Ah, the Pacific Crest Trail. Maybe you’ve heard of it before? Also pronounced “Pee See Tee?” It’s the world-renowned long trail. And by long trail, we mean that you are supposed to hike the whole long thing in one shot. It’s 2,650 miles of muscular, tanned, stinky thru-hikers....
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Few people aspire to hike the PCT in Southern California in summer. Thru-hikers are long gone, focused on snow-melt in the Sierras and reaching Canada by September. Wildfire season is settling in, causing trails—and the roads leading to them—to close at a moment’s notice. And it’s...
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July is by far the most popular time to hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington. And for good reason! The weather is great, the meadows show off their vibrant array of wildflowers, and many of the alpine lakes are just getting warm enough to...
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The trails in the Sierra and the PCT are so engrained in our 50 years as guidebook publishers that it's hard to imagine a time before the iconic Pacific Crest Trail weaved its way from Mexico to Canada. Yet Wilderness Press was already a year...
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Before there was Cheryl Strayed, there was Catherine Montgomery. In 1926, almost a century before Strayed’s best-selling memoir about her Pacific Crest Trail experience was published, Montgomery came up with the idea of creating a ridgeline track from Canada to Mexico. It seems fitting to pay tribute...
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This summer’s Netflix revival of Gilmore Girls held a plot twist that many didn’t see coming. In the third of four episodes, Lorelei, the hip, pop-culture-loving mom of the popular WB series, announces she’s heading to California to “do Wild” and hike the Pacific Crest...
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Most hikers look forward to unplugging on the trail. But there are times, especially on a thru-hike or long backpacking trip, that seeing a bar or two pop up in a remote area is a welcome surprise. It means we can call home and let...
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The first 100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail are often a heady mix of desert views, strong winds, rattlesnakes, long stretches without water, and free apple pie. As you start to plan your 2017 PCT hike, here are a few things to anticipate along Section...
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Pacific Crest Trail hikers see plenty of stunning mountain and desert views from the trail. But every so often we come upon something so remarkable it cries out for pausing and tipping one's hat in admiration. I call it PCT Art, and here's my work-in-progress collection. ...
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I was ready for the long stretches without water sources, the midday heat, and trail closures due to wildfires and endangered frogs. I knew exactly where to find the big elevation gains, confusing trail splits, and major road crossings. But, as I section-hiked the PCT...
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