r/PacificCrestTrail

Hey, i am at Mile 209 at Whitewater, staying in a Hotel in Palm Springs. I am planning to night hike around 11 Miles at 3 or 4am tomorrow due to the extreme heat. I don't have a trail family and I am doing the PCT alone (international). This would be my first night hike and now I am getting nervous, as I heard that there are Mountain Lions and Bears around. Would it be safe to go alone?

Dont want to do it later, as I struggled a lot with the heat coming down San Jacinto, don't really want to do this again. Any Input appreciated!

Has anyone taken the Vargo BOT XL on trail? It’s 1100 ml.

Did you find it too large? Should I still with the 700ml option?

Chances are I’ll be wanting hot morning breakfast AND coffee to start the days off right. Was thinking it might be easier to heat up enough water for both at all at once

Since my last post, I've gotten quite a lot of feedback from hikers and trail angels. Most of it was very positive. However, I got a specific DM from someone who argued that TA's are "ruining the trail". Here, with their permission, was their DM: "I know your heart is in the right place but trail angels are ruining the PCT. Your (sic) conditioning a generation of hikers to expect trail magic and freebies. The water caches are bullshit. Enabling hikers who can't do the hike without help is the problem with the trail."

So, I've been sitting with this comment and weighing it for a few days. I figured I'd play devil's advocate because I don't think this person is entirely wrong. I'm interested to know what the rest of the community thinks.

For me, there are some valid truths in this statement. I have been a TA for several decades and I remember what being a TA looked like 30, 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. I've also done my own thru hike so I know what I experienced as a hiker in the 90's and 2000's on LDTs.

* Trail Angels are creating an expectation that isn't realistic. - The entitlement is real. The majority of hikers are no longer hiking just to hike...they're hiking for an experience that, more and more, has shifted focus from the actual hike to cultivating content and a pedi-cruise that happens to include hiking between ports. TAs and Trail Magic used to be the exception and weren't something that hikers *planned* to utilize. When I hiked LDTs, I literally hiked into town and hiked out of town...now hikers consider off trail miles to be a burden and expect/want pre-scheduled transportation. Trail Angels have allowed and encouraged this entitlement. Hikers also now plan stays with Trail Angels in advance of their arrival into certain towns and make it the norm, rather than the exception. On some level, if you signed up to hike a trail for six months and spent thousands on gear to sleep outside, then why are you pre-planning weekly zeroes with trail angels?

* There is a significant, adverse financial impact. - Trail Angels who host for free create a sense of entitlement. In reflecting on my own experiences (and those of other Trail Angels), I cant deny that the financial burden on hosting hikers has become untenable. Realistically, I just can't continue to host/drive at this pace. Now, as I've said before, I have a budget that I'm strict with - when I exceed the amount I'm able to securely part with in a season, I stop TAing because I'm not going to go put my family's financial security at risk. However, there is a level of guilt (on my part) and a level of anger/frustration on the part of hikers that is expressed when I won't meet their need. When I find myself resentful of hikers because they won't accept "no" or continue to up the ante to see if there's a point where I will magically set aside my boundaries to help them, that is on me. I should just stop answering the phone and have my name taken off lists when that threshold is exceeded. Beyond that, by hosting people for free or "for donations", we're actually devaluing businesses that provide lodgings. And, while we can argue that Trail Angels are positively helping stretch a hiker's budget, it's reasonable to ask if that's actually helping our communities and trail towns. As my critic mentioned, "you're not letting them stay for "free", you're letting hikers punt financial responsibility to someone else...it's not free for the trail angel." He's right. Hikers never seem to clock the fact that they'll gladly spend $200 on a resupply, $100 on town meals and drinks, and drop thousands on gear, but expect lodgings and gas to be comped because they're hikers. I've seen a hiker gladly fork over donations for gear repairs, restaurants, and beers for their tramily, but get offended when their ride or host ask for gas money. It's a disconnect that isn't healthy or realistic. The idea that a trail angel in a busy town gets hundreds of requests for rides and accommodations every season doesn't enter the hiker's mind.

* There is a significant environmental impact. - While my critic didn't mention it, it occurs to me that I've heard many hikers talk about how their hike is "environmentally sound". But, is it? If you're asking for rides to avoid off trail miles or get you skipped to another section, you're still using gas. If you're not cramming three other hikers into a car with you, then that roundtrip's worth of gas, repeated 20-50 times a thru hike, is adding a significant amount of fuel to your carbon footprint. Water caches lead to trash and overuse because hikers congregate around them.

* Self reliance is deprioritized and contributes to safety risks. - With self reflection, this one concerns me most. Critics of water caches aren't wrong! Too many hikers are relying on water caches for refills instead of using them for emergency use. And, well-meaning trail angels who place large caches are potentially giving underprepared hikers a false sense of water security. Offering shelter and rides for free or very cheap leads to hikers having an over-reliance on someone else solving their problems. Am TAs really "helping" hikers by being unpaid travel agents, Uber drivers, or hotels? Or, are we just enabling?

I'll leave you with the final, most common critique that is worth consideration...and I think we, as Trail Angels, need to really self-reflect on this: "Hikers can do and did do this hiker before trail angels." This is actually valid. We've inserted ourselves as part of the community and part of the experience for something that isn't about us. We're not "necessary" - we're a convenience. Would the trail and it's users be better off if we didn't create a cushy safety net?

Conclusion: While I'm not going to stop being a TA, this criticism and self reflection was valuable and will impact my participation going forward. How do others feel about this? Should we scale back? What say you?

Hello, I am an 18 year old from Central Az who has functionally no experience backpacking, but have done some pretty extreme day hikes including Arizona's tallest mountain twice in a day, as well as other 20+ mile loops in a day, my question however is, there is a obviously this giant gap between a gnarly day hike and consistent 18-20 mile days with my pack for months. My goal is a NoBo PCT in 2028 and a Nobo CDT in 2030. I have experience outside but it's all from a climbing background which seems pretty non-transferable here. Any advice would be appreciated, do I need a reality check? Would a timeline like this make sense for someone of my level, and what should I be doing in the southwest to train my body for the PCT?

Is this a common way to financially support a thru hike?

One of this year’s NOBO hikers (Kamryn Kirkham) is doing this quite publicly. There must be at least a few others doing so less publicly.

Has this been happening quietly for the past few years, or are we seeing the dawn of a new type of thru hiker / content creator who can stay on trail indefinitely?

Lastly, could a male thru hiker make enough with this method to pay for a summer on trail, or is this only a viable business model for female hikers?

Happy hiking!

Hello all!

I'm hiking a section of the PCT in Washington this July as my friend and I's first thru hike! We plan to start at White Pass or Chinook Pass resupply in Snoqualmie Pass then Steven's Pass and then head to Stehekin and ferry to Chelan then heading back to Seattle to fly out!

I have a couple questions about how to get to Stehekin from the trail. I've seen on several maps that there is a shuttle from High Bridge. However, I have also read that this there are no outside roads leading there. I didn't know if that most hikers used the shuttle or if there is a highway crossing that people hitch from or even a separate trail that goes to town?

I'd love any and all information and tips! Thanks so much!!

tl;dr: Here's a quick demo video and the iPhone install link (TestFlight) and the Android install link. Grit is entirely free to use, works offline, has no ads, and we don't sell your data.

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How can I try it out?

Hi all, Numbers here. My OpenLongTrails partner just got the Apple TestFlight page up, here's the invitation link for iPhones: https://testflight.apple.com/join/xtCfN9e2

We passed the Google Play testing stage for Android and now have a public listing on the Play Store, no extra steps needed to install: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.openlongtrails.oltgrit

If you tried to install before but Grit wasn't available in your country, please try again!

What's Grit?

Grit is a thruhiking app that works offline and the PCT is the first trail we've added. It's entirely free to use, has no ads, and we don't sell your data. v2.0 is a complete rewrite and includes built-in maps. This is still a testing version and probably will be for a while until we have more feedback about how it runs on different makes and models of phones, but the app works, has been stable so far, and thruhikers are using it on the PCT right now.

Grit is free, libre, and open source (MIT license), and we expect to have the public repo up on Github shortly after the regular Play and App Store pages are available.

What's OpenLongTrails?

The OpenLongTrails.org (OLT) mission statement is, "Creating, collecting, and freely distributing information about long distance nature trails around the world." In addition to being a guide app, Grit is another step toward OLT's goal of bringing information crowdsourcing and sharing to the thruhiking community, modestly similar to how Wikipedia.org and OpenStreetMap.org work.

Hikers can submit waypoints and photos in the app, and OpenLongTrails generates a curated, LNT-respecting, openly licensed, freely available dataset that's not locked behind any paywall. This is used for adding new trails to the app, and anyone else who wants to can use it in their own projects, too, consistent with the Wikipedia-style CC BY 4.0 license.

Apps come and go. Will OLT still be around tomorrow?

Different parts of OLT have been online in one form or another since 2017, and Grit is built from the ground up to be inexpensive to run and as simple as possible to maintain so that it can be around for a long time. Other elements of the OLT project include LongTrailsMap.net, forecast site LongTrailsWeather.net, the PCT Resupply Metro Map, and the (sparsely populated) LongTrailsWiki.net.

Feedback

For any questions or issues, please comment here, DM me, email support (at) openlongtrails (dot) org, or send feedback in the app.

Thanks! Updates will be available on r/OpenLongTrails.

I’m currently at Tehachapi, however, due to unforeseen circumstances I need to get off trail around mid July. I’m looking to flip to the most scenic and best sections and hopefully home then in the best conditions I can given my time constraints.

Assuming money is not really an issue (I.e., I don’t mind renting a car to flip or ubering instead of waiting for hitches, what are the best sections and how should I time them?

I’m looking to optimize deal conditions and make the most of it, take the time, swim in the lakes, and enjoy it as much as I can without being too miserable from lots of snow or postholing. I’d also love to hike most or all of the sierras.

Hey all!! I have been hiking this trail since 2021 except for 2025. I have experience with different sections of the trail.

In 2024, I broke my heel between two boulders about 1.5 miles from the splinters cabin. I was lucky that a fisherman from Washington took me up to an ambulance. Lake Arrowhead Hospital is amazing.

That leads to now. And why it is important to realize how bad it can get. I started from third gate. I got past a water thing with the help of a tramlie who were amazing! I just walked and rested and walked.. the same drill. I noticed the erosion was getting worse and I had to go as quickly as possible so I wouldn’t slip down.
At mile 303.1, I slid down. I dug my feet in and tried to catch the rocks. I was able to get up on a boulder ledge. I somehow caught my pack, which I took off. I couldn’t move. It was scary. I had to push that button. First helicopter ride, by the way.

I am just writing this so that everyone is aware and careful. I did San Jacinto in the snow in March , I know sketchy. But this experience was my end. All I wanted was my husband and kids. I didn’t want to have my end there, even though finishing pct has been my dream since 16 (50 now).

Just be careful on those eroded edges, and every pct hiker knows what I am talking about.

And yeah, it was me, hi. Most traumatic Mother’s Day ever.

About a week out!!! I’d love some input as I’m finalizing my gear. I’m looking to get to 13.5 or 13 lbs, so lay it on me.

Things I’m thinking about: -My fleece is heavy, but it’s what I got -Can’t decide if I should start off cold soaking -Possibly leaving prescription glasses behind -Cutting back on first aid

Hello hikers! I am a teacher and an enthusiastic backpacking admirer (love the idea of it but have only gone once because I'm a huge chicken) and I'm also finishing my MFA in Writing this summer. I'm leaning towards a collection of essays and stories connected to teaching and would love to possibly arrange a meet up with a teacher who is hiking the PCT this summer. I live really close to Kennedy Meadows and Yosemite. If you are a teacher who will be on the PCT in those areas between June and July, please let me know if you'd be open to being interviewed for my thesis!

I have some hiking buddies that want to join me from KMS for about a week.

Can any of you experts help me make a rough planning for about a week from KMS until a potential exit point for them to get back to LAX (Independence, Bishop?).
No need to go to extremes. A pass per day? Include Mt Whitney too if possible?

Thanks!!