Author Archives: PCTA Staff

The PCT lost an angel in Andrea Kay Burr-Dinsmore

December 14, 2017

Jerry and Andrea Dinsmore on their deck in September 2017. Photo by Diane Altman.

Andrea Kay Burr-Dinsmore July 1, 1949 – December 7, 2017

The stars were bright over the Baring, Washington, Hiker Haven home during the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2017, when heaven welcomed trail angel, wife, mom, grandma and PCT Mom Andrea Kay Burr-Dinsmore. She lived life on her ... Read more

Burned by fire, two more miles of the PCT in the San Jacinto Mountains reopen

By PCTA Staff

November 16, 2017

Southern CA, Trail Maintenance

By Connor Swift, PCTA Trail Crew Technical Advisor

The 2013 Mountain Fire closed nearly 25 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail through the San Jacinto Mountains as it approaches the town of Idyllwild in Southern California.

The fire burned hot and intensely, creating hazards in some places such as dangerous ... Read more

From aches to zen, this is life on a trail crew

By PCTA Staff

June 7, 2017

Trail Maintenance

NCCC Americorps trail crew on the Pacific Crest Trail

By Connor Swift, PCTA Technical Advisor

Working on a trail crew is always unique. Sometimes the experience is good and sometimes it’s bad. Either way, trail work is an irreplaceable opportunity, and most who do it remember it for the rest of their lives.

One thing is certain: you will ... Read more

Meet the mother of the Pacific Crest Trail: Catherine Montgomery

By PCTA Staff

May 14, 2017

History

An excerpt from The Pacific Crest Trail: Exploring America’s Wilderness Trail by Mark Larabee and Barney Scout Mann

Single women were spinsters and newspapers might identify a woman as Mrs. John Doe, not by her given name, Josephine. That’s how it was in 1899, when 32-year-old Catherine Montgomery came ... Read more

Doing the work to reopen the PCT in the Powerhouse Fire burn

By PCTA Staff

December 16, 2016

Partnerships, Southern CA, Trail Maintenance, Wildfire

Trail Gorillas finish up work in November 2016. Photo by Allaire Koslo

By Connor Swift, PCTA technical advisor

Wildfire in California is like rain in the Northwest: inevitable. While suppressing wildfire in California continues to be a high priority, the damage cannot always be mitigated or controlled, and unfortunately, the Pacific Crest Trail is oftentimes dramatically affected. In some cases, the PCT ... Read more

The power of gratitude on the Pacific Crest Trail

By PCTA Staff

November 22, 2016

Volunteer, Washington

The Shale Lake volunteer trail crew discuss their plan of attack to remove a giant boulder in the middle of the trail on a steep talus slope. Pictured from front to back: Andy Milgliazzo, Jennica Tamler, Kat Wallace, Sam Hartman, Erin Mullen, Thierry Chatard. Photo by Michael Weiss

By Wes Jones

Two seasons of leading Volunteer Vacations for the Pacific Crest Trail Association has left me with one obvious and lasting impression: a simple “thank you” goes a long way. For the nearly 2,000 people who volunteer on the trail each year, it’s not hard to feel good ... Read more

PCTA’s Trail Skills Colleges: a hands-on trail education

By PCTA Staff

November 3, 2016

Volunteer

By Connor Swift, PCTA technical advisor

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

It’s no secret that the Pacific Crest Trail is largely constructed, maintained, and cared for by dedicated volunteers. So, where ... Read more

Reflections of a seasonal trail worker

By PCTA Staff

October 18, 2016

Trail Maintenance

Training volunteers on proper rock bar technique. Photo by Mike Lewis.

By Ben Barry

Roughly two years ago, I signed up with the PCTA for a four-month term as a Technical Advisor. My job was to coordinate and oversee trail maintenance and reconstruction along the Pacific Crest Trail. I worked with youth and volunteer trail crews, supported corps crews and taught ... Read more