Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California. Jeffrey P. Schaffer

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      Southern Terminus of the PCT

      There are several advantages to ultralight backpacking. A lighter pack is easier on your joints and muscles, making the excursion more pleasurable. Furthermore, by traveling light you are less likely to have an injury because: 1) your body isn’t overly stressed; 2) you’re less likely to fall; 3) and if you do, the impact isn’t as great. Traveling light, you’ll perspire less, which is a plus on the long dry stretches. Additionally, you’ll burn fewer calories, getting by with less food and, hence, less weight. By reducing your pack’s weight to less than 20% of your body weight (that is, about 25-35 pounds for most hikers), you probably can get by with lightweight running or walking shoes, or even high-quality hiking sandals, making you less prone to those painful blisters synonymous with almost all boots. Both lighter packs and lighter footgear increase your daily mileage, providing an advantage other than comfort. You can start later and finish earlier, thereby encountering less storm-and-snow problems in the High Sierra early in your trek, and less storm-and-snow problems in Washington near completion.

      However, there is a drawback to ultralight backpacking. If you’re caught in a blizzard or some other adverse condition, you may not have sufficient gear to survive; indeed, some ultralighters on long-distance trails have died. Also—and this applies to everyone, whether they take 4 or 6 months for a through-hike—foremost on your mind will be keeping to your schedule, but because unexpected events or trail conditions can delay you and force you to make up for lost time, you likely won’t have the time or energy to “stop and smell the flowers.” For this reason alone we suggest to those intent on doing the entire trail, to do it in 2-5+ more hiking seasons, each 1-3 months long, taking sufficient time to enjoy your trek. To most hikers 10 miles per day under optimal trail and weather conditions is far more pleasurable than 20 miles per day under hell-or-high-water conditions.

      Perhaps the best book in print on through-hiking the PCT is Karen Berger’s Hiking the Triple Crown: How to Hike America’s Longest Trails: Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail. Where Ray Jardine’s books advocate ultralight backpacking, Karen Berger offers you a smorgasbord of choices since each successful through-hiker has his or her own preferences. The first third of her book is a how-to on long-distance backpacking, while the remainder addresses specific issues on the AT, PCT, and CDT. If you plan to be on the PCT for more than a month, then by all means read Berger’s book.

      There are other books for the long-distance backpacker to consider, especially two inexpensive ones published by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The first is Leslie C. Croot’s Pacific Crest Trail Town Guide, which has detailed accounts of supplies and services available for most PCT towns or resorts, each complete with a detailed map. This is great for planning and, at 4.5 ounces, is easily carried. The second PCTA book is Benedict Go’s Pacific Crest Trail Data Book. Although the guidebook in your hand has all the necessary mileages (state mileages, section mileages, point-to-point mileages), some trekkers want more when planning their hike, and Ben delivers. The bulk of his book is a synopsis of the Wilderness Press PCT guidebooks’ point-to-point mileages, each named, and each accompanied by overall mileage from Mexico, plus elevation, and what water and/or services are available.

      How-to books and reference books certainly are useful for preparing and planning a through-hike, but so too are personal accounts, and several (both in-print and out-of-print) are listed under “Recommended Reading and Source Books.” Larger libraries may have copies of out-of-print books. There’s nothing like first-hand accounts to give you a feel for the through-hike and its challenges. And don’t forget to subscribe to the outstanding Internet mail list, “PCT-L.” To join and learn about up-to-date trail conditions, send an e-mail to: [email protected], with no subject and a message that reads, “subscribe pct-l [your e-mail address].”

      Given that few equestrians attempt most or all of the PCT, it is not surprising that a how-to book for them does not exist. However, Ben and Adeline York have self-published their notes on the whole trail, which are quite useful for potential PCT equestrians. To obtain a copy of their publication, PCT by 2 in 1992, write them at 1363 Peaceful Place, Alpine, CA 91901. For horse use in the mountains, they recommend you obtain the packers’ Bible, Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails, by Joe Back (Johnson Books, Boulder, CO). You will encounter more problems than do backpackers, and so the following caution is even more important: a short horseback trip does not qualify you for a lengthy excursion on the PCT.

      Two views of the annual PCT kickoff party in Lake Morena Regional Park, San Diego, California

      Volunteers place trail registry north of Canebrake Road

      Halfway between hikers and equestrians are those who walk the trail but pack with llamas. Like horses, llamas were native to western North America before going extinct here. Unlike horses, llamas are native to high mountains, and on erodible tread their foot pads have less impact than horses’ hooves. They are also much less damaging to mountain meadows, and do not spread exotic grass seed there. David Harmon and Amy S. Rubin have written a llama-packer’s guide, which stresses minimum-impact in the wilderness. Unfortunately, it’s now out of print.

Organizations Relevant to the Pacific Crest Trail

      The previously mentioned books should answer most of your questions about hiking or riding the PCT. But if questions linger, they may be answered by contacting one or more of the following organizations.

      Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA)

      Those planning a long trek can write or phone the PCTA for advice that is either timely (e.g., current snowpack conditions) or expert (e.g., providing specific answers tailored to each individual). If those in the office cannot answer your questions, they will attempt to find one of their directors or members who can. Since this organization has both hikers and equestrians as members, they should be able to answer questions СКАЧАТЬ