterwards, I heard a lot of people didn't like hiking the aqueduct because of the hard pavement and long flat expanse but for me, that day was absolutely gorgeous. I even saw a shooting star hiking at night <3

I could go on about my trip ★ but I'm going to keep it brief!

Okay moving on, here's a gorgeous sunrise I saw in this stretch.

I guess next up is Tehachapi. This is usually the last town hikers hit up before ending up in Kennedy Meadows!

I stayed at the hippie hiker haven if you couldn't tell.

Here's a film pic I took and developed at the hiker haven :)

Ah good times. I also got a foot massage and stocked up on some necessities before heading to Kennedy Meadows. They also had the biggest jar (size of a water cooler tank) of weed free for hikers lol

Oh btw Secret Aardvark was my hot sauce of choice for the trail. Tehachapi is a really cute town and I would love to visit again. For those who read "Wild - Cheryl Strayed" this is also where she started her hike on the PCT.

Anyways I'm going to try to get this blog caught up soon and post whatever shenanigans I'm up to in the future. Next up - Kennedy Meadows

[drugstorewizard]

First gear spread and weigh in for PCT going southbound starting 24 of June 👹

Goal was to stay under 15lbs as a first long trail thru hiker and all this junk is at 11.5 minus the worn weight (trekking poles bc I use them a lot and spikes bc I’ll only be using short term and ditching at the post office)

[pcttrailsidereader]

Suggestions from Halfway Anywhere

We tend to follow Mac at Halfway Anywhere. Mac maintains a website that offers reviews, offers insights to particular hikes and trips, and also conducts a yearly survey from PCT, AT, and CDT hikers. The information derived from those surveys is insightful and informative. We featured the most recent survey here a few months ago. https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/754687559668482048/the-interesting-weird-division

With the holidays approaching, Mac has posted some suggestions for the thru hiker you may know or to put on your own holiday wish list. In Mac's very organized way he has broken his suggestions down from gifts under $25.00 and over $100.00. To check out his list of suggestions check out the link below.

[backside-into-the-heavenly]

The Pacific Crest Trail at the USA-Canada border marks the northern terminus of one of the world’s most iconic long-distance hiking trails. Stretching over 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, the PCT traverses some of the most diverse and dramatic landscapes in the western United States. Reaching the USA-Canada border signifies the completion of an epic journey for thru-hikers who have spent months traveling through deserts, alpine wilderness, deep forests, and volcanic landscapes.

The northern terminus is located in the remote wilderness of the North Cascades, a place of wild beauty and solitude. As hikers approach the border, they are greeted by towering mountains, dense forests, and pristine lakes. The trail ends at Monument 78, a simple metal obelisk that marks the boundary between the two countries. For those finishing the trail, the sight of this monument is often an emotional and triumphant moment, signifying the end of a long and arduous adventure. Beyond the border lies Manning Park in British Columbia, where many hikers continue to celebrate their achievement amid the breathtaking Canadian wilderness.