Hikers, having just been dropped off by PCT Southern Terminus Shuttles and the Dandelion Farm, pose to take a group picture at the Southern Terminus with the Crest Runners.
Looking at the calendar, we are more than halfway through the year, and 2024 is flying by. By now, hikers of all ages and nationalities are making their way north (and south) along the twenty-six hundred and fifty-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Many of these hikers, who have embarked on the journey across the Pacific Mountain ranges, share a common experience: they were welcomed by one of the Crest Runners from the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
Abbie and Eric pictured at the Southern Terminus before embarking on their first hike as Crest Runners.
The PCTA, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, spearheaded the Crest Runner program in an effort to reach the hiking community to help share Leave No Trace principles, the importance of permits, and the nuances of trail and trail town culture. In its second year of operation, the Crest Running program is overseen by the Southern California and Southern Sierra Regional Representatives with the PCTA. This year’s crest runners are Abbie “Kidska” Nypaver (She/They) and Eric “Pure Stoke” Kipperman (He/Him). Abbie is an experienced hiker from the Buckeye State (Ohio) who fell in love with long-distance hiking along the Appalachian and Arizona Trails before hiking the PCT in 2023. She enjoys knitting, rock climbing, and exploring her home base in Southern Arizona when not on the trail. Eric is a Granite Stater (New Hampshire) who worked along the Appalachian Trail as an employee of the Appalachian Mountain Club for four years before embarking on a walk across the Continental Divide. Eric has a strong passion for the long-distance hiking community and sharing outdoor spaces with people from all walks of life.
Eric checking permits.
The Crest Runners have been able to interact with many PCT users. The pair spent three months in Campo, California, the unincorporated town that has hosted the southern terminus since the conception of the walk from Mexico to Canada. Roughly a 1/4 mile away from the original adobe structure that signified the southern terminus, Abbie and Eric stood waiting to meet the prospective thru-hikers and the population of passionate backpackers and day users that often frequent sections of this long-distance trail. With such a varying degree of trail users, ranging from first-timers to self-proclaimed “pros,” for the Crest Runners, it is important to meet people where they are. To educate and give people agency in the environment, one has to be open and upfront about uncomfortable topics, such as what to do with your used toilet paper. The answer is to PACK IT OUT! An even more persuasive technique was that the Crest Runners handed out opaque black ZIPLOCK bags for the devious task of packing out toilet paper and wipes and all of the other trash you generate in the backcountry. The handing out of the “coveted” black bags has continued wherever the Crest Runners may be.
Abbie and Eric at Forester Pass.
At this point in the long-distance season, most of the hikers are nearing or already past one of the jewels of the trail, the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Home to the highest point along the entire PCT (Forester Pass 13,200 ft), the Sierra is home to some of the trail’s most challenging and rugged terrain. Now, in addition to the high-exposure traverses and already frightening river crossings, there is this new beast, the South Fork of the San Joaquin—a river crossing bridge still damaged by the record snow last year. The Crest Runners get questions daily about the conditions of the trail ahead. In the word-of-mouth environment of the current year’s hikers on the PCT, it has been beneficial for the Crest Runners to pass information to hikers on the ever-changing conditions of trail closures and reroutes.
Abbie checking permits.
One of the central values the Crest Runners try to bestow is that a thru-hike is a lengthy and ever-evolving endeavor, and the plan you made in your kitchen six months ago may change. Remember that if you are unable to complete a section of trail this year, you can always go back and complete it another time when conditions make sense.
Abbie and Eric pictured with the Camp Lockett Event and Equestrian Facility (CLEEF) Crew.
As you read this, the air along sections of the trail is ripe with haze as we encounter yet more uncertainty that will throw a wrench into the spokes of people attempting their walk of the PCT. Fire season is upon us. Hikers will have to change their route to ensure they stay safe and away from the fire and smoke. One of the backcountry’s biggest skills or tools is knowing when to turn around. Before you go on a trip this fire season, make sure to look at the current fire and smoke conditions, as well as any closures or news related to the trail.
You can download the new PCTA Closure App HERE.