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Over the years PCTA staff members and volunteers have answered
thousands of your questions about the trail, planning a hike
and much more. We've compiled answers to the most frequently
asked questions here.
About the Trail
Trip Planning
Equestrian FAQs
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
is a 2,650-mile national scenic trail that runs from Mexico
to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.
For information about maps
that can show you how to get to the PCT, click here.
The PCT has been designated
as a non-mechanized trail by the U.S. Forest Service (the
agency responsible for management of the trail). This means
the trail is open to foot and horse (or other pack stock)
travel only. Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not permitted.
Dogs are permitted on the
PCT except in areas administered by the National
Park Service and in the five California State Parks through
which the trail passes.
- Where
can I get maps for the trail?
- Where can I find map data for the trail? (KMZ, KML, Shapefile, Geodatabase).
- Is
water readily available and do I need to treat it?
- Do
I need a permit?
- How
do I get to the trail from San Diego?
- As
a PCT thru-hiker will I need an ice axe, crampons, climbing
rope, skis, or snowshoes?
- Are
there many hot showers along the trail?
- How
can I prepare for a thru-hike?
- What
about re-supply?
- What
about reassuring family or friends at home while I am on
the trail?
- Should
I consider GPS to locate myself by satellite?
- Who
should I report bad trail conditions (trees across the trail,
slides, bridges out, brush, etc.) to?
- Does
the PCTA award me a certificate if I complete the
entire PCT?
- What
footwear do I need on the PCT?
- How
much will it cost to thru-hike the PCT, and how long will
it take?
- How
long does it take to plan, train, and get ready for a PCT
thru-hike?
- How
warm a sleeping bag do I need?
- How
many people start and finish thru-hikes of the PCT each
year?
- Why
do most thru-hikers head north?
- What
other planning resources are available on this site?
All the maps you will need
to use the trail are included in the PCT Guidebooks, which
are available for purchase from our online store. For help
finding additional maps, click here.
You can find map data at the PCT Forest Service website or locally at Media Maps & Images.
There are long waterless
stretches but the guidebooks list all known water sources
so you know how much to carry. All water should be treated
or filtered. Visit the Water
Purification section of this site for more information.
Yes, permits are required
in all wilderness areas, National Parks, and other restricted
areas along the trail. You can obtain a permit from the agency
on which your PCT trip originates. For example, if you plan
to travel from Echo Lake to Castle Crags State Park, you would
need to contact the Eldorado National Forest since your trip
would begin in that forest. They would issue a permit good
for your entire trip. The PCTA can issue a wilderness permit
for trips of 500 miles or more along the PCT. Visit the Permits
section of this site for more information.
From downtown San Diego,
you need to get to El Cajon Transit Center via Bus or trolley
(several routes are available) where you will transfer to
the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus to Campo (Route
894). A current schedule is available on from the San
Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
Depends on season and snowpack.
Many north-bound hikers carry an ice axe starting at the Mexican
border to provide an extra margin of safety on high steep
snow slopes in early season - this assumes you are already
qualified in the technique of self-arrest. Consider mailing
your ice axe home or ahead when you get through the high Sierra.
No. You will probably be
able to count them on the fingers of one hand when you finish
the PCT. Plan to keep clean with cold water!
Successful completion of
the PCT requires a high level of physical and mental
conditioning, as well as the skills covered in the The Pacific
Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook by Ray Jardine. (The Hiker's
Handbook is now out of print but Jardine has a new book out
called Beyond Backpacking in which he expands on his theories
and techniques). Ray Jardine recommends trimming every
conceivable superfluous ounce from your pack since the effort
to carry each ounce is greatly amplified over 2,600 miles. Ray
and Jenny Jardine thru-hiked the PCT in '94 with packs
weighing less than 10 lbs. (excluding food and water).
Jardine's techniques are controversial and not for everyone.
Many hikers end up using some but not all of his
recommendations.
Additionally, this site contains a lot of helpful planning
information. Visit our Resources
section for information on maps, trip partners, our mentors
program, and much more.
Most long distance travelers
send self-addressed food boxes from home to outposts along
the way (listed in the PCTA's Town Guide, Wilderness Press
PCT guidebooks and Ray Jardine's PCT Hiker's Handbook)
to be held until their arrival. A few start with a food box
and a spare gear/clothes box, sending these one re-supply
stop ahead, buying locally to replace what they use along
the way. Postage can be less expensive this way and there
is more flexibility and less need for a support person at
home. But don't expect to find backpacking food at small outposts.
A very few outposts now impose a holding / storing / handling
charge. Please contact all your re-supply points ahead of
time to make sure that you have the address correct and understand
any holding/storing/handling fees.
You may be able to supplement
occasional phone calls and letters home with messages (collect
phone calls or pre-addressed post cards) relayed by hikers,
riders, or others you meet along the trail. This worked well
for me. One thru-hiker kept his family informed using a very
small ham radio and volunteer ham radio operators to relay
messages. There are relatively inexpensive pocket e-mail devices
available now that many hikers find useful, PocketMail
by Sharp in particular. Finally, the more your loved ones
know about the trail, the better. Many hiker and rider families
have found the PCT-L helpful in regards to educating themselves
about trail life. For more ideas, check out the Communicator
article Are You
a Worried Mom?
The PCT is fairly well marked
and described in the guidebook such that most experienced
trekkers would find a GPS superfluous and want to avoid the
extra weight. This presupposes you can read a map and compass.
By all means carry a small compass and you might consider
a light pocket or watch altimeter to help find your location
when landmarks are obscured by clouds.
Mark them on your map, then
at the next phone, call the PCTA at 888-PC-TRAIL to report
the problem. We will post that information on our website
and update the phone message as well as notify the agency
responsible for that section of the trail. You may also track
and report trail conditions online on our Trail
Conditions page.
Yes, PCTA members will receive
a certificate if they notify us of their completed thru-hike.
Use the online Let
Us Know form to do so. Completion certificates are free
to PCTA members and $4.00 for non-members.
You might also want to send in a picture and the highlights
of your trip to be published in the member magazine, the Communicator
or post your journal to our site. Trip commentaries contain
a wealth of information and are eagerly awaited by following
thru-hikers. To post your journal click here
. For information about submitting writing or photographs
to the Communicator, click here.
There are heavy leather boots
out there but increasing numbers of hikers use running shoes
for most of the trail and fabric hiking boots for step-kicking
in snow at higher elevations (but not for crampons, which
require suitable mountaineering boots). Gaiters help keep
snow out of your boots. Below snowline I find that low gaiters
even over running shoes help keep out dirt and debris. Footwear
is an ongoing discussion on the PCT-L (an email discussion
group or "forum"). To join the PCT-L, click here.
A typical hiker wears or
carries $1,500 to $3,000 worth of equipment, spends $800 to
$2,000 for trail food and posting boxes, add $500 to $1,000
for restaurant binges, junk food, and motels at re-supply
points, add $500 for replacement boots, clothes, and other
gear, add travel costs to and from the trail and that should
just about do it. You can cut the cost of gear/clothes/and
food drastically if you are willing to make up your own. Most
thru-hikers complete the 2,650 trail miles in 5 to 6 months
that means averaging 20 or more miles a day for days actually
hiked. For more help figuring out the cost and timing of your
trip, visit Craig Giffin's Trip
Calculator.
Usually longer than it takes
to hike it - maybe 6 to 8 months.
Depends on the individual,
but most hikers find that a down or synthetic bag rated at
+20° F is a good compromise between warmth and weight/bulk.
You might choose to add a VBL (vapor barrier liner) at Kennedy
Meadows in early season for the high Sierra, or a 5° F bag.
Otherwise you will probably be a little chilly at times. Most
hikers carry a light sleeping pad, but some insulate themselves
from the ground with only clothing and gear. You will need
to protect your bag and clothes from rain and immersion during
river crossings.
In recent years out of 300
or so who start out to hike the entire trail, roughly 60 percent
finish. A list of "2600-Milers" is now available online.
You are more apt to successfully
negotiate the snow / runoff / dryness and heat / and early
winter storm windows this way.
For additional help in planning
your PCT adventure, checkout our Before Trip section (link
to Before Trip). It contains more information on permits,
health and safety, re-supply strategy, mailing labels, and
resources. For an on-going discussion of everything PCT, join
the PCT-L e-mail discussion group (also called an e-mail
forum). For more personal advice, consider contacting
one of our volunteer Mentors.
Additionally, our PCTA Communicator magazine is a great resource
for hikers and equestrians alike. To receive the Communicator
(it's published bi-monthly) simply join the PCTA - all PCTA
members receive a free subscription.
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Using Horses
& Pack Stock on the PCT
Not very many, we're still
working on finding an answer to this question. Historically,
only a handful of thru-riders have successfully completed
the trail. Section-rides tend to have a higher success rate.
Most years there are ample
sources of water along the trail. There are, however, some
sections where it's necessary to travel a short distance off-trail
to find water. Refer to the PCT Guidebooks for more information.
Not enough to depend upon,
and in some areas you're not allowed to graze your horses
or stock. If you'd like to complete the entire PCT in one
season (thru-ride) you'll need 6 pounds of grain or pellets
per animal/per day (2 pounds/3 times per day). During a thru-ride,
a support person(s) is needed to bring hay, grain and provisions
to the riders. It's possible to complete two-week trips without
support.
A good pace is 20 miles per
day for six days with one day of rest. Remember, you want
to enjoy the trail, not race through it.
Once a month or every 500
miles, whichever comes first.
About 150-160 pounds per
mule, maybe a little more per horse.
First, consider prevention
and be sure that your stock are vaccinated with a "4-Way"
(for tetanus, toxoid, inf1uenza, and sleeping sickness). Next,
invest in a good first-aid kit like the one available from
the Backcountry
Horsemen of California, Kern Sierra Unit in Bakersfield,
California.
Only for short periods of
restraint.
An electric fence can work
out o.k. if stock are trained to it. Otherwise, it may be
wise to tie one animal (preferably a mare) while the others
graze. It's not recommended to leave stock loose at night
in country that's unfamiliar to them or you. If you do, you
many end up spending a lot of time looking for them in the
morning.
Given your weight and the
weight of the saddle you don't want to add too much more.
Use small saddlebags(6" x 6" bags are big enough). Keep in
mind also that because the weakest part of the animal's back
is at the back of the saddle you don't want to put any significant
weight there - ideally no more than that of a slicker or jacket.
Your horse should be at least
six years old and well broken. Be sure your stock are accustomed
to crossing bridges, logs, streams, and rocky areas as these
are common during backcountry travel. Remember, the PCT is
not a speed trail and that most gaited horses like flat roads.
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