PCT Days 2013 was a major good time

When the opportunity arises, we like grass between our toes, island camping and quality time with friends. Smash that together with movies, a delicious food truck and hyper-local brewery, and the most well-stocked raffle ever and we know we’re going to have fun.

The great joy of PCT Days is that its purpose is basic and fundamental – to celebrate the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s the spirit of summer: kick back, slow down and laugh. Fuse the feeling of summer with the passion that we all share, the PCT, and you get one darn good weekend. Whether you spent the summer racking up trail miles, feeding hungry hikers, digging trail, or working on policy (like we did), by September, it’s high time to celebrate.

We had a great weekend reconnecting with friends. Photo by Terri "Splash" Steele

It was a weekend of connections. Photo by Terri “Splash” Steele

Thunder Island filled with tents.

Thunder Island filled with tents for the weekend.

Five hundred people came. Twenty-one very cool organizations and outdoor companies brought gear and friendly faces. Contests were won and gear and advice was dished out. By the end of the weekend, $6,000 was raised for the benefit of the PCTA. That’s money that will go exactly to where it’s needed.

Friday night saw the clouds leave and a beautiful screening of the JMT documentary Mile, Mile and a Half. Saturday was a day of chatter, frisbee, tasting Thunder Island Brewing’s first ever batch, and getting to meet the companies that make the gear that we play with. We watched eagerly as the raffle unfolded and sat through lectures about topics like hiking with dogs. Stuffed with local salmon and pulled pork, we settled into the night with an excellent slide show and very fun dance party. The thru-hikers impressed; still ready to dance even after 2155 miles.

On Sunday, some hit the trail or the road home, and others gathered for a disc golf tournament or lingered around the gorge.

We gathered Saturday afternoon to listen to talks and watch boats.

We gathered Saturday afternoon to listen to talks and watch boats.

PCT Days was such a success because you made it so. Thanks for coming. Thanks for being a part of the community. Special thanks to the outdoor brands that showed up. That’s business giving back to the places where we play.

For the organizers of the event (it’s volunteer run), we save our sincerest applause. You did an amazing job infusing fun into summer. You raised funds for PCTA and gave Cascade Locks a shot of PCT eco-tourism dollars.

With that, we hoist Jason “Nabor J” Waicunas up on stage. Jason’s volunteerism makes our community stronger. When not volunteering, Jason is a photography teacher and outdoor guide. Fully licensed and permitted, Outdoor Viewfinder offers photography workshops on Mt. Hood National Forest and in the Columbia River Gorge. Outdoor Viewfinder is a Mojave Desert Partner of the PCTA. Thanks for your support Jason!

Thanks to all of the event sponsors for donating gear to this very successful raffle!

Thanks to all of the event sponsors for donating gear to this very successful raffle!

Author: Jack "Found" Haskel

As the Trail Information Manager, Jack works to connect people to the PCT. He's involved with a wide variety of projects that help the trail, the trail's users and the community that surrounds the experience. He has thru-hiked (Pacific Crest Trail in 2006; Colorado Trail in 2008; Continental Divide Trail in 2010) and is an obsessed weekend warrior.