The PCT runs approximately
2,650 miles from the US/Mexico border to the US/Canada border through the
states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
The first 700ish miles of the trail run through the southern California
desert. That gets followed by about 300
miles of the high Sierra Nevada mountain range, reaching elevations of over
13,000 feet. The final 700 miles
California run through the Klamath mountains of Northern California. After these 1,700 miles of California, the trail
enters Oregon and the Cascade mountain range where it stays for 450 miles
before entering Washington for the final 500 miles of trail. Overall, the PCT passes through seven
National Parks, 25 National Forests, and 24 Wilderness Areas.
The PCT can be hiked in
any direction, but most people (including myself) start at the southern end and
hike northbound. The most popular time for northbound (or NOBO) hikers to start from the southern terminus is April (I'll be starting on April 30). This allows for one to avoid hiking in the most intense summer desert heat, but also arrive in the Sierra-Nevada mountains in time for some melting to have begun. June 15 is
the average day in which one can enter the high Sierra without having to deal
with too much snow. Of course, this is the average. Last year was a high snow
year and a large storm in late May meant that most hikers were having to navigate
the Sierra in a snowpack that was 200% of average. Once a hiker finishes the Sierra, it's a race to get to Canada before winter sets in around the end of September or
beginning of October.
Please feel free to look around this site to learn more about the trail as well as what gear I'll be bringing with me as well as why I've decided to take on this adventurous challenge. Additional information on the trail can be found on the Pacific Crest Trail Association's website at https://www.pcta.org/.
A new adventure!
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