One Way Ticket to Somewhere

Food on the trail is probably the most complex topic I have encountered while preparing for the hike. Of course the gear (tent, sleep system,...) is very important, but once I decided what I needed to bring, this issue was more or less solved. After all, the tent won't become stale or rancid (although it might smell that way after a while...) and I probably will not get bored sleeping on the same mat every night. Eating the same dinner every evening is a different story. I actually like to cook and really enjoy eating good food. Of course I know that I will have to make compromises on the trail, but I want to eat as well as I can. Apart from diversity, the sheer amount of food needed can seem overwhelming. Most sources estimate that a thru-hiker burns about 4000 to 6000 calories a day! Goat Lake Near PCT Section H Last not least, I want to minimize the weight I have to carry and need to re-supply fairly regularly. The PCT meanders through some pretty remote areas, for example in th...

Most people start their thru-hike at the Southern Terminus of the PCT. There are actually far more aspiring hikers than permits, so you literally have to win the lottery to get one! Sunset At Sheep Lake, PCT Section H Before I could even enter the lottery, I had to decide my start date and also make a prediction how long the whole trek would take me. So, how did I decide when I should start? The trail starts in the desert at the US border with Mexico and hiking early in the year would help avoiding the stifling heat. On the other hand, after crossing the roughly 700 mile long desert areas, the High Sierra awaits where snowy passes and flooding rivers can become huge obstacles if you enter the high country too early. Goat Rocks, PCT Section H I went back to the NOAA precipitation and temperature prediction maps from my last post and also researched previous entry dates into the High Sierra. I found that in a normal snow year most hikers started flocking into the high country be...

Once I made the decision to thru-hike the PCT, I just wanted to relax for a little bit. After all, I just changed my plans for the future, well, completely. The next set of important decisions was already knocking on my door though. Where do I want to start, at the northern terminal or the southern. And when? Decisions, decisions... Maximizing potential time on the trail was a priority for me, as I like to take many pictures and interesting side trips. If you plan a traditional hike rather than a winter adventure, the limiting factor for trail time is snow. First and foremost in the Sierra Nevada in California, where the snow levels have to recede to a reasonable level before you can cross. But also in the Cascades, my stomping grounds, where I know from first hand experience how long the snow can linger. Just two summers ago I attempted a weeklong PCT Section J hike from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass with my friend Chris in mid-July, but had to turn around on the second day as the s...

When I started researching about the hike I learned from the Pacific Crest Trail Associations website that most people spend between six and eight months planning and training. This seemed completely outrageous to me. How can it possibly take that long to plan a hike? Surly this can be done much quicker? Moving to a different country has taken me less time than that. You probably gathered by now that I am not a natural planner. Wikipedia's PCT map (adapted from the official USFS map) The more I got into it, the more I understood that there is really a lot of work to do. In addition to the hike itself, I also needed to to store my belongings and rent out my home. I will also have to leave my work and that necessitates a good deal of financial planning. And on and on it goes. It quickly looked like an almost unsurmountable mountain of work. And why do it at all? My life is quite alright the way it is. I have a cozy home, great friends, a secure although stressful job. No need to add ...

Hello there! I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) northbound (NOBO) from the Mexican border to Canada in 2022! My start date is April 25 and I will be posting updates of my preparations and hiking adventures here. So, how come I want to leave my beloved Seattle and spend half a year sleeping in a tent in inclement or even hazardous weather when I have a perfectly fine roof over my head? Why hike, scramble over obstacles, wade through rivers for some 2650 or so miles when there is a perfect and sometimes even scenic highway running parallel to the entire trail? The short answer: it is time for a change in my life and for some new goals and challenges. I have never completed or attempted a real thru-hike and my longest backpacking adventure was 9 days long. The long answer... will emerge bit by bit in subsequent posts here. Stay tuned!