The Pacific Crest Trail Blog of ‘Tatters’ 2017

Introduction

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a 2650-mile-long trail running through three states on the West Coast of the USA – California, Oregon, and Washington. It begins at the Mexican border near Campo, and finishes at the Canadian border, and generally follows the mountain range extending the entire distance.

In this adventure, I will be attempting to hike the entire distance of the PCT by foot, unless hitchhiking to nearby towns off the trail when I need to resupply or take a break.

Along the way, I’ll be meeting people who support the hiking community for free (or for small donations), called trail angels – these guys make the trail what it is today and will make it easier to accomplish such a task. This is usually by water caches, hiker boxes of supplies or offering rides or accommodation.

2017 would be a notoriously challenging year on the PCT due to the fact that California had received a monstrous amount of snow on its mountains. Not only were hiking skills now required, but mountaineering too. This created more challenging situations where needing snow gear in sections is essential. However, it also means more water access in some sections of the desert – some wins!

Due to the winter conditions, many hikers this year cancelled their hike, or skipped the snow, only to return to it later after melts. To me, the conditions meant more variety and more of a challenge – how often can I hike or camp in the snow in Australia?

…and so begins the tale of a wanderlust Australian seeking the wilderness and all its splendour by foot…

The Story Begins Here…

Further Reading

~ Gear List ~

~ Post-Hike Afterthoughts ~

~ Section Reviews ~