Q&A About My PCT Hike

There are some questions that get asked whenever I mention my PCT Hike. I thought I'd make a Q^A list of some of the questions. This is writen after i completed two weeks of the hike from Campo, CA to Palm Springs, CA. I then took a break and returned to the trail at Cascade Locks, Oregon changing from a through hike to a section hike.

• What is the PCT? It is the Pacific Crest Trail and is about 2650 miles stretching from the Mexican border at Campo, California and into Canada at Manning Park, British Columbia mostly along the mountain crests on the way. Almost all the hikers travel Northbound (NOBO).


• How long will it take? Depending on hiking speed and days off the trip can take from 4 to 6 months. I started with an average daily travel distance of 15 miles and progressed to 20 miles per day the first week. During the first two weeks of my hike the longest day was only 22 miles. At the 15-20 mile rate, and only taking an average of one day off per week it would have taken me 4.4-5 months.


• What Inspired you to do the PCT? I received a new Meetup group notification for a through hikers group. i joined the group and attended the first meeting. As it turns out, that was their only meeting but I enjoyed talking with the others and did more research about the hike. I reviewed several blogs of hikers that did the hike in 2013. I was hooked.


• How did you prepare for the hike? I regularly do weekly 10 mile hikes. I read gear reviews to determine what hiking gear I needed. I contacted another area through hiker and did a 12 mile 4000 foot climb hike up Mount Diablo. I did an 85 mile 4 day practice hike from Palo Alto to the coast and back.


• What do you eat? Just about anything that doesn't weight too much. Generally, you don't want foods that have much water in them because you can get water on the trail and don't need the extra weight of hydrated food. Most meals are just re-hydrated with boiling water not cooked. Things like ramen noodles, mashed potatoes, dried soups, oatmeal, etc. Spam in single slice packets or tuna packets, single serving summer sausage packets, cheese, tortillas, granola bars, peanut butter. My favorite meal was mashed potatoes with spam and cheese.


• How do you re-supply? US mail at the Post Office using General Delivery. Sometimes the trails passes near the Post Office and stores. Other times a little hitch hiking is needed.