Many of us have been on the Pacific Crest Trail and heard the percussive roll of a woodpecker, seen swallows darting overhead at dusk, or watched from a high ridge as hawks soar thermals below. Whether you’re new to birding (the preferred term for “birdwatching”) or an experienced birder, the ... Read more
Canadian Jessie Lozanski thru-hiked the PCT in 2019, and interpreted some of her favorite scenes in these oil paintings. Seeing the trail in a different medium than photography conveys a vivid, textural sense that can remind us of the sharp edges, the light, and the heat of the trail. Jessie, ... Read more
As states modify their COVID-19 orders and move cautiously to reopen, the PCTA has published guidelines for staying safe on the PCT. Where local guidelines and stay-at-home orders permit—and where the trail and trailheads in your area are open—we support single-day hikes and horseback rides in your local area, ... Read more
Listen to an audio version of the poem here.
I took a walk By David Rolsten
I took a walk.
It went on forever and was over too soon Recharging batteries I never knew I had I’m so alive and sleep like a dead man Deserts in bloom, fields of ... Read more
By Kendra Slagter
I remember sitting at my desk at the office in February, crossing my fingers and hoping there would be a permit date available for mid-April. I had already written off the possibility of getting one considering how quickly they were snatched up when originally released in October ... Read more
Over the years, the Pacific Crest Trail has inspired thousands of books, articles, YouTube videos and films. Now, the trail’s influence reaches into the concert hall with “From Wilderness: A Meditation on the Pacific Crest Trail.” Composed by Southern California native Jeffrey Derus, the work is scored for chorus, ... Read more
By Sara “Peaches” Basinger
April 16th was supposed to be my start date for the Pacific Crest Trail. Instead of standing at the PCT Southern Terminus that morning, posing for the picture I have been dreaming about for years, I went to my job as a registered dietitian at a... Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended people’s lives everywhere, including in the Pacific Crest Trail community. Those who canceled or postponed a thru-hike on the PCT have turned to Facebook to show the many ways they’re coping with the loss of their dream.
Ale and Gian, from Sestriere, Italy, posted ... Read more