PCT in 100 dyas

imported
#1

I have started looking into thruhiking the PCT in 2011. Due to constraints, I would be doing the thruhike in about 100 days. I am confident of my ability to average 26+ since I routinely do this with elevation gains of 8000+ on the AT. I also recogonize that at this speed I will be missing out on much of the trail town experience etc but I that’s my hike.

The question is where and when to start. Options.

  1. June 1st Northbound. Positives are July 1st at Forester, so in normal years I avoid most of the sierra snow. I also would end in WA prior to the start of the rain in Sept. Negative is the heat of SoCal in June.
  2. Early July Southbound. Positives are no snow in Sierras, Sept weather in SoCal. Negatives would be possible snow lingering in Wa.

Recommendations on which approach would be better, or other potential options?

gg-man

#2

Negatives of a fast SOBO hike is lack of water and heat in SoCal in September. September can be the hottest month down here in Los Angeles.

Check out Adam Bradley’s Journal from 2009. He and Scott Williamson set the new record of 65days this past year. Scott Williamson has hiked the PCT everyyear for more then a decade so their schedule should be pretty optimum and easy to modify for your 100day attempt.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=9275

Miner

#3

I think your N/B option is best. However, there is a LOT of snow falling in the Sierras as we speak. It could end up being a heavy snowfall year. I concur with Miner that you don’t want to be in So. CAL in September. It will be 90 degrees if you are lucky, 110 degrees if you are not. I live 50 miles from the border and September is routinely our hottest month of the summer. Plus I think your water situation will be much easier going north. The angels put out a lot of water through June and early July in sections D-F. Robocop

Robocop

#4

What they said, plus if you are inclined to be around some other hikers, there seem to be a more than a few each year who are moving at the 100-day pace. You might find partners.

Even in a high snow year, by late June the remaining snow should mostly be well-tracked. Personally, with the 100-day plan, i’d start in mid-May nobo, unless it was a high snow year. Then i’d start June 1.

markv

#5

My only worry for you with a NOBO would be Sierra Snow.

What about a SOBO starting in late July putting you in Southern Cal in October not August.

I would think you would experience heat issues June-September in So Cal. If you were going SOBO you would be trail hardened by the time you reached So Cal so that might help with the heat issues. If you were there in October or November the cool temps would help to counter the lack of water availability.

Francis Tapon has an interesting article about SOBO here
http://www.francistapon.com/Travels/Pacific-Crest-Trail/Why-go-southbound-on-the-PCT

I’m biased because that’s the way I’m going.

Brett

#6

I usually take flak for suggesting these things, but hey, I used to take flak for stating Global Warming was a hoax too.

Consider this:

  1. Skip So Cal. Yes, there are some very nice places in that section, not just terrain-wise, but trail-lore wise. But skip it.
  2. Start at Kennedy Meadows or just south of there.
  3. Hike the PCT northbound
  4. In Northern Washington, veer left (West) along the PNWT (Pacific Northwest Trail), experience more of Washington than the traditional PCT hiker, finish in the Olympics (I hear they are beautiful) and finish with your feet in the Pacific Ocean (beats a post in the woods).

Possible issues:

  1. You want to hike the entire PCT vs hike x miles or for x days
  2. Snow in the Sierra’s in early June is likely to be high (see my comment on the hoax of Global Warming)
  3. Logistically, it’s harder to return from Cape Alava (West end of the PNWT) than it is from the northern terminus of the PCT.

Happy trails.

Jason