To be honest, I thought most people would bail. It was supposed to rain. Some places were going to get a half a foot of rain. Heck, I love camping. But, in that? As it turned out, just to the north, the largest summer storm in recorded history blew in. About 1,500 people were crazy enough to come anyway.
It was the biggest turnout for PCT Days, a little community festival held each year in Cascade Locks. And you know what? We had an outstanding time.
Sure, during the second raffle, it poured. People ducked under trees, holding tickets, still eager to win. That’s something to know about PCT Days. It’s home to the most incredibly stocked raffle of outdoor gear you’ll ever see. Dozens and dozens of high quality prizes are in the pot. Raffle proceeds go to two great organizations: the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the American Long Distance Hiking Association – West. Buying raffle tickets not only pays off, it pays forward.
PCTA Mount Hood Chapter volunteers taught anyone that wanted to learn how to use a crosscut saw. These beautiful photos of PCT Days were donated by Shonda Feather, owner of Gray Feather Photography, a PCTA volunteer.
Building a trail community is a large part of why PCT Days exists. Run to old friends with arms wide. Make new friends. Linger for a weekend of camping with fellow PCT fans. Learn. Laugh. Connect. So many of us are on trail – volunteering, hiking, riding horses, offering kindness, running trailside businesses – and it’s a bit ephemeral. The season ends. Some of us go home. Some of us come back year after year. Being able to gather at an event like PCT Days builds stronger bonds. Fresh faces bring fresh ideas, enthusiasms and projects.
I’ll remember this PCT Days in that way: the old and the new. The Pacific Crest Trail excites more people every day. Long-timers like Jason Waicunas, the guy organizing the event. Pioneers like Dan Ogden and Jean Mathews, who worked for presidents and helped shape the nation’s dedication to trails.
Jack Haskel, left, asks for your support, and thanks those of you that do, during the raffle. Jason Waicunas is on the right. Photo: Gray Feather Photography
Over a weekend that I’m excited about all year, Dan and Jean were my personal highlight. Conservation heroes, we hosted them at the PCTA booth. As young kids tested their might with our crosscut saw, Dan and Jean told stories of their efforts in the 1960s. A string of people who love the PCT came to shake hands and hear about Dan’s work creating the laws that established the Wild and Scenic River System, Redwood and North Cascades national parks, and the National Trails System. Jean spoke about her work helping create the Wilderness Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and so much more. These two and their stories lift my heart just as these protected places do today. Check out our pages about the history of the Pacific Crest Trail for an essay by Dan Ogden and more.
Speaking of our booth, thanks for stopping by. My utmost thanks goes to the volunteers from PCTA’s Mount Hood Chapter. You answered oh so many questions, signed up new members and volunteers and sold a whole bunch of PCT emblazoned hats, mugs, t-shirts and other items. The trail, and PCTA’s work, wouldn’t exist without your help.
Trying out the crosscut saw at the PCTA booth during PCT Days 2015. Photo: Gray Feather Photography
Other highlights? Bridge Walk. With partners (as always), we close the Bridge of the Gods to enjoy a moment without cars and build awareness of our shared desire to add a pedestrian walkway across the Columbia River. We also maintained the PCT as a part of the party. Trail crew events are the most common way we gather. We couldn’t skip the opportunity to do a little work while at the event.
We couldn’t write about PCT Days without thanking folks from the outdoor industry who make it possible. So many of you pitch in, pack up, and show up. It’s the largest free outdoor gear fair in the Pacific Northwest, and quite possibly on the entire West Coast. Your smiles, stories, games, and – let’s be honest – outstanding free schwag, make PCT Days even more fun. It’s great to put faces to companies, so thanks again for coming out! Kudos too to the other nonprofits, partners and businesses that attend. Heck, we’re on home turf of places like Thunder Island Brewing, which launched its business at the festival three years ago.
Friends reunite at PCT Days. Photo by Gray Feather Photography
Our hats are tipped once again to Jason Waicunas and his photography company, Outdoor Viewfinder, for organizing PCT Days. We’d never have the bandwidth to organize a PCT festival like this, so thanks for stepping up, for giving PCTA a place to table, for bringing our trail community together and for raising money to support our work to protect the Pacific Crest Trail.
See you next year at what will be the 10th annual PCT Days!
More time with friends. Photo: Gray Feather Photography
EDIT: I wanted to share my photos too. Here they are 🙂
The raffle ticket booth at PCT Days raised important funds for the Pacific Crest Trail.
We had new PCT merchandise for sale, including two new water bottles, new PCT hats, a new license plate frame and more.
Saturday morning started with Bridge Walk. Here, Dana Hendricks (PCTA’s Columbia Cascades Regional Representative) and her son Gus, greet the crowd of hundreds on the Bridge of the Gods.
Bridge Walk was a huge success.
Walking the Bridge of the Gods without vehicle traffic.
Lanz Nalagan, part of PCTA’s philanthropy department, manning our booth.
This is about a third of the booths. It was huge!
Lint with his raffle tickets. Both Lint and I won new pairs of boots from Danner!
The raffle.
Granite Gear had these fun name badges and were giving away backpacks and fanny packs like crazy.
Dan Ogden and Jean Mathews, my heroes.
Dana Hendricks and Dan Ogden with a copy of his Trails for America study.
Dave, the owner of Thunder Island Brewing, invited us in for a private tour. I love how passionate he is about the PCT.