The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,668 mile (4,294 km) trail running through the tallest mountain crests and volcanic peaks of California, Oregon, and Washington from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. I walked its entire length in 2013 and was back on trail for more casual fun in 2014 and 2015. In my opinion, it is a 16″ by 2,668 mile slice of heaven.
Shit isn’t easy on the PCT, and I’m writing now to share things I learned about feet for those of you considering your first long hike. The PCT was my first long hike, and I had my fair share of feet trouble, but I made it. And I learned a lot. And I’m going to share it all with you here.
Hanging with none other than Tree Killer! Met this guy in the South Sierras 2013 and gave him the slip south of Shasta never to see him again. Best, most straight-up PCT tattoo, ever – I LOVE IT.
Whoa! I got the the Anderson’s and found The Grad wearing the Hawaiian I hiked hundreds of miles in last year. It’s signed by a bunch of PCT 2013 hikers. The signatures I had collected are faded but mostly still there. So cool.
My purple New Balance Leadvilles join the other shoes left in the hiker boxes at the Saufleys in Agua Dulce. These are the shoes that marched me into Canada last October. Bye bye cool shoes. Shoes that are not taken for use by PCT hikers are donated to charity in Los Angeles.
I went to leave Ziggy and The Bear’s today but my transmission has a huge leak. So goodby wasn’t really goodbye. Yay! I love these two. They love and understand hikers and devote most each year to caring for them in Whitewater, CA. If you support a hiker, support a trail angel. (This is a very rare photo of the two. Ziggy HATES her photo being taken.)
Hiker Natalia is just about as spunky as ever, despite a tumble on trail and a strong narcotic. Today Doug and I did a little rescue op near mile 207 and brought her to the Banning, CA urgent care. A lot of you might recognize her from kickoff. You know, with the “sexy” homemade quilt… After her fall, Natalia was adamant that nobody should use hiking poles. “They’re dangerous.”
All that remains of the 90 year-old Al Bahr Shrine Camp, a former asset to hikers near mile 47 of the PCT, and a major asset to the community of Mt. Laguna. When it burned they lost over 100 members of the community (they moved away). Businesses are fighting to stay open, and fans of Al Bahr are fighting to keep the leased property out of the forest service’s hands and rebuild. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/AlBahrShrineCampRebuilding
Missing these guys BAD. Us goofing off, two weeks ago, just off the Pacific Crest Trail.
The natural and the unnatural. Mile 31.2 of the Pacific Crest Trail, 4155 feet up.
Hiker Pepperflake doing what he does again, this time on a wrecking ball.
Hiker Bucky (section hiker ’09, ’10) checks out the register at Scissors Crossing.
Hiker Gotta Walk at Eagle Rock yesterday. Super animated lady, training for “Grand to Grand” by hiking the PCT. Wow!
Yes! Hiker Apache gets a Pepsi at Warner Springs Community Center. Last time I saw this guy he was vegging in Belden. He sat quietly while I received a box containing shoes of the wrong size (big bummer) and some other major trail drama went down. I love this guy’s mellow, and mad style. See you at Kickoff, Apache.
I was really comfortable with my gear along the Pacific Crest Trail, so I thought I would share it with you, and explain why it worked. Please note beforehand that I purchased all these items with my own money after carefully researching them, and was not given anything for review. The following are my opinions. If you look at this photograph with me, I will talk about the items shown, left to right, one row at a time. Click a link to skip forward to that gear item.
That morning (10/6) I knew for sure I was a PCT finisher. Nothing could stop me from making the last 8.11 miles to the border. I kept yelling “PCT finisher!” And yet, it still really hasn’t sunk in. I really did walk 2660 miles from Mexico to Canada alone through the woods. Crazy. PCT finisher!
Look closely you can see there was a bit of trail- cutting. Cherub climbing Devil’s Staircase
…The morning after. Lakeview Ridge
Cherub seeming to enjoy the BY-FAR most terrifying and dangerous part of the entire PCT: the 9 or 10 (I lost count) huge washouts between Rock and Woody Passes, miles 2647.5 to 2648.5 in the Northern Washington Cascades. The entire ridge was sopping soaked loose, muddy scree. I thought I was going to die, either falling while crawling in a washout, or having the ground washout from under me, no joke.
On Saturday morning (10/5), I found Midnight Rider and Valentino headed the opposite way after an extremely harrowing episode on the south face of Rock Pass (mile 2646). She, her brother, and Rustic all thought they were going to die that night. The horse, “ass deep in snow,” and apparently frightened, began running off straight down the mountain. She refused to abandon the horse, necessarily complicating the situation. They pressed the SOS button but cancelled it and made it out themselves. Despite major concerns of family and friends, she and Rustic are attempting again today 10/7. Her brother “IS DONE” with the PCT and will not be going.
