Читать книгу The Pacific Crest Trail - Brian Johnson - Страница 8
ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
The 2650-mile PCT starts in California at the Mexican border, about 50 miles east of San Diego, and passes through California, Oregon and Washington to reach the Canadian border about 100 miles east of Vancouver, British Columbia.
It is a well-engineered and, for the most part, well-maintained trail. The trail itself is easy to hike: it is well-graded and never steep, as it is designed for horseriders as well as hikers. The PCT is for the exclusive use of hikers and riders and only a few miles, on paved or dirt roads, are shared with other users.
Europeans, accustomed to long distance paths designed to pass through towns and mountain villages with easy access to shops, hotels and commercial campsites, should realise that there is a completely different philosophy to such trails in the US. The PCT is very much a wilderness trail that only occasionally touches civilisation. Wilderness camping is an integral part of hiking the PCT.
Camp on descent from Forester Pass (Section 30)
The PCT is very varied. You will hike through deserts, forests, over snow-covered passes and along alpine ridges. The trail starts in the arid hills and mountains of Southern California, and cuts across a corner of the Mojave Desert before heading into the Sierra Nevada, with its majestic mountains in a lake-studded landscape. The granite of the Sierra Nevada gives way to the volcanic rocks of the Cascade Mountains, with a succession of volcanoes that tower above the forests of Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
A Geologist’s delight
The PCT is a delight for the geologist. Continental drift and plate tectonics are the driving forces behind the geology of the Pacific West Coast. The cause is deep down in the Earth, where radioactive decay produces the heat that keeps the planet’s core molten. Convection currents in that molten core cause relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates. That motion between tectonic plates creates stress along the fault lines. Stored elastic energy can be released catastrophically, producing large earthquakes such as that which destroyed San Francisco on April 18, 1906.
Granite outcrops above Holcomb Creek (Section 11)
There have been many theories about how continental drift causes the formation of volcanoes. In the Pacific North-West it is thought that the Pacific Plate is descending beneath the Continental Plate. Water and gases from the porous oceanic crust are carried down and superheated, melting the surrounding rock to produce magma (the term given to molten rock, or lava, while it remains beneath the Earth’s surface). A combination of magma and highly pressurised gas can cause explosive volcanic eruptions, such as that seen when Mount St Helens exploded in 1980.
The mountains of Southern California and the Sierra Nevada are primarily composed of granitic rocks, formed about 80–240 million years ago when magma cooled and solidified below the Earth’s surface. Insulating layers of rock meant that that cooling process took place very slowly, allowing coarse-grained crystals to form. Continental drift has caused the rock to be lifted to heights above 20,000ft while the covering rocks have been eroded away, leaving granite as the predominant surface rock today. When granite is eroded, the large crystals tend to form the sandy and gravely soils that predominate in Southern California and the Sierra Nevada.
Over the last two million years, major glacial erosion has produced the fantastic rock scenery and the multitude of lakes we see today in the Sierra Nevada. Granite is an ideal rock for the formation of lakes; most of those you will see in Northern California and Oregon are actually on outcrops of granite in a primarily volcanic landscape.
The situation is further complicated by the San Andreas Fault System, which developed about 30 million years ago and resulted in some rocks being transported as much as 200 miles to the north-west. Hot magma is still present near the surface. Evidence appears in the form of hot springs, such as Deep Creek Hot Springs in San Bernardino National Forest, passed on the PCT. Water flowing underground is heated by the hot magma before coming to the surface.
North of Sonora Pass, in Central California, the rocks become predominantly volcanic although there are outcrops of granite and some of metamorphic rock, such as the limestone in Marble Mountain Wilderness. The northern end of the Sierra Nevada is further complicated in that much of it was buried in volcanic ash about 30 million years ago. Then, ten million years ago, massive lava flows caused metamorphosis of existing rocks, after which erosion left a very complicated geological story.
The Cascade Mountains start with Lassen Peak in Northern California. They continue through Oregon and Washington and into Canada with a succession of major volcanoes and associated lava flows and ashes. You will see many different types of volcano in the Pacific North-West. These developed over the past two million years and remain active today. The last major eruption was in 1980 when Mount St Helens blew its top off. About 7000 years ago, Mount Mazama, in what is now Oregon, exploded with about 40 times as much force, resulting in the formation of Crater Lake. Some of the large lava flows you will see in Oregon are only 200 years old. Volcanic activity can be seen on a smaller scale on Lassen Peak, which suffered a major eruption in 1915. The PCT also passes Terminal Geyser and Boiling Springs Lake, which are evidence of magma very close to the surface there. The next eruption could occur at any time.
Polygonal basalt lava columns, Devil’s Postpile National Monument
Four main types of volcano can be seen on the PCT.
Stratovolcanoes, such as Mount Shasta, are tall conical mountains composed of alternating layers of lava flows and ejected material.
Lava domes, such as Lassen Peak, are built up by slow eruptions of highly viscous lavas.
Cinder cones result from the eruption of small pieces of scoria or pyroclastics, which resemble cinders. These are often relatively short-lived eruptions and build up cones of between 100ft and 1000ft high. Most cinder cones erupt only once and often form as flank vents on the sides of larger volcanoes.
