From April 25th to August 18th, I hiked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Many say that your first thru-hike will always be your most memorable; and this trip sure was memorable! Through the Desert, Sierras, NorCal, Volcanos in Oregon, and the Cascades in Washington, this trip has EPIC scenery. But even better than all of this were the friends that I made along the way. Below you can find links from Planning, to days on the trail, and post trail reflections.
Thank you to everyone who made this journey so memorable. Trail Angels, family, friends afar, and most importantly the hikers I shared the trail with, thank you!!
Planning:
Gear: Making the Ray-Way Backpack
Gear: The Great Debate – Spot or Not?
Skills: Learning to self-arrest
Choosing Resupply Points and Picking Food for the PCT
Training: A prep Hike on the Colorado Trail
One month to go, and other random thoughts
Training: A ‘failed’ attempt at Mount Antero
Training – Climbing Carpenter Peak in Roxborough State Park, Colorado
Final thoughts before embarking
On the trail:
Desert:
April 25th-28th, Day 0 through Day 4, miles 0-93.5
Warner Springs to Idyllwild
Idyllwild to Big Bear – Miles 178 – 266
Big Bear to mile 317
Mile 317 – Mile 396 – Wrightwood, Mt. Baden Powell
May 12th, Day 18: 35 miles can feel good
May 13, Day 19: Agua Dulce and the Saufleys
May 14th, Day 20: A ‘zero’ at the Saufleys
May 15th, day 21: Saufleys to the Andersons/casa de luna
May 16 through May 17: Casa De Luna to Tehachapi
May 18th – Day 24: The Tehachapi Mountains
MOAR Desert – Photos from the iPhone from Tehachapi mountains
Pictures and videos of the first three weeks on trail!
May 20-23: Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows
May 24th, Day 29: Leaving the Kennedy Meadows Vortex
Pictures: The Saufleys to Kennedy Meadows via my nice camera
Pictures: The Kennedy Meadows Experience
The High Sierras:
Hello from Mt. Whitney!
Sherpa & Twinkle Climb Mount Muir
GoPro footage from Mt. Muir
May 25-27, Days 31-33: Entering the Range of Light
May 28, Day 34: Forester Pass
Pictures: Sierra iPhone Goodness
May 29, Day 36: Kearsarge Pass
May 30th, Day 37: Pinchot and Mather Passes
May 31st, Day 38: Muir Pass
Pictures: The Southern Sierra’s, Kennedy Meadows to Muir Pass
June 1st, Day 39: Muir Pass to Highland Marie Lake
June 2nd, Day 40: Muir Pass->VVR->Goodale Pass
June 3rd, Day 41: Virginia Lake, Purple Lake, and Duck Lake
June 6th, Day 43: Leaving Mammoth – Ansel Adams Wilderness, Banner Peak, Thousand Island Lake
June 7th, Day 44: Donahue Pass and Yosemite Valley
June 8th, Day 45: Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadow
June 9th, Day 46: Tuolumne Meadow to Matterhorn Creek Trail Junction
June 10th, Day 47: Common views of the trail and flying blood suckers
June 11th, Day 48: Sonora Pass
June 12th, Day 49: Easy going out of Bridgeport
June 13th, Friday the 13th! Day 50: Carrot and Twinkle Hike 40 miles by moonlight
June 14th, Day 51: The Hangover & Tahoe
June 15th, Day 52: Lazy day out of Tahoe
June 16th, Day 53: A cold, windy, and beautiful Birthday in Desolation Wilderness
June 17th, Day 54: Forests, Mountains, and Hail
June 18th, Day 55: Trail Magic after a big day
June 19th, Day 56: Feet failing – a hard 12 miles into Sierra City
Pictures: Northern Sierra’s
Pictures: Faces of the PCT
Northern California:
June 21st, Day 58: See our butts… I mean, Sierra Buttes. Sierra Buttes!!
June 22nd, Day 59: Walking in the Pines of Northern California
June 23rd, Day 60: A big day can come to a quick halt – all you need is burgers!
June 24th, Day 61: Hopping from Trail Angel to Trail Angel
June 25th, Day 62: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
June 26th, Day 63: A recipe to hike 4mph
June 27th, Day 64: Racing by Volcanoes for food
June 28th, Day 65: The desert makes its return via Hat Creek Rim
June 29th, Day 66: Kathy and Dave provide epic trail magic
June 30th, Day 67: When you plan a 30 mile day and it hits 108 degrees
July 1st, Day 68: Trail Magic helps us push a 30 in 106 degree heat
July 2nd, Day 69: Ridge Walking, and catching a hitch with a very drunk driver. Yikes
July 3rd, Day 70: Some good and some bad in Shasta
July 4th, Day 71: A Failed summit attempt on Mt. Shasta
July 5th, Day 72: Walking the beautiful ridges of NorCal
July 6th, Day 73: Plodding
July 7th, Day 74: Bears, Ridges, and Extreme Heat. Oh my!
July 8th, Day 75: Armed with Trail Pizza and Mt. Dew, Twinkle Enters the Marble Mountains
July 9th, Day 76: Pushing my limits – 45 miles into Seiad Valley
July 10th, Day 77: NO MONUMENT! The Great State of Jefferson
July 11th, Day 78: California’s Last Laugh – A lightning storm high on a ridge.
Video: Lightning high on the ridge
Video’s of Northern California
Oregon:
Pictures: Tahoe to Crater Lake
July 12th, Day 79: The Herd has entered Oregon
July 15th, Day 82: Heavy Packs leaving Ashland after two ‘zero’s’
July 16th, Day 83: Ants and Mosquitos
July 17th, Day 84: Hike 105 miles in three days and your feet will hurt… Bad
July 18th, Day 85: Hiking the rim – Crater Lake
July 19th, Day 86: Mount Theilson and the OR/WA high point
July 20th, Day 87: Guthrie’s Parents become trail angels
July 21st, Day 88: Mosquitogedon
July 22nd, Day 89: Exposed – Alone in a storm!
July 23rd, Day 90: The Sisters Defeat Twinkle
July 24th, Day 91: What to do about the fires? A zero in Sisters.
July 25th, Day 92: SoBo back through the Sisters and thoughts on hiking your own hike
July 26th, Day 93: Getting to Mount Hood. Hike, hitch, hike.
July 27th, Day 94: Bearclaw & Dirtmongers Wedding on the slopes of Mt. Hood
July 28th, Day 95: From the slopes of Mount Hood to the canyon of Eagle Creek
July 29th, Day 96: Tunnel Falls & The Lindstrom’s become trail angels to 10!
Washington:
July 30th, Day 97: The ‘Not-a-chance’ Alternate
July 31st, Day 98: Big Climbs and Blue Lakes
August 1st, Day 99: The Trout Lake Alien and Bigfoot Observatory
August 2nd, day 100: Listening to WWI history while getting engulfed in green
August 3rd, Day 101: A giant hail storm in the Goat Rocks Wilderness
August 4th, Day 102: Reunited with Brainstorm and Tiny
August 5th, Day 103: Catching my stride in Mt. Rainier NP
August 6th, Day 104: A full day of trail Magic
August 7th, Day 105: To Snoquolamie Pass, the herd goes
August 8th, Day 106: The Most Beautiful mile of the entire PCT?
August 9th, Day 107: Feeling good while chasing the gang to deception
August 10th, Day 108: A smoky half day to Steven’s Pass (my pass)
August 11th, Day 109: Watching a mountain side go up in flames
August 12, Day 110: Breaking Spider Webs
August 13th, Day 111: Old Growth, Old PCT Alt, Two Giant Climbs, and a sketch log crossing
August 14th, Day 112: Running through the rain to get to the magical Stehekin Bakery
August 15th, Day 113, Saving the best for last – A zero in Stehekin
August 16th, Day 114: Heavy with Baked Goodness, the Herd Leaves Stehekin for the High Peaks
August 17th, Day 115: The last big push – over Harts pass and beyond
August 18th, Day 115: Twinkle becomes a ‘thru-hiker’, finishing the PCT!!!
Post Trail:
Manning Park -> Vancouver -> Seattle -> NYC -> Hanover, NH
PCT -> AT: a reflection as I transition
Gear Review
One Who Cannot 