Mark Larabee is the PCTA's Advocacy Director. He is the former editor of the "PCT Communicator" magazine and co-author of "The Pacific Crest Trail: Exploring America's Wilderness Trail" published in 2016. Larabee is a journalist, part of a team who won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for The Oregonian newspaper. He hiked the PCT across Oregon for a 2005 series for the paper and has been with PCTA since 2010. He lives in Portland.
In the face of ever-increasing wildfire threats and a changing climate, the iconic Giant Sequoia groves of the Sierra Nevada are in the crosshairs.
“Six of the seven largest wildfires in California history have occurred in the past two years, and in that period, up to nearly one fifth of ... Read more
In early summer, we usually start making plans for an August backpacking trip. From our home in Portland, Oregon, we’re within striking distance of many great alpine and wilderness walks on the PCT, in the Wallowa Range of eastern Oregon or in the jagged peaks of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.
But ... Read more
Building long-term support for the Pacific Crest Trail is partially about building relationships with elected representatives and land managers. We do this throughout the year during our day-to-day interactions. As the new year rolls around, we traditionally bring a group of Pacific Crest Trail Association staff members and volunteers to ... Read more
The September 2017 fire that swept through the Columbia River Gorge temporarily closed 10 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and a popular PCT alternate route, the Eagle Creek Trail. Pacific Crest Trail Association volunteers were able to reopen the PCT quickly, but the Eagle Creek Trail, which follows a ... Read more
When I hiked across Oregon as a newspaper reporter in 2005, the Wilderness Press Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon & Washington guide was the key to success. I bought two copies of the book, one which my hiking partner and I ripped into “carryable” sections and mailed with our food drops. ... Read more
Let me cut to the chase. Your photographs help the Pacific Crest Trail Association protect the Pacific Crest Trail, the surrounding landscapes and the hiking and equestrian experience. They are donations to the cause.
It’s no secret that 2020 was a challenging year for the trail and for our community. ... Read more
The Great American Outdoors Act, which fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, is now the law of the land. The president signed the legislation in a ceremony this morning, a formality given Congress’ overwhelming bipartisan and veto-proof support of the law.
Many thanks to ... Read more
There’s a historic vote scheduled next week in the U.S House of Representatives on a bill that is crucial to the future of the Pacific Crest Trail and America’s public lands. We need your voice to help get the bill over the finish line.
The House is on the verge ... Read more
Welcome to the blog of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Check back often for news about the trail.