Shield volcanoes are formed by the eruption of low viscosity lavas which can flow a great distance from the vent. They don’t usually explode catastrophically or form volcanic cones but they can produce massive lava fields.
There is no agreed distinction between an active and a dormant volcano but the Smithsonian Institute defines a volcano as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years and many of the volcanoes in the Pacific North-West fall into this category. Volcanoes can be dormant for thousands of years and become eroded and worn down but magma remains close to the surface, which means they could erupt again. Often these eruptions will be violent, as pressure will have built up beneath the plug that has prevented lava escaping. Volcanoes are only considered extinct when they no longer have a lava supply.
Pumice is formed when frothy, escaping lava solidifies, trapping lots of bubbles. Pumice is very light and will float on water until it becomes waterlogged. In violent volcanic eruptions, escaping steam often tears magma and the solid rock surrounding the vent into small particles, resulting in volcanic ash.
In places along the PCT you will see polygonal basalt lava columns, the best-known being the Devil’s Postpile at Reds Meadow. The Postpile was created about 100,000 years ago when a lava flow was impounded by a moraine and reached a thickness of 400ft. Because of its great thickness, much of the pooled lava mass cooled slowly and evenly, producing long, symmetrical columns. The mainly hexagonal joints developed when the lava contracted during the cooling process.
More recently, ice ages have eroded the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains. Glaciers remain on many volcanoes, particularly Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak. You can gain an idea of the comparative age of volcanoes from their appearance. Younger ones, including many of the small volcanoes that you see, tend to have the classical conic shape, whereas older volcanoes have been eroded during the ice ages, leaving only the towering crags of their more resistant cores.
There are three main types of glacial erosion.
Plucking: glacial melt water freezes around lumps of cracked and broken rock. When the ice moves downhill, the rock is plucked from the back wall.
Abrasion: rock frozen to the base and back of the glacier scrapes the bedrock.
Freeze-thaw: melt water or rain penetrates cracks in the bedrock. At night it freezes, expands and enlarges the crack, eventually breaking the rock away.
Volcanic rocks are easily eroded but granite is very resistant. Only where it is highly fractured or has been subjected to deep weathering is it easily eroded. Such weakened rock is easily excavated by glaciers, which leave basins of resistant granite that fill with water as the glaciers retreat. These are the corrie lakes that make granite mountain landscapes so attractive. Volcanic mountains lack the resistant rocks that allow lakes to form but in places glaciers have peeled them right down to the granite beneath, allowing the formation of lakes.
There are very few sedimentary rocks in the mountains through which the PCT passes.
Weather patterns
The mountains of Southern California, the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades form a highly effective rain shadow. Very little rain falls to the east of the mountains and desert conditions predominate as a result.
The PCT generally keeps to the crests or western slopes of the mountains to avoid the desert areas. This is epitomised by the long detour west of Mount Shasta, in Northern California, to avoid the dry, waterless hills east of the massive volcano. The main exception is the crossing of the western corner of the Mojave Desert, which has very little rainfall.
Rain and snow come either from frontal storms (often tropical storms developing well to the south-west) or from thunderstorms. Fortunately for PCT hikers, the frontal storms, which dump large quantities of snow in the mountains, occur mainly in winter. Storm frequency and the duration of the storm season increase as you head north. In Southern California most of the storms occur from January to March; by Northern California they have spread from late-September to May; and in Washington you can expect frontal storms at any time of year.
Debris from the storm of 2003 (Section 96)
Thunderstorms develop mainly as a result of convection currents caused by the power of the sun and are concentrated in the summer months, with July being the peak. The frequency of thunderstorms diminishes as you head north. Storm clouds usually start to build in the early afternoon, with the storm arriving in the late afternoon or evening.
Yucca at Vasquez Rocks (Section 18)
A thru’-hiker can expect hot, dry weather in Southern California and the High Sierra. Northern California is hiked at the peak of the thunderstorm season but there are fewer here than further south. Oregon in August is generally warm and dry but an occasional frontal storm or thunderstorm can be expected. In Washington in September you can expect periods of frontal rain but you can also get long sunny periods.
The weather’s boring!
Liz Willis, a British thru’-hiker in 2002, after weeks of continuous sunshine in California.
The weather does not always follow these patterns. You must be prepared for rain or snow at any time in the mountains.
Plant and wildlife
Vegetation
The mountain vegetation of California and Oregon has to deal with a difficult climate. Most of the precipitation at higher altitudes comes in winter, in the form of snow, and there is very little rain in summer. It has to survive high summer and low winter temperatures, as well as the poor quality soils in areas where granite is the predominant rock type.
The first thing Northern Europeans will notice on the PCT is the absence of grass and the poor quality of the meadows. Grass requires a lot of water and it isn’t until you reach Washington that it seems to thrive.
The second feature Europeans will notice in Southern California is the absence of trees at lower altitudes, except along creeks. Only at higher altitudes are temperatures cool enough and water plentiful enough for trees to survive. Below tree-line chaparral predominates. Chaparral is composed of broad-leaved shrubs, bushes and small trees, usually below 8ft high, which have evolved to cope with hot dry conditions. At the lowest altitudes, in the drier areas, only true desert vegetation survives and you will see various species of cactus and yucca.
