I’m leaving in 2 weeks to spend a month starting around Tehachapi and heading north to around Tahoe. Any recommendations for proper footwear for this section? I’ve seen recommendations of sneakers for most of the hike, but would boots be better for the high Sierra?
Thanks for any thoughts,
Garrett
Garrett
For Tehachapi north to the Sierra I would wear running shoes. Assuming it takes you two weeks to get to Kennedy Meadows from Tehachapi, that would put you into the Sierra around the end of June. There will still be snow, but not endless fields of it. I would stick with trail runners for the Sierra at this time, though lightweight boots would also work very well.
Suge
It’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with. Comfort is the main thing. I think trail runners are good and that’s what most thru hikers use. Boots are usually pretty heavy and you’ll spend a lot of energy lugging them up mountains. On the plus side, if you want real boots on any section of the PCT, the sierra is probably the one because it’s so rocky and rugged. A good option, as mentioned above, is a lightweight boot or trail runner with a strong sole and you may want something thats breathable too.
banjo boy (hiker miker)
You will be walking through streams most days, sometimes many times a day. Unless you want to take the time to remove your boots, replace them with water shoes (with good tread, as some of those streams are STRONG!) to cross, and then put your boots back on every time you come to a stream, wear highly breathable running shoes or trail runners. They’ll get wet, of course, but they will also dry out fairly quickly and be much more comfortable than boots when wet.
gsmurf
New Balance trail runners worked well for me in the Sierra. The only issue was dirt & grit working its way into the shoe and into my socks. That’s not an issue in the wetter east, but it is so dry in the west that the powder tends to find a way in.
JH