Trainee friendly terrain?

imported
#1

What I know about long distance hiking wouldn’t fill a thimble. I’ve never hiked, much less long distance. Yet I’m planning to solo thru hike the PCT next year.

Can someone recommend a stretch of trail that’s real friendly to rookie hikers? That is, camping availability, good trails, nearby support if needed, easy access, etc.

I’m taking two weeks’ vacation around mid-August and want to spend it on the trial, learning what I can.

Lastly, there are so many resources for maps. Do most hikers use the PCT Map Series sold by PCTA?

Thanks much!

PCT trainee

#2

Where are you located? If on the east coast, the Appalachian Trail is a great place to learn some hiking and camping techniques plus if you are in the NH area hiking you will meet many thru-hikers who can give you advice about what a thru-hike entails.

JSpringer

#3

I used the PCT Atlas at first, when it was in its trial stage, then the little maps in the PCT guidebooks. I liked them both about the same. The latter are cheaper. The online maps by Halfmile (try Google) look good too. That’s what i’d use if i were going now.

For 2 weeks in August, there are a million great places to go. If you’re looking specifically for the PCT, i would consider:

-the southern half of Washington. It’s beautiful, varied, with some ok resupply points.

-the northern Sierra from Donner Pass down to Yosemite. Also very beautiful, and if you come through next year as part of a thru-hike, you’ll get bombarded with mosquitos then. This way you can enjoy the area with fewer mosquitos now.

The high Sierra is great but you’d have to get a permit in advance. Northern Washington is great but it’s a little more difficult and remote for a first-timer. You’d do fine anywhere in Oregon, but it’s also a little more challenging for resupply if you’re doing beginner miles each day.

But personally, if i were doing the PCT in '11, i’d go somewhere different for my practice hike this year. Pick 2 weeks on the Colorado Trail? Or maybe in Oregon do a loop around Jefferson, then take the PCT up to Hood and do a loop around Hood? The Uintas in Utah, and the Wind River range in Wyoming, and all around the Olympics in Washington are gorgeous, though i guess if you want to get a feel for hiking “through” and doing resupplies, it’s a little different. The AT through NH would be great, but it’s probably a misleading practice for the PCT. The trail difficulty will be similar or harder on the AT there, but the experience of shelters and resupply and white blazes makes it a different animal.

markv

#4

AT is of course the place to try out long distance hiking skills. In August, most thru hikers will be either in the White Mountains, or N or S of same. I was in the bubble between the fast & slow hikers as I did the Whites in August, having a hurricane on top of old Mt. Washington.
The Long trail diverges from the AT in Vermont & would be an excellent trainer with lots of steep ups & downs but lots of amenities too! You need some hot showers for sure!
In Texas you could do the Lone Star Trail that ain’t that long (sposedly no one’s thru hiked it cuz of kleine trinkwasser). You could also get a guidebook for Yosemite or Yellowstone or Grand Canyon or Big Bend,TX or the Guadalupe Mtns,TX or any other national park & go in circles… THE END

gingerbreadman

#5

Try New Hampshire for your training. You could start on the AT at the western part of New Hampshire where it is not so tough and move up the difficulty as you go along. As I understand the PCT is a little milder than the Whites, so if you can handle the Whites you should be able to handle the PCT. What ever you do, I would suggest that you try to get in the best shape possible before you try any practice hike. Hiking day after day is a super major workout.

I’ll be hiking the PCT in 2011 also and I’ll be using the PCTA maps. I also have all of Halfmile’s maps printed out but I’m not sure if I’ll be using them.

Miguel

Miguel