Just some of the flowers and cacti you may see along the Trail
There are many different species of tree on the PCT and each seems to have evolved to fill a particular niche in the ecosystem. Deciduous trees predominate at lower altitudes where there is sufficient water but in the mountains you see a wide variety of pine.
There is also an upper limit to tree-line, above which conditions are too harsh for any tree to survive. In Southern California the hardiest species eek out an existence at 9000ft on exposed ridges but in Washington you will find that trees struggle to survive on ridges at 6000ft.
You will see many dead or dying trees. In many areas they are suffering from beetle infestations, as well as problems caused by pollution and forest fires.
In Washington you will spend much of your time in what is described as temperate rainforest, with the profusion of vegetation you would expect when there is plenty of rain throughout the year.
For much of the PCT you will hike through areas of forest that are only very lightly managed. Often this consists of little more than keeping trails clear for hikers. Fallen trees are allowed to rot, providing habitat for insects and returning nutrition into the soil. Only in Northern California will you hike through areas of commercial forestry, and even here authorities try to ensure a ribbon of natural woodland remains along the route of the PCT.
The variety and abundance of flowers increases as you head north. In Southern California the desert flora waits for rain before producing flowers and if you arrive in a wet spell you can expect to see the desert bloom. In a dry spell, however, there will be few signs of flowers. As you head north you will see plenty of flowers in the damper meadows.
Animals and birds
Some of the animals you will see are mentioned in the Wilderness Hiking section of the introduction; others will be featured in the map sections.
Birds have generally evolved separately in the Americas, and Europeans will find few species with which they are familiar. Migration patterns are mainly north-to-south rather than east-to-west and the greatest species-overlap is among waterfowl and waders (shore birds). Notes on the birds you are most likely to see appear in the map sections.
What the walking’s like
Southern California
The distance between Campo and Kennedy Meadows is approximately 700 miles. The terrain is varied, with rolling hills and mountains rising to 9000ft separated by sections of desert. This is an arid landscape with desert vegetation at low altitudes and chaparral (brush) at intermediate altitudes; only in the mountains is it cool and damp enough for forests to thrive. The PCT goes right past Deep Creek Hot Springs in San Bernardino National Forest, possibly the best wilderness hot springs in California.
Spring is the best season for hiking this section of the PCT but you need to wait until the snow has melted in the higher mountains. Thru’-hikers will tackle this section in April, May and June and this is the best time for section-hikers as well. In a dry year most of the creeks and springs will have dried up by early spring and you will encounter long stretches without water. Fortunately this section is well provided for by trail angels, who maintain many water caches to help hikers through the drier parts. Despite their help, there could be times when you need to carry up to six litres of water. To be successful and enjoy the conditions, you must work out a strategy to cope with the heat.
Even in April temperatures can reach 90°F (32°C) but don’t depend on it. You can get snow in the mountains and it can freeze at night. By May or June temperatures can exceed 100°F (38°C).
The ground is mainly sandy and finding somewhere to camp will rarely be a problem. You will see plenty of rattlesnakes but these are only really a danger to those who try to handle them. Any wild bears you encounter will run when they sense you and mosquitoes shouldn’t pose any problems.
The High Sierra
The 450 miles from Kennedy Meadows to Donner Pass take you through a spectacular alpine landscape. You reach an altitude of 13,180ft at Forester Pass and cross a succession of passes above 11,000ft. For much of the time you will be above tree-line, where ice age glaciation has produced a landscape of crags and bare rock, dotted with thousands of lakes. Between the high passes you drop into deep, forested valleys. The mountain ridges and summits are the realm of the rock climber and mountaineer, the valleys and high passes are for the walker.
Many hikers take a day off to scale 14,494ft Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the US outside Alaska. For 200 miles the PCT coincides with the world famous John Muir Trail (JMT), which starts on the summit of Mount Whitney and ends in Yosemite Valley. The PCT leaves the JMT at the head of Yosemite and some hikers might want to take a few days off to explore this wonderland of rock domes and plunging waterfalls.
The High Sierra is the most exciting section of the PCT but also the part with most problems to overcome. Supply is a problem, with a 200-mile section without a single road. Any bears you meet might be after your food and mosquitoes can be a problem, especially just after the snow has melted.
You will probably enjoy days of endless sunshine but, in high mountains, fresh snow can fall in any month of the year and thunderstorms can be spectacular. Despite the altitude it can get very hot in the sun but you must be prepared for freezing temperatures at night.
The biggest problem is winter snow. The JMT is best hiked in late July, August or September but most PCT thru’-hikers pass through in June or early July when there is still snow on the passes. Rapidly melting snow can produce high water levels in the many unbridged creeks that need to be crossed. Conditions vary from year to year. In 1996 there was substantial snow on the passes into August, while in 2006, a record snow year, there was almost continuous snowpack for 300 miles in June, together with dangerous or impossible creek crossings. In other years hikers wonder what all the fuss is about. Thru’-hikers would be advised to read the section in this guide on starting dates and decide, very carefully, the date on which they should leave Kennedy Meadows; section-hikers would be best to visit the area in late summer.
