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Pacific Crest Trail

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Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail that runs from the United States border with Mexico to its border with Canada and follows the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range which parallel the Pacific Ocean by 100 to 150 miles (161 to 241 km). The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles (4,240 km) long[4] and ranges in elevation from just above sea level at the Oregon-Washington border to 13,153 feet (4,009 m)[2] at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevadas.

It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968, although it was not officially completed until 1993.[5] The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail form the Triple Crown of long distance hiking in the United States. The PCT was conceived by Clinton C. Clarke in 1932; however it was not given official status until the National Trails System Act of 1968.

Route

PCT trail overview from Forest Service brochure (click to enlarge)

The route is mostly through National Forest and—where possible—protected Wilderness. It avoids civilization preferring instead scenic and pristine mountainous terrain with few roads. It passes through the Laguna, San Jacinto, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Liebre, Tehachapi, Sierra Nevada, and Klamath ranges in California, and the Cascade Range in California, Oregon, and Washington states.

Thru-hiking

Each year, about 300 people, commonly called thru-hikers, attempt to hike the entire trail from end-to-end. The trip usually takes between four and six months. Around 180 complete the hike each year. Most thru-hikers start from the Mexican border and reach the north end of the trail before the first hard snow. Picking up supplies along the way, usually packages sent to them via mail, most hikers cover about 20 miles (32 km) per day.[6]

In 1970, Eric Ryback, a 17-year-old student, was credited as the first thru-hiker on the trail and his 1971 book The High Adventure of Eric Ryback: Canada to Mexico on Foot focused public attention on the PCT. Wilderness Press, publisher of guide books "The Pacific Crest Trail: Volume One and Volume Two", raised in those books specific doubts about Ryback's claim and produced evidence that he accepted rides for some of the journey. Ryback and Chronicle Publishers sued Wilderness Press[7] but the suits were dropped in 1974.[8] The truth of Ryback's claim is still debated.

The first person confirmed to have thru-hiked the entire PCT, as well as the first person to hike from south to north, was Richard Watson, who completed the trail on September 1, 1972.[citation needed] The first woman was Mary Carstens, who completed the journey later in 1972 accompanied by Jeff Smukler.[citation needed]

The first person to have thru-hiked the entire PCT both ways in a single continuous round-trip was Scott Williamson, who completed the "yo-yo" circuit on his fourth attempt in November 2004. Williamson traveled a total of 5,300 miles (8,529.5 km) in 197 days, covering an average of 35 to 40 miles (56.3 to 64.4 km) per day when not in snow, wearing an extremely ultra-lightweight pack, which "without food, weighed about 8.5 pounds" (3.864 kg).[9] Williamson then went on to complete a second round trip on November 28 2006, cutting two weeks off his 2004 time.[10]

The youngest person to successfully thru-hike the trail is Mary Chambers, who hiked the route from April-October of 2004 at the age of 10. She completed the trek with her parents, Barbara Egbert and Gary Chambers. Egbert authored a book about their experiences on the trail, entitled Zero Days. It was published in January 2008 by Wilderness Press.[11]

Locations of interest

The following areas or points of interest are found along or adjacent to the route of the Pacific Crest Trail. They are listed from south to north to correspond with the itinerary typically followed by thru-hikers to take advantage of the best seasonal weather conditions. The numbers in parenthesis correspond to the numbers on the PCT overview map above.

Vasquez Rocks
Kings Canyon National Park
John Muir Wilderness
Ansel Adams Wilderness
Devils Postpile National Monument
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Castle Crags Wilderness
Crater Lake National Park
File:Oregon jefferson park 20060805-0940.jpeg
Mount Jefferson and Jefferson Park
Mount Hood Wilderness
Bridge of the Gods
Glacier Peak Wilderness
North Cascades National Park

California

Oregon

Washington

British Columbia, Canada

Future

Portland, Oregon's 40 Mile Loop proposes to extended the Springwater Corridor hiking and bicycling spur trail to connect to the Pacific Crest Trail.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ McHugh, Paul (2006-02-16). ""Hiker travels light, fast on Pacific Crest"". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b Sources disagree on Forester Pass's elevation. The Forest Service's "PCT Online Guide". claims 13,180 feet (4,017 m) while the USGS "Geographic Names database". says 13,153 (4,009 m), but inspection of the "TopoQuest". map indicates a little less than 4,000 m (13,123 ft).
  3. ^ USFS Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Website
  4. ^ Pacific Crest Trail Association. "Pacific Crest Trail - Frequently Asked Questions". Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: Online Map and Guide - Mexico to Canada. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2006-09-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Pacific Crest Trail Association. "History of Pacific Crest Trail". Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: Online Map and Guide - Mexico to Canada. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2006-09-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "FAQs". Pacific Crest Trail Association. Retrieved December 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Oakland Tribune, Aug. 29, 1973
  8. ^ Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, Case Number 664-593, Request for Dismissal
  9. ^ "Hiker Completes First Round-Trip of Pacific Crest Trail". Outside Magazine. 2004-11-18. Retrieved 2006-09-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "A solo accomplishment is appreciated by many". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2006-12-02. Retrieved 2006-12-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ "40 Mile Loop map" (pdf). 40-Mile Loop Land Trust. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
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