I am an AT thru-hiker looking to do a two month section hike of the PCT in the summer of 2010. I will probably not be able to leave until early May. I would like to experience a variety of terrains and hit as many big sights, parks, and peaks as I can. Does anyone recommend a starting place? As a reference, I hiked the AT in 5 months with 30 zero days.
Helium
In early May the most accessible parts of the trail are in the desert. I’d start around Wrightwood or Agua Dulce to get some desert hiking in and come off trail around Yosemite or Lake Tahoe. You’ll get some desert, some high peaks, Kings Canyon, Mt Whitney. You’ll also be around the same time as many thru-hikers. Passes in the High Sierras will still have snow, so keep that in mind. If you started in Wrightwood and made your first stop in Agua Dulce, it’s super easy to resupply from there. That’s where Saufley’s Hiker Heaven is located and it’s very close to LA for anything you need. After there it becomes a little more difficult for supplies other than food or fuel, not impossible at all though. Just my two cents.
Ducky
Resupply is easy all along the section Ducky recommends. After Agua Dulce there’s the country market near Hikertown, then there’s Tehachapi or Mojave. Then there’s Lake Isabella. After that there’s Kennedy Meadows, then Lone Pine, Independence, Bishop (if you don’t mind a very long detour) VVR, Mammoth Lakes, Red’s Meadow, Tuolumne Meadows.
In two months, if you started in Wrightwood, you might be able to get to South Lake Tahoe if you push real thru-hiker mileage. You’ll see a huge variety of landscapes.
Piper
Those are viable alternatives, but personally i think the 1st half of SoCal is more interesting and varied than the 2nd half. So, if i were starting in May and section hiking for 2 months, i’d start at the Mexico border. I’d hike ~1 month or so depending on the snow conditions in the Sierra, and then i’d hitch up to Kennedy Meadows or Independence and hike the rest of the time in the Sierra.
markv
It’s killing me that I don’t have the time for a full thru-hike. I’ve tried to rearrange my schedule in every way possible and it just won’t work. But I’ll definitely be pushing real thru-hiker mileage. I’d also like to do one continuous section so that it’s easier for me to pick up remaining sections in the future.
Helium
Then if you’re starting May 1, starting from Mexico might be the way to go.
Don’t get all dead about not doing the thru-hike. The section hikers i’ve met seem to have at least as much fun out on the trail as the thru-hikers do.
markv
I wasn’t a thru. I only wanted to go to Oregon. I had a fabulous time. There was a lot of regret as I sat home during August reading the trail journals of the people I had met as they forged ahead to Canada, but other than that, I enjoyed my time out there, it was life-changing, and I’m looking forward to the completing the rest.
Piper