Summit ridge, Mount Whitney (Section 30A)
A number of the photos in this guide, taken in June 2006, show how fantastic the scenery can be before the snow has melted but these are not safe conditions for hikers without extensive winter mountaineering experience.
Northern California
You’ve already hiked 1150 California miles but a further 550 remain before you reach Oregon. In the first half of the Northern California section, much of the PCT passes through forest on rolling hills. On entering the Cascade Mountains, large volcanoes, including Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta, dominate the landscape. Approaching Oregon, you return to alpine terrain as you enter the Klamath Mountains.
Thru’-hikers will pass through this section in July and August, which is a good time to hike these mountains. It is likely to be sunny most of the time but it is also the main season for thunderstorms, and torrential rain or hail is possible. There is also the risk of fire, started by lightning striking the often tinder-dry forests.
Several long sections, where forests were clear-felled in the last century or where they have been destroyed by fire, present very little shade. Water can become a problem again as the springs and creeks start to dry up through the summer.
The hiking is fairly easy and fast and remains so until you reach Northern Washington.
Oregon
There is generally less ascent in Oregon than elsewhere on the PCT and the 430 miles here are fast going; fit thru’-hikers should cover 20 miles comfortably each day.
In geological terms, the Cascade Mountains in Oregon are extremely young with unvegetated lava flows only 200 years old. The landscape is dominated by volcanoes, large and small. Crater Lake, one of the wonders of the natural world, was created a mere 7000 years ago, when Mount Mazama underwent a cataclysmic volcanic explosion which spread a thick layer of ash over hundreds of miles. The Three Sisters, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood are spectacular volcanoes that tower above tree-line. Thousands of lakes are dotted throughout the mountains.
Wizard Island, Crater Lake (Section 70)
When the PCT was under development it temporarily followed the fantastic Oregon Skyline Trail (OST). As the trail was designed to keep hikers and horses away from environmentally sensitive areas, however, it was eventually routed through dry, viewless forests, avoiding far too many of the lakes. The author recommends that you follow the old OST rather than the PCT through large sections of Oregon; these alternatives are detailed in the map section of this guide.
Mount Jefferson, seen through a ‘ghost forest’ (Section 77)
Probably 99 per cent of PCT hikers follow an alternative route along the rim of Crater Lake, which has now become an official pedestrian variation to the official trail. Similarly, most hikers follow the spectacular Eagle Creek Trail down to Cascade Locks, with only horses taking the official PCT.
There will be some fairly long stretches without water, especially if you ignore the author’s advice and follow the official PCT all the way through Oregon. At lower altitudes you will hike through forest where there is plenty of shade from the sun.
Oregon is notorious for its mosquitoes. By August, when the first thru’-hikers will be passing through, they will have become only a minor nuisance; if you are hiking immediately after the snowmelt, however, you could find them extremely annoying.
Thru’-hikers will tackle Oregon in August and early September and can expect good weather to predominate. There will be the occasional thunderstorm and hikers must be prepared for rain and even snow. Forest fires have been a problem in recent years, so don’t be surprised if a section of the PCT is closed for this reason.
Washington
Only 480 miles remain before you reach the Canadian border. Southern Washington is rather like Oregon and, assuming you are fit, you can manage high mileages. In Goat Rocks Wilderness, however, you return to a spectacular alpine landscape. Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak, both covered by large glaciers, dominate your hike through Northern Washington. You are back in terrain characterised by long steep climbs and descents, and your average hiking speed will be closer to two than three miles per hour.
THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PCT
The first documented hiker to complete the PCT was Martin Papendick in 1952, long before the trail was officially recognised. The impetus for the creation of the trail as we know it today was the passing of the National Trails Systems Act by the US Congress in 1968, which granted the PCT the status of National Scenic Trail.
The PCT was the main feature of the June 1971 edition of National Geographic Magazine and this, together with the publication by Wilderness Press of guidebooks to the trail, led to a spate of hikers attempting to thru’-hike it.
For the pioneers in the 1970s, there was little knowledge about how to tackle such a long wilderness route. Very little lightweight equipment was available and little was known about finding water or locating supplies. The PCT was simply regarded as a longer example of the backpacking trips to which hikers were then accustomed.
Hikers had to carry extremely heavy packs, often with more than ten days’ food, and averaged about 15 miles a day, completing the trail in about six months. Then, in 1992, Ray Jardine wrote a best-selling handbook about how to hike the PCT. He advocated an ultra-lightweight hiking style that made distances of 20–30 miles a day achievable and his methods soon became the norm. They have been taken to the extreme by some: in 2009, for example, Scott Williamson completed a thru’-hike in 67 days, averaging 40 miles a day.
The methods publicised by Ray Jardine are outside the capabilities and inclinations of most hikers and the introduction to this book is designed to redress the balance by combining the advantages of the lightweight revolution with the traditional methods of the pioneers. The guide’s map sections should be useful to all hikers, whatever their hiking style.
