Twig Adventures

Pacific Crest Trail 2018

What! Another thru-hike? Right after the Te Araroa? Yes, I just couldn’t get enough.

In July 2018, I began my SOBO hike from Canada to Mexico. I finished at the end of October. The was perhaps the most perfect thru-hike I’ve ever done. It all just went so smoothly and was so much fun. I plan to hike the PCT again someday, just to relive some of the wonderful moments. Of course it will never be the same again but that’s ok. This is a hike worth repeating.

 

PCT Facts:

  • Location: California / Oregon / Washington, USA
  • Length: 2,652.5 mi (4,269 km)
  • Time Zone: PST (UTC-8)
  • Northern Terminus: Canadian Border*
  • Southern Terminus: Campo, California
  • Highest Point: Forester Pass, 13,153 ft (4,009 m)
  • Lowest Point: Cascade Locks, 140 ft (43 m)
  • Elevation Change: 420,880 ft (128,284 m)
  • Use: Pedestrian & Equestrian

*NOBO hikers can obtain a permit to cross over the border into Canada, thereby finishing the trail at a place called Manning Park, BC. There is no such permit offered by the US (even if you are a US citizen!), so it’s illegal to walk from Manning Park across the border into the US. In order to say that I walked from border to border, I started at the nearest US trail intersection, a place called Harts Pass. I hiked an extra 30 miles north, then retraced my steps. What’s an extra 30 miles when already walking 2650?

How does the PCT compare to Te Araroa (my previous thru-hike)? Well, it’s about 800 miles longer, for starters. Check out the size comparison of the state of California to the country of New Zealand. They are about the same length but California has twice the land area and about 33 million more people. The PCT also involved walking the length of Oregon and Washington State.

Since the condition of the trail on the PCT is generally excellent, I was able to do many big mile days, averaging more miles per day and finishing in 4 months. That means I hiked the entire PCT in about the same amount of time as the TA.

Here’s a list of all my posts relating to the Pacific Crest Trail. Clink on any of the links to open the post.