Warrior Expeditions: a veteran’s perspective on thru-hiking the PCT
By Jonathan B. Grant
Veterans have used nature and hiking to come to terms with their combat experiences since the Revolutionary War, when the primary form of transportation to return home was by foot. The first documented thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail was Earl Shaffer, who told a friend in ... Read more
How the Pacific Crest Trail changed my life and gave me new purpose
By Laura Johnston, PCTA P3 Hiker (2017)
The Pacific Crest Trail’s half-century birthday on Oct. 2 has me thinking about how much the trail means to me, someone born 14 years after it was established. I thru-hiked the trail and fell in love with it, but I also a discovered ... Read more
Application dates for the 2019 interagency PCT long-distance permit
We’re excited about the 2019 season on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and we hope you are too. Some of you will be taking very long hikes or horseback rides on the trail next year. This information is for you.
The 2019 permit season opens on November 14, 2018,... Read moreThis is what hiking 2000 miles feels like
By Kara Kieffer, PCTA P3 Hiker
2000 miles feels like waking up tired every morning, like eating the same food again and again until it loses all meaning. It feels like wondering with amazement when 20 miles became a short day. Like pushing yourself up the last climb of the ... Read more
Building a better backpacker: six tips for town etiquette
By Kara Keiffer, PCTA P3 Hiker
During the course of a thru-hike or section hike, you’re likely going to end up in town where you’ll encounter people who don’t live outside and sleep in the dirt. Sure, you know the on-trail code of conduct — you know to yield to ... Read more
Fulfilling a dream to climb Mount Whitney
By Evelina “Foodie” Averyanova, PCTA P3 Hiker
The alarm went off at 3 a.m. I wiped sleep from my eyes and mumbled something into my sleeping bag. I was driven — summiting Mount Whitney was my long-awaited dream. It took me an extra five minutes to squeeze my warm feet ... Read more
I was swept away crossing a river on the Pacific Crest Trail
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
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