Three months on PCT from june 1st

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#1

Hi all, I have three months this summer to hike, between June1st-late august.

I was planning on hiking as much of the Appalachian Trail as possible (indeed, was actually gonna try and complete it!), but after reading a stick on the whiteblaze forums on the PCT, it seems the PCT has more appeal to me (more isolated, more of a challenge). There’s still time to change my flights, so I need some advice:

1.) bearing in mind that I know I won’t be completing the trail but just wanna spend some time in the wilderness for a while, would the conditions be fine to just start at the southern terminus and head north as long as possible or should I start someplace else?

I’m not particularly skilled, all I know is how to walk, and even then I sometimes manage to hurt myself so I’d probably want to avoid situations that require specialist knowledge (I’ve heard of people needing to use an ice-axe…I have no idea what you’d need one for in the first place!)

My pack for the AT weighs 13lbs. (not including food+ water). I already have a tarptent, 20F down bag and plan on going cookless because I don’t know how to cook anyway, and am used to eating cold foods anyway.

To really simplify my question, Can i turn up to the start of the trail on 1st june, with a 35L bag, tarp tent, 20F bag, some clothes (rain gear?) and walk north? (I’ll probably pick up the PCTA guidebooks, get a PCT permit, and use the PCT bear vault offer)

K-man

#2

Forgot to add, I’ve been hiking before, and once I get back to trail fitness 20-40 mile days (depending on terrain) don’t really bother me.

so assuming a consvervate 25mpd*90days=just over 2000…I really wanna see california, hence why I’m going nobo and will probs have to skip most of WA.

K-man

#3

Sounds groovy, as long as the southern portion isn’t blazing hot and you walk really fast to the sierra. THough this year being the heaviest snow year ever, the snow pack will linger longer in the sierra then usual, so the late start might be ideal. You will just have to put up with a generally hot southern section. My best advice is to night hike as much as possible to avoid the heat then. Anyway, Go for it if it’s what you want to do.

Guino

#4

No Ice axe, or any other exotic equipment needed for a june 1st start?

Looks like I’m doing the PCT!!

Night hiking might actually be quite fun…I hear the deserts really come alive at night.

K-man

#5

Even if you like night hiking, i wouldn’t personally start from Mexico June 1st. The water (and other) caches won’t be stocked, the weather is hottest, trail angels have gone home, and no people. Of course, this might be appealing to you. It would be appealing to me for a couple of days, but not for a long long hike. Plus, even though i loved SoCal, really there’s more wilderness and beauty after the first 700 miles.

So to get a taste of the desert, catch up to some of the other thru-hikers, and see more of the beautiful north country, i’d start my hike a bit north of Mexico. A classic place to start would be Big Bear, in Section C, 275 (?) or so miles north of Mexico. You get to start in high country, in a place pretty accessible from Los Angeles. You descend into one of the nicest desert stretches: Deep Creek and the hot springs. You get all of the San Gabriels, the Saufley’s and Anderson’s hospitality, the Mojave Desert, and then just when you’ve seen enough chaparral to last awhile, you enter the High Sierra, probably late June, which this year will be a good entry time for beautiful but manageable snow. If you’re really good for 25-30mpd, you might even make it to Canada by the end of August. And Washington IS the best state on the trail.

Just my opinion.

markv

#6

I’ve done a bit more research:

What about starting on early june at aqua dulce (approx mile 500) To snoqualmie (approx mile 2500).

This gives me about 2000 miles hiking in about 86days: 25miles a day, approx. (even though my dates are slightly flexible, I can only stay in the US, visa free, for 90 days. Any more, I need to apply for a visa and pay a fee which isn’t worth it to me for a few extra days on trail - I defo have to be back in school in Sept).

So, I have everything I need? plan on carrying about 5litres a day and plan on being equipped to handle stretches of up to 150 miles without resupply?

I’m gonna have to resupply as I go, as international postage fees doesn’t seem feasible.

K-man

#7

Thanks for all the help, everyone. Looks like the PCT might be having one more Section hiker this year! (possibly! :stuck_out_tongue: )

K-man

#8

Sounds like a great 2000 miles with good access points. The first 100 miles won’t be great, but it’s a good way to get started, with short resupplies.

If you haven’t already found them, google “hiker heaven”. That’s your start point.

It sounds like you’re on to most of what you need to be ready. What you don’t have, you’ll figure out quickly, and there are ways of getting things for that first 100 miles or so. You’ll only need to carry 5 liters of water a couple of times. Usually you’re fine with just 2 or 3 liter capacity. Many times in the Sierra you don’t have to carry any. At Hiker Heaven, they’ll have copies of the updated water report.

have fun…

markv

#9

Last Question: I picked Snoqualmie to finish up as it looks close to Seattle-Tac airport…But how do I get to it from Snoqualmie?

It seems I’d have to walk/hitch along 30 miles of highway to Northbend and take public transport into Seattle?

Is there an easier exit point?

K-man

#10

There is no public transit to Snoqualmie Pass. Greyhound eliminated that stop. Don’t despair; just hike a little longer!

The Trailways bus does stop at Stevens Pass, the next highway north (US2). That will get you to Seattle. The stretch between the two passes through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is especially beautiful.

grannyhiker

#11

Everyone at Snoqualmie Pass congregates at the one restaurant and the one gas station. It can’t be guaranteed, but i think it’s extremely likely that you could find a ride by being friendly and asking people. If this seems odd to you, it won’t by the end of 90 days on the PCT.

markv

#12

Thanks, everyone.

I’m gonna book flights next week. Does anyone know when the majority of thrus will be at Aqua Gulce? at the moment it looks like I might be landing at LAX june 7th ish.

K-man

#13

It’ll be a slam dunk to get a ride from Snoqualmie toward Seattle.

As Markv points out, there is the restaurants (former Pancake House, now called Xanadu) and another newer one that opened a year or so ago. There is also the “Travelers Rest” just south of the Hotel (and next door to Red Mountain Coffee). And the gas station. You can get an idea for the layout from Google Maps, satellite view. It’s all quite compact.

Make up a little sign to the effect of “PCT hiker needs ride to Seattle or North Bend” and walk around these locations and you’ll find a ride.

Token Civilian

#14

In most years, most hikers would be north of A.D. by June 7th, but this year with the high snow you’ll probably see many others there around that time. Still you’ll be a little later than the main herd.

markv

#15

Hi everyone, as someone who isn’t able to use mail drops as a ressupply strategy I’m going to have to rely on shops along the way.

I’ve found a list of resupply points at: http://postholer.com/databook/resupply.php#

It lists post office along the trail…am I to assume that there’ll also be shops nearby to buy food from? (even if it might be overpriced, occasionally?)

Also, any recommendations on navigation? print these maps found online (http://www.pctmap.net/download/p/mapdl.html) along with a compass and a water report from Aqua Dulce?

Ideally, if I could find an all in one book with high quality maps, water location and town maps (along with directions and services available) that’d be great, will save me carrying a whole load of loose leaf A4 sheets!

K-man

#16

It’s been seven years since I hiked and some of the information available has changed, but I did very well navigating with the small maps in the set of four official guide books. I mailed those to myself along the way. After a while I just ripped out the maps and threw away the text. I also had Yogi’s book and if you have time to buy that it’ll help with resupplies. You could probably do just as well with the stuff you’re talking about, and mail the maps to yourself every month or so.

Don’t assume a PO means groceries nearby. I don’t remember specifics north of AD. Some PCT hikers take a hybrid approach to resupply–take a half day off in a larger town (S Lake Tahoe, Ashland, Cascade Locks) and mail boxes ahead for the next month or so.

I’ve done some hikes with downloadable maps. Sometimes it works to print both sides. Then I use the maps for journaling. I’ll write notes right on the map for where I saw things or stuff happened and that makes a nice souvenir.

Garlic

#17

Like Garlic said, if you have the old official guidebooks, those maps will do you just fine. There are a couple of places where routing has changed, especially in Oregon (Crater Lake and north of Mt Hood), but you’ll be following the trail unconsciously by the time you get there.

The info on Craig’s PCT Planner (google) is useful if you want to get some idea of what towns have what stores. If you have specific questions about specific places, ask away. I’d also be happy to email to you my own resupply info, though it’s from 2008 and might have changed.

markv

#18

Hi Mark-v, that’d be great!

Khalidur at gmail dot com

at the moment I want to sort out resupply points from Aqua Dulce to lake tahoe, I’ll worry about the rest of the journey along the way and might start sending mail drops once I’ve ‘settled in’ and gotten into a resupply routine.

K-man

#19

K-man, i’ll just write stuff here so everyone can have a good laugh. (But seriously, someone else might want to read it too.)

-Agua Dulce has a big grocery, and you’ll be able to get there from the Saufley’s house. (Hiker Heaven)

-I know you’re thinking you want to get the hang of the U.S. stores before sending any boxes forward, but i would at least send one “package” in the mail from Agua Dulce. Send your bear canister filled with a ~6 day resupply, a mosquito headnet, and maybe a pair of warm socks ahead to Kennedy Meadows General Store. That’s the first place you’ll need that heavy bear canister, and it’s a limited place for buying resupply, so kill 2 birds with one stone.

-After Agua Dulce, ~3 days up the trail there is a small store near Hikertown’s highway crossing. You can buy 2 more days’ worth of food there.

  • 2 days up trail you get to a Tehachapi Springs Road. You can hitch either direction to Tehachapi or Mojave. Both have large grocery stores.

  • Then it gets a little trickier. If you’re ready to carry ~7 days of food you can make it all the way to Kennedy Meadows and your canister, and that’s what i’d do. If not, about 3 days up trail you get to major highway crossing. Hitching is more difficult, but there are some towns with supplies many miles in many directions. Ridgecrest or Lake Isabella, for example. Onyx just has a gas station and maybe some candy bars next to its post office. Not good for buying a resupply there.

  • ~6 days further up trail you get to the Kearsarge Pass Trail. Take it east (really beautiful and easy trail, even though this adds a lot of walking) to the trailhead. There you ask for a ride into the town of Independence. The gas station there is limited for resupply but people have gotten by. From there though you can hitch north up the highway to Bishop or south to Lone Pine, and both have bigger stores. The hitch along that highway is an easy one. My choice would be Bishop. Others say Lone Pine. Think twice before leaving the PCT EARLY to get to Lone Pine. The easier place to get a ride is the Kearsarge Pass Trail, plus it breaks up the resupply points more evenly.

  • ~7 more days up trail you get to Red’s Meadow. It has a small store. If that’s not enough for you, take the shuttle into larger Mammoth Lakes, that has everything, including hiking supplies and some good restaurants.

  • ~2 days up trail from there is Tuolumne Meadows. Small store but very well-stocked for backpacking.

  • ~8 days up trail from there is Tahoe. You get the idea.

It’s easy to buy from places along the trail in California north of Tahoe. I like to mail boxes so i’m picking up one every couple of weeks at least, so i don’t have to carry too many maps, and for other reasons. But really you could do ok from Kennedy Meadows all the way into Oregon with just buying resupplies as you go. In Oregon, once you get north of Ashland (which is on the south end), you don’t really come close to any good stores for about another 250 miles or so, and then once you’re into Washington you have the same problem again for a couple of long segments. So you might want to pick a city where you make up boxes to send your resupplies to the backwoods resorts in Oregon. Many hikers do this in Ashland. I did really well doing it earlier, from Mt. Shasta City. All of the stores, including 2 natural foods stores and a big grocery, are within 2 blocks of the post office there. It’s a really convenient place to make up your boxes and ship them ahead, plus then you don’t have to worry about getting to any of the first resorts before your box has arrived. (For the Washington post offices, i sent my boxes ahead from Portland, OR.)

But you’ll have time to figure that part out as you go.

markv

#20

If you’re wondering north of Tahoe, you can find good stores at Truckee, Sierra City, Quincy, Chester, Old Station, Burney, Mt. Shasta City (or Castella), Etna, and Seiad Valley. I’d personally stop at each of them except instead of stopping at Quincy i’d mail a package to Belden. Don’t miss the restaurant at Drakesbad (Lassen National Park) and the brewpub at Etna.

markv