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
In January of 2021, President Biden signed an executive order putting the nation on a path to protect at least 30% of lands and 30% of its ocean areas by 2030. Known as 30×30, the initiative is a big step toward reversing years of environmental decline, fighting climate change, and ... Read more
Editor’s note: The following article by Julio Araujo appeared in our Communicator magazine in 2017. We thought it was prescient, as aspects of the scenario the author predicted three years ago are happening now. On May 4, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially shifted the baseline for “normal” ... Read more
by Matt Berger
Over two PCT thru-hikes I took tens of thousands of plant photos, figured out each plants’ identity, and uploaded these observations to citizen science websites. Getting to this point was a process that I took one step a time. Now, I’m ready to share what I’ve learned ... Read more
After two 2,650 mile thru-hikes botanizing the Pacific Crest Trail, Matt Berger shares both the extraordinary and everyday plants along each region of the trail in this 5-part webinar. This series of presentations will ... Read more
In late autumn, as the days shorten and the first rain and snow arrives, many of us put away our outdoor gear and begin dreaming of spring. But for anyone willing to prepare and give it a chance, the coming winter promises a new way to experience the Pacific Crest ... Read more
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
By Dana York
During the summer between 11th and 12th grades, I trekked 800 miles of the PCT with a high school acquaintance. It was 1979, and we were armed with a stack of 15-minute topographic maps, a PCT guidebook and a pack as large as a Volkswagen! We started ... Read more
Welcome to the blog of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Check back often for news about the trail.