Washington’s Cascade Mountains have a reputation for rain and you will be hiking through temperate rainforest. In August and September you can expect long settled periods but must be prepared for periods of rain. Most thru’-hikers will be in Washington in September, a good month for these mountains. You could get snow but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem and the first heavy snowfall of winter is unlikely to fall until well into October.
Few roads cross the Cascade Mountains so supply points are widely separated and you will often carry a heavy burden of food. The absence of roads makes it difficult for weekend hikers to tackle some of Washington’s PCT sections.
Planning
Can the ‘ordinary hiker’ thru’-hike the PCT?
The most difficult thing about thru’-hiking the PCT is making the decision to attempt it. To most people, the idea of a continuous 2650-mile hike sounds such a daunting expedition that they assume it is only for the super-fit young person. It is actually a challenge that is achievable by the ordinary hiker.
My experience prior to my successful 2002 thru’-hike is worth relating, as there are lessons to be learnt. By 1997 a foot injury became so serious that my surgeon said he could do no more for me and recommended early retirement from teaching. By 2000 I was able to start walking again and I hiked a section of the PCT in the High Sierra, averaging eight miles a day. In April 2002 I arrived in Campo to thru’-hike the PCT. I only managed 10 miles on the first day before I had to camp, because I was exhausted and hurting. Yet five months later I stood at the Canadian border.
I hadn’t done any training but I had done a lot of preparation. In particular, I had worked out a strategy to complete the hike and had prepared a detailed schedule, which recognised that I was very unfit. In fact I finished about 14 days ahead of my schedule. Most of all I succeeded because I had the mental strength to overcome the difficulties I encountered (others would say I was too stubborn and pig-headed to give up!).
Billy Goat:‘How much training did you do for the PCT?’
Ancient Brit:‘None – I wasn’t fit enough to train!’
However, between 20 and 30 per cent of thru’-hikers give up in the first week. Many of those are ill-prepared ‘ordinary’ hikers; a good number of those succumb to injury. That means that between 30 and 50 per cent of those who fail to reach Canada actually give up in the first week!
Examples of mistakes made by hikers in 2006 include Ladybird, who set out from Campo carrying two bear boxes packed with enough food to last 12 days; Luigi, who had a 75lb load on his back; and Three Gallon, who set off carrying three gallons of water. That latter example might sound like good planning until you learn that it was a wet spring, it was raining and 10 creeks were running within the first 20 miles.
Despite those early errors, all three made it to Canada. Each started with an easy schedule, which meant that they got the most important part of their planning right. If you prepare properly and give yourself enough time you should be able to achieve a successful thru’-hike.
How long do you need for a thru’-hike?
The length of time you need to complete the PCT’s 2650 miles will obviously depend on how many miles you walk each day and how many zero (rest) days you take. If you average 15 miles per day, you should complete the trail in 176 days, or just under six months. Upping your daily mileage by two miles will bring the number of days needed to reach Canada down to 154, or five months. If you were capable of averaging 20 miles per day, it would take you 132 days – just under four months – while a hiker capable of hitting 25 miles per day should be able to cover the entire distance in 106 days, just three and a half months.
To those figures, you would need to add the number of zero days you might have in order to calculate the total time it might take to complete the hike. Most thru’-hikers take between four and six months. If you take few zero days, you can do a low daily mileage hike in five or six months. The data in appendices E, F, G and H illustrate how a thru’-hike can be completed with relatively low daily mileage. The longest realistic schedule to allow you to get through the High Sierra after the snow has melted and get through Washington before the winter snows is 180 days.
There are many reasons for doing relatively low daily mileages. The main one is the avoidance of injury. Many hikers are injured early during their hikes, primarily with blisters and repetitive strain injuries. Unless you are trail-fit before you start (and very few hikers are), you shouldn’t be hiking for more than between five and seven hours each day in the first week. Even when fully fit, your body won’t be able to cope with walking 25 miles or more a day, day-after-day, without a rest. Those exceptional hikers who set trail records have been building up their strength and stamina over years rather than weeks or months.
Do you want to enjoy your hike? Many people think the best parts of any hike are the rest periods! You’ve earned those rests and will appreciate the views, a mug of tea and the chance to chat to other hikers. You’ve earned that swim or soak in the hot springs. You can read that book you’ve never had time for at home, or even write your own book. You won’t have time for long breaks if you plan to hike 20 or 30 miles every day. You should instead follow the example of the gentleman from Seattle who ‘wanted time to smell the roses’.
Hiking schedules
It is possible to hike the PCT without a plan. People do so successfully but more of them will give up at some stage. You are more likely to succeed if you have a strategy to complete the hike and a detailed plan to fall back on in times of difficulty. Obviously circumstances might force you to adjust your plans as you go along.
The main reasons for a detailed schedule are to help you organise your food supplies and to ensure you neither reach the High Sierra too soon nor Washington too late. If travellers from outside the US have confidence in their schedule they can book a return flight at the same time as their outbound flight, and save themselves a lot of money.
In 2006, a record snow year, most hikers started far too early and, despite all sorts of delaying tactics, reached Kennedy Meadows when there was almost continuous snowpack in the High Sierra. Of the early starters only a small minority, who were experienced winter mountaineers, got through the High Sierra.
Sun cups (Section 32)
There is a lot to be said for having a schedule that you can achieve fairly easily: you will feel good when you get ahead and it will give you flexibility in case of problems or injuries. If your schedule is too demanding you will become demoralised when you fall behind, or injured if you try to keep up.
You will find all the information you need to produce a schedule in the appendices. Appendices D1 and D2 give hiking hours between recommended resupply points and outline schedules for 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170 and 180 day thru’-hikes. All of these leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15, which would be an appropriate date in an average snow year. Appendix E gives a breakdown of the figures for miles, hiking hours and miles/hour between the five main regions of the PCT. Appendix F gives the precise daily schedule completed by Ancient Brit in 2002. Appendix G gives a detailed sample schedule for a 180-day though-hike. This is the type of schedule you should produce for yourself. Appendix H gives a schedule for a very slow start for those who are extremely unfit. Those hiking 160– 180-day schedules might prefer to start a little earlier, if snow conditions allow, so that they finish a little earlier in October.
Zero days
‘Zero day’ is the term used on the trail for a rest day. Simply, you cover zero trail miles that day. Avoiding too many zero days is key to a low daily mileage hike. In 2006 EricD had taken 30 zero days by the time he reached Donner Pass and, despite hiking between 25 and 35 miles every day, still took longer to reach that point than the author, whose longest day was about 20 miles. The thru’-hiker who completed the PCT in 1979 averaging 15 miles a day, with no zero days, had it much better worked out.
Why do you need zero days? Hikers in 2006 gave many reasons. Some said their body needed a break after covering too many miles in successive days. Others had blisters, repetitive strain injuries, were ill or simply needed to recover from the night before! Some had started their thru’-hikes too early and needed to wait for the Sierra snows to melt, while others waited in town for rain and snowstorms to pass through.
Resupplying was another reason for taking zero days. Some hikers had reached town on a Saturday to find the post office to which they had sent their resupply parcel didn’t open until Monday. Even those who reached town mid-week sometimes needed time to organise supplies. Others spent a day with a husband or girlfriend, waited for another hiker to catch up or took time out to attend a family occasion including weddings and funerals, or to visit attractions such as Las Vegas or the Quincy Music Festival.
Other reasons to take a zero day might include the fact that you’re reached a lovely place in the wilderness that you can’t bear to leave in a hurry. Perhaps the comforts of town – hotel beds, showers and laundry – are too tempting. Or perhaps you want to take a zero day for no other reason than everyone else is doing the same.
There are plenty of reasons to avoid zero days. They can be very expensive: someone calculated that the average hiker spent $100 at Vermillion Valley Resort in the Sierra Nevada. Most people who quit the trail do so after a zero day, particularly at Warner Springs in Southern California, just 110 miles from the start. But the most important consideration is that every unscheduled zero day you take means that you have to hike an extra hour or more each day for the next week to make up the lost time.
Before you set off think carefully about your zero day policy. It is best to produce a schedule with very few zero days but one that is fairly easy to achieve. You can then earn your zero days by getting ahead of schedule and enjoy them with a clear conscience.
Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick-Off
A kick-off party is held every year, on the last or penultimate weekend in April, at Lake Morena campground, 20 trail miles from the Mexican border. The whole campground is booked for the weekend and the party is attended by past and future PCT hikers, as well as that year’s aspirants. A large number of trail angels will also be present. The kick-off – known as ADZPCTKO – is a good chance to meet fellow hikers and pick up information about conditions and things such as water caches on the trail. There will also be organised talks for your education or entertainment.
There are good reasons for attending the kick-off if it fits into your schedule. However, there are also dangers in attending. The timing of the kick-off is about right for those doing a relatively slow thru’-hike and for section-hikers. Faster thru’-hikers will, however, find that they reach the High Sierra much too early.
Ladybug and Ancient Brit at the PCT’s southern terminal, Campo (Section 1)
At Lake Morena, around kick-off time, it will be relatively easy to find someone willing to give you a lift to the Mexican border, tempting you to slack-pack the first 20 miles to the campground, either before or after the kick-off party. Covering that mileage on the first day, however, is a recipe for disaster even if you don’t have to carry your pack. It’s a great way to get blisters and there is the danger, if you are slack-packing, that you won’t carry enough water. After the kick-off, when you leave Lake Morena, you will be with a large group of hikers. Do you have the discipline to go slow? Or will you find yourself dragged along at the excessive early speeds of others? If you are at the back of the pack, you might find that hikers just ahead of you have emptied the water caches.
Some hikers leave Campo well-before the kick-off and get a lift back from Warner Springs or even further up the trail, while others leave from Campo on Wednesday or Thursday and arrive at the kick-off party after a gentle start. Both strategies could upset your hiking routine too early in the journey.
If you intend to be at the kickoff, the best thing would be to get a lift to Campo after the party, to start your hike properly. That works best if the dates fit in with your schedule. For details of the kick-off, see www.adzpctko.org.
Start date
Ideally you would decide your start date as late as possible, so that you can adjust it depending on snow levels in the High Sierra. Websites given in Appendix B should enable you to keep a check on snow levels throughout the winter. In a high snow year many hikers start too early for the conditions. However, in 2016 the PCTA introduced a daily limit of 50 permits per day from Campo, with online applications accepted from February 1, so early application is recommended.
The key date isn’t when you begin but when you reach Kennedy Meadows at the start of the High Sierra. Ray Jardine’s suggestion is that, in an average snow year, you should leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15, known as Ray Day. You will still find some snow on the higher passes but most of it will have melted and water levels in the creeks will have started to drop. Snow melts extremely quickly at that time of year and even a week’s difference in start date can make a tremendous difference to the snowpack.
In a high snow year it would be best to leave Kennedy Meadows at a later date. In 2006, even the beginning of July was too early. Obviously the later you leave Kennedy Meadows, the later you will arrive in Canada. In 2006 hikers were still reaching Manning Park at the end of October though that was preferable to hitting the High Sierra too soon.
In a year of low snow levels, hikers who have opted for a schedule of between 160 and 180 days might prefer to leave Kennedy Meadows a little earlier so that they reach Canada a little earlier. Appendices D1 and D2 give finishing dates for different schedules assuming you leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15.
Once you have decided on your Kennedy Meadows departure date, work back to determine the date on which you should leave Campo. For example, if you plan to take 50 days, including zero days, to reach Kennedy Meadows by June 15, you will start about April 26 – it isn’t just coincidence that that is the approximate date of the kick-off party.
Fuller Ridge, in the San Jacinto Mountains, on April 30 2006 – too early to start! (Section 8)
Another consideration will be snow conditions in the San Jacinto Mountains, which you reach during your second week. The trail contours on steep north- and east-facing slopes, where snow can persist into late April. Those who start the PCT in early to mid-April might find dangerous conditions on those steep slopes and navigation can be very difficult if the snowpack is continuous. However, in a low snow year, the trail could be clear by early April.
Hiking north-to-south
Only a few hikers attempt to thru’-hike from north to south each year. In an average snow year the PCT in Washington won’t be free of snow until late June, even later in a high snow year. In North Washington the trail often contours on steep slopes, the most difficult and dangerous terrain to cross in snow conditions. Crossing creeks in North Washington can also be a serious problem if you start too early.
If you are considering hiking south, therefore, you should consider starting about July 1 so that you finish by the end of November. That means tackling Washington in July, Oregon in August and Northern California in September, which is fine. You would then pass through the High Sierra in October, a time when you might expect some storms. You would be unlucky to have the first heavy winter snow but you would be cutting it rather fine. You will have supply problems because most of the facilities in the High Sierra will have closed and you might need to hike into the night occasionally to get in your mileage, which will certainly test your navigational skills. November could be a good time for hiking in Southern California, as long as you’ve had rain to replenish the creeks and springs and as long as you haven’t got deep snow in the higher mountains.
Basically a north-to-south thru’-hike is only for experienced long distance walkers who have good knowledge of the PCT or are super-fit and intend to do the trail in three or four months. There is an additional legal problem as there is no easy procedure for gaining permission to enter the US from Canada along the PCT. This guidebook assumes you are hiking from south to north.
Flip-flopping
Some thru’-hikers reach Kennedy Meadows too early. Rather than face deep snow conditions or wait for it to melt sufficiently, they decide to head to Northern California and return to the High Sierra later in their hike. That is not a good idea, however, as the High Sierra is the easiest PCT section to traverse in snow. If there is substantial snow there, there will also be snow in the mountains of Northern California, Oregon and Washington where the PCT traverses many steep slopes, which are difficult and dangerous under snow.
The only section to which you might flip-flop is the short section from Hat Creek Resort to Castella, in Northern California. The other flip-flop some hikers choose is to hike through California from Campo to Ashland, then travel to Canada and hike south from Manning Park to Ashland. That can be a good plan if you reach Ashland rather late and don’t want to risk being in Northern Washington for the first big winter storms.
Hiking 7–8 hours a day
A typical backpacker will hike between four and six hours a day. Even a relatively low-mileage thru’-hiker will need to hike between six and eight hours each day once they have built up their fitness. This takes discipline.
You could do what too many hikers seem to do: start fairly late, walk for seven or eight hours with minimal breaks and collapse into camp, exhausted, about teatime. However there are much better hiking patterns, patterns which will make your hike more enjoyable and easier to achieve.
Most hikers take short breaks. That might be fine for youngsters but for the older hiker a break of between 15 and 30 minutes is long enough to stiffen up yet not really long enough to recover. It also means you are hiking through the hottest part of the day!
Late start from Pioneer Mail Picnic Area for Hans (Section 3)
In the hot conditions that predominate along the PCT, an early start is essential. Once you are fit, try hiking from 7am until 10am or 11am without any substantial break. Then stop for two hours before walking for an hour in the afternoon (not too long if it is hot), then take another long break before doing a two or three hours in the evening, once it has cooled down.
Many might consider 7am to be a late start. Billy Goat would start walking at first light and stop for breakfast between 7am and 8am. When it is hot, the earlier you start and the longer the morning session, the easier you’ll find it. It can be uncomfortably hot by 10am.
One other thing to consider is having your evening meal before doing another hour or two before camping. That is certainly a good idea if you arrive at water between 4pm and 6pm. Have your meal, then do an evening session to a dry camp. That is also good practice in bear country. You could consider walking on after dark. That might sound a good idea in hot conditions but probably won’t help much, as you might then make a later start the following morning. You would be better off getting up while it is still dark and getting away at, or even before, dawn.
On reaching Washington you will find the days getting shorter but the temperature will be comfortable for hiking. By then you should be fit enough to walk for four hours in the morning before one long break and completing your mileage in the evening.
RULE OF 11 AND 13
You can expect to spend 11 hours in camp: an hour in the morning, two hours at night and eight hours asleep. This leaves 13 hours for walking and resting during the day. If you are going to be walking for eight hours, that leaves five hours of breaks to scatter through the day. If you spend more than 11 hours in camp you probably aren’t making the best use of the day!
In bad weather you should consider having a lie-in but still get away between 9am and 10am, then keep walking with a few short breaks until you decide to camp. If you decide to have an easy (half) day, you are much better sticking to your morning hiking routine and then camping, rather than making a late start and walking when it is hot.
Early starts can be difficult to achieve after a night in town. By the time you’ve eaten breakfast in the restaurant or with your trail angel hosts, you might find it is already rather late. It is difficult to maintain good walking patterns if you spend many nights indoors. It takes more discipline than most hikers possess to get away from town between the hours of 6am and 7am. The author tries to arrive in town in time for a late breakfast in a restaurant, spends the hottest part of the day in town and then hikes into the evening. If you follow that example, you can get a couple of meals in town, sort out supplies and still walk in the coolest part of the day, as well as saving yourself a lot of money.
The first week
It is estimated that between 20 and 30 per cent of thru’-hikers give up in the first week. How can you avoid becoming one of them? When you stand on the Mexican border it’s no good thinking about the 2650 miles that lie ahead, it’s much too great a distance to contemplate. Instead, focus on things that you can achieve in the first week on the trail.
In cool weather or after a damp spring, your first week will be a lot less demanding than what is described here but you must be mentally prepared for hot dry conditions.
Develop efficient hiking habits from the beginning. Start hiking in the cool of morning and in the evenings, and avoid taking unnecessary zero days. Develop efficient camping habits and, as you do so, decide how much equipment you can send home from Warner Springs. After all, almost everyone starts with things they don’t need. Learn to interpret the maps and to use them for navigation. Assess the seasonal water sources you encounter to give you a better idea of which springs and creeks are likely to be running further along the trail.
During that vital week you should be starting to get fit while being careful to avoid injury. You should avoid sunburn and hopefully you’ll start to build up a tan. Get a sense for how much water you need to drink to keep hydrated in hot conditions. Also learn to recognise and avoid poison oak (see section on Wilderness Hiking). You should not worry about how much progress you are making at this stage. If you are getting behind schedule, you will be able to catch up when you get fitter.
Your first resupply package will probably be at Warner Springs, so it would be helpful if your schedule gets you there when the post office is open.
Try to find out before you set off whether any water sources will be running before you reach Lake Morena. It varies greatly from year to year. In mid-April 2002 there were none but in 2009 there were several. In 2006 there were about 10.
Consider how you will hike the 20 miles to Lake Morena campground, which you can expect to take between nine and 10 hours of hiking. Let’s assume it is a relatively dry year. Your first water will be piped at Morena campground but you should not consider getting there in one day. If you attempt nine or 10 hours of walking on that first day you are likely to end up with blisters and will risk other injuries. Therefore you will need a dry overnight camp before you reach Lake Morena.
Approaching Hart Bar Creek Canyon (Section 9)
How much water should you carry? If it is hot assume half a litre of water per hour of hiking and two litres for the overnight camp. You should therefore be carrying six or seven litres of water.
You won’t need to carry food to get you to Warner Springs as you could resupply at the well-stocked stores at Lake Morena and Mount Laguna. You could send a resupply package to Mount Laguna Post Office as an alternative to using the store. Make sure you have food that you will be able to eat in hot, dry conditions.
Before you start, drink plenty of water and make sure you have put sun cream on hands and face as well as your legs and arms if you have decided to start in shorts and short-sleeved shirt. Even if you’ve kept the weight of your equipment to a sensible level, which you probably haven’t yet, with six litres of water your pack will feel too heavy.
What time should you set out? It doesn’t really matter. Ideally you would leave Campo by 7am and walk five or six hours on your first day. At this stage you will probably need several long breaks. You will be hiking in the sun, so make sure you find shade for your breaks. Take a long break during the hottest part of the day and complete your hiking in the evening. Even if you are going well, don’t try to hike for more than six hours.
If you camp on the trail, particularly at Hauser Creek, you might be disturbed during the night by illegal immigrants or drug smugglers crossing the border from Mexico, or possibly even by US Border Patrol officers. It is very unlikely that they will be a danger to you as they will want to avoid contact but it would be a sensible precaution to camp out of sight of the trail.
