We're publishing your stories, perspectives and contributions on the PCTA blog. Read on!
By Pete Fish
PCTA volunteer Bill McConnell passed away in early June at a retirement facility near his home in Big Bear, California. This was not a surprise. By my reckoning he was 97, or close to it. While it is sad that he is no longer with us, just ... Read more
By Geolyn Carvin
You’ve probably seen a Boots McFarland cartoon somewhere: online, in a hiking club newsletter or perhaps the black and white comics featured years ago in the PCT Communicator. Where do these cartoons originate and where do the ideas come from?
I’m a nature lover, like you. ... Read more
By Kara Kieffer, PCTA P3 Hiker
The sun is cresting the horizon, the air is cool on your face as you take your first steps down the trail. And what is that in the distance? A white flower blooming in the harsh desert environment? The fluffy tail of a wild ... Read more
By Dave Moore
Dennis Washburn, a stalwart volunteer with the PCTA’s Will Work for Krumms Trail Crew, passed away on 28 April. He was 75.
Dennis started volunteering with the PCTA in 2004, after he and his wife, Carol, moved to Brentwood, California. Dennis loved backpacking in the Sierra ... Read more
Have you seen our extensive advice about stream crossing safety for hikers and backpackers?
By Charles Williams
In 2016 I hiked the California section of the PCT. This trip brought me to the Southern Sierra in the month of June. As in many years, there was significant runoff from snowmelt ... Read more
By Maggie Ballew
Anemone, lupine, and huckleberry line the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington’s Central Cascades. But the winter’s heavy snows drop evergreens across the path and the rush of spring water erodes the bones of the trail.
Near White Pass, not far from the ski area where several generations ... Read more
By Mary Anne Chute Lynch
When Mitchi Haight drives from Sacramento, Calif., to her retreat home in Washington state, she passes a sign on the highway for the Pacific Crest Trail.
“I always want to get off,” and explore the trail, she said. For the last year, she’s been exploring ... Read more
Safely and successfully hiking the Pacific Crest Trail requires some basic survival skills as well as a keen awareness of your surroundings. You can’t possibly plan for everything, but you can easily prepare yourself with quality gear and enough knowledge to identify dangerous situations. Keep reading to learn the five ... Read more
Welcome to the blog of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Check back often for news about the trail.