PCT Journal: The Beginning Draws Near
The time to start my thru-hike of the PCT is drawing near. To think that in three days, I will stand on the border with Mexico, face north and start walking towards Canada, fills me with joy and excitement.
Pacific Crest Trail Ambassador
This week I received news that I was one of ten hikers selected by the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) to serve as a P3 Hiker! This initiative’s goal is to protect, preserve and promote the PCT, hence the P3…
The Things I Carried
There is a saying in the thru-hiking community that the trail provides. Lose your sunglasses one day? Find a pair dropped on the trail the next. Running out of food? There’s a trail angel grilling up some hamburgers at the next road crossing. Though I haven’t started the trail, I find it is already providing me with a lesson in minimalism.
Officially Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
It is official! I received my permit and will be setting off on April 23rd from the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in Campo, California. I am beyond elated that this train is about to leave the station, so to speak, as it has been idling there for over a year.
Pacific Crest Trail Gear
Before we get into gear, I want to take a step back and examine the reasons we use gear in the first place. I think there is value in considering the why before considering the what. Too often we run around buying the newest and lightest gear to assuage our fears of the unknown, to go along with the heard or to be taken “seriously.” By thinking critically and really examining why we are buying something and how it will help us achieve our end goal, we can make smart decisions that assist us and save us time and money.
Ptarmigan Ridge Trail
With views of Mt. Shuksan to the east, Mt. Baker to the west and a trail that crosses ridges, volcanic landscape and permanent snow fields, the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail keeps your jaw dropping over the course of this 9 mile out-and-back hike. Done as a day hike or one night backpack, this trail won’t disappoint.
Sahale Glacier Camp
Sahale Glacier Camp is one of the top backcountry campsites in the United States National Park System. The individual campsites are ringed with rock walls and perched at 7,570 ft. at the foot of the Sahale Glacier. Behind you Sahale Peak looms and before you a sea of North Cascades peaks spreads out to the horizon.
Blue Lake Trail
Blue Lake Trail is a great hike if you don’t have much experience, want a trail with a high reward to distance ratio or just love mountain lakes with pristine, crystal clear waters. Do this hike in fall for the added bonus of seeing the larch trees, which surround the lake, turned a beautiful golden hue.
Zabriskie Point
One of the classic views of Death Valley National Park, Zabriskie Point gives an expansive view over the badlands of Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch. Best viewed at either sunrise (my personal favorite) or sunset, this hike, more of a short walk, is easily accessible to people of all ages and abilities and should definitely be on your Death Valley to-do-list.
Golden Canyon & Gower Gulch Loop
The Golden Canyon & Gower Gulch Loop takes you through beautiful badlands that are the remnants of an ancient lakebed. The colorful layers (or strata) are a visual clue to the different geological deposits that surround you as you hike. Highlights include an upclose view of Manly Beacon and a spur trail to the Red Cathedral rock formation on this moderate hike that is one of the most popular in Death Valley National Park.
Eureka Dunes
If you crave a wilderness experience of solitude, silence, and stark beauty, then the Eureka Dunes, located in the remote Eureka Valley of Death Valley National Park, are calling your name. At more than 680 feet, they are the tallest dunes in California and the second tallest in North America. Tucked at the foot of the Last Chance Mountains they are in one of the remotest areas of the park.
Ubehebe Crater
Death Valley shows off some of its diversity with the volcanic craters know as Ubehebe and Little Hebe, which exhibit colorful erosion and a lunar-esque landscape that is an excellent side trip as you make your way to Scotty’s Castle or the Eureka Dunes from Stovepipe Wells.