[pct-l] section hiking advice please

[Eric Lee (GAMES)]

Janet wrote:
>
For a number of reasons it doesn't look like we can get away for 5-6
months to try a thruhike on the PCT.  We can however, do longer section
hikes of 4-6 weeks.  If you could hike anytime during the year, where
would you go and when?
>

I can only speak to Washington and Oregon, as that's my home territory and where I've been doing my section hikes for the last several years.  I've covered all of Washington and half of Oregon so far, and it's all fantastic.  I'm doing another 140 miles at the end of August this year.  If I were planning a 6 week trip in that area (assuming the ability to average 100+ miles per week), I'd probably start somewhere around Sisters and head north until I ran out or time or ran out of trail.  If planning for only 4 weeks, I'd probably start at the Panther Creek Campground in Section H and head north.  Adjust according to your hiking speed.

In my opinion, the best time to hike in this area would be August and early September, with the last two weeks of August being the best all-around time on average.  In late July or the start of August you might have some mosquitoes left to deal with, depending on the weather that year, and by the middle of September you risk experiencing the joys of multi-day rainstorms, but for a six week section hike in Oregon or Washington, I'd probably start the last week of July and go through the first week of September.  For a four week trip, I'd start in early August and go through the end of August.

Eric