Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Hiking, trekking and camping since a young age, David has hiked and camped extensively across much of the higher ground of the UK, Europe and Norway, as well as the US. A first taste of long-distance walking started with a circuit of the Tour du Mont Blanc in 1992 and led through sections of the Appalachian Trail to a full thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. Returning to the Alps David spent four years researching and exploring the Grande Traversata Delle Alpe. In 2023 David hiked the PCT for a second time and became one of fewer than 200 people ever to thru-hike the trail more than once. When not travelling David lives on the Arnside and Silverdale peninsula, a designated ‘National Landscape' on the edge of the English Lake District with his wife and dog.

Map key

Overview map


Preface

INTRODUCTION
A geologist's delight
Weather patterns
Plant and wildlife
What the walking's like
Planning
Preparation
Wilderness hiking
Equipment
Using this guide

THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Southern California
1 Campo to Van Dusen Canyon (Big Bear City)
2 Big Bear City to Agua Dulce
3 Agua Dulce to Kennedy Meadows
The High Sierra
4 Kennedy Meadows to Tuolumne Meadows
5 Tuolumne Meadows to Interstate 80 (Donner Pass)
Northern California
6 Donner Pass to Interstate 5 (Castella)
7 Castella to Interstate 5 (Ashland)
Oregon
8 Ashland to McKenzie Pass
9 McKenzie Pass to Cascade Locks
Washington
10 Cascade Locks to Snoqualmie Pass
11 Snoqualmie Pass to Manning Park

Appendix A Local information and conversions
Appendix B Useful addresses
Appendix C Other publications
Appendix D Schedules for 110 to 180-day thru'-hikes
Appendix E Summaries of Ancient Brit‘s schedules
Appendix F Ancient Brit's 2002 (160-day) schedule
Appendix G Schedule for a 180-day thru'-hike
Appendix H Schedule for a super-slow start