[pct-l] Interested in Hiking the the PCT one day, where to begin?

[Scott Williams]

Hey Jazmine,

Listen in on this forum and maybe even go back and search the archives for
discussions on questions you may have.  Don't hesitate to ask them as they
come up as well.  Join the PCTA which is the organization that oversees the
PCT and will eventually cut you a permit that covers all the jurisdictions
from local to federal that you'll be hiking through.  They deserve all
hikers support in my opinion.  Order a copy of Yogi's PCT Handbook and
start reading, as many of your questions will be answered by prior thru
hikers in there.  She's got tons of information and hers are the most used
guides on trail.  Check out Halfmile's PCT maps on line.  They're the best.
 The Wilderness Press Books are terrific for background and detailed
information about each section of the trail, but not many people use their
maps anymore as there are better options.  And start reading anything you
can get on ultra light backpacking.  You'll find quite a bit of info on
this in Yogi's guide but there are many other sources out now.  The lighter
you can make your pack, the happier and faster you'll be over the summer.

Hike often, far and over the biggest hills you can find while training and
start to carry a pack if that is new to you.  Up your weight slowly.
 Enjoying walking and having a body that has become accustomed to long
walks is one of the best preparations in my experience, but that's coming
from an old guy who needs to stay in