Mile Marker: 20 Trail Miles: 20 Miles Walked: 22.3 It was 37 degrees inside my tent at 0519. We had camped at Lake Morena campground the night before I was to start my PCT thru hike. Betty’s Mom, BILS and the World Savers, plus Betty and Tucker, would drive me the 15 min it took …
Have you ever thought about something so much, spent such an inordinate amount of time talking about it, thinking about it, researching it that, if you were to be completely honest, you eventually grew kind of sick of it? Weary of It even? I have spent much of the last year thinking about the PCT, …
All the recipes in my backpacking cookbook* have special names. Many are named after the hikers who created them — like Ben’s Chicken and Cheese. While the rest have names relating to famous trails and notable locations along them. For example, Appalachian Trail Jerky and Cascade Stew. But there’s one particular recipe whose name makes …
I’m one of those people for whom the axiom “anything worth doing is worth over doing” was written. If something is important to me, this ethos will, nine times out of ten, guide my actions. In no place is this more apparent than my cooking. Nearly all of the food I’ve prepared for the PCT …
It took a while for me to announce publicly that I was going to thru-hike the PCT. Effectively hitting ‘pause’ on your career, your life and, in some ways, your relationships, is not a decision made lightly. So even though I’ve been planning to hike it for over 20 years, it wasn’t until recently that …
One of the first things I bought when I decided to hike the PCT was a paperback book titled “Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips” by Mike Clelland. Two weeks later I bought a second book, “Long-Distance Hiking” by Dan Feldman, as well as a recipe book, “ Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’ “ by Christine and Tom Connors. I was embarrassed standing in the …
From all the research I’ve done – blogs, websites, podcasts, YouTube – you shouldn’t buy ahead or even plan out what you’ll eat over the course of a long-distance thru hike. Experienced thru hikers are nearly unanimous in cautioning against doing this. Reasons being: your food tastes will change over time; hiker hunger will kick …
PCT – Pacific Crest Trail; a National Scenic Trail running from the Mexican border near Campo, CA to the Canadian border in Washington state, 2,660 miles long. Thru Hiker – Someone who hikes an entire long distance trail like the PCT, AT, CDT or FST in one year or season Section Hiker – Someone who hikes sections …
It goes without saying I will miss my family, home and friends while I’m on the trail. I’m going to miss my coworkers and job as well. That is all a given. The trail removes you from everyday life and relationships. It also removes most modern conveniences. That’s one mental aspect I’ve been thinking about …
“I’m going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail this year.” This is my standard response when people ask what I’m training for as I walk for hours with an obviously overloaded and uncomfortable daypack on my back. You may find it surprising, but the question I get asked most after telling someone I’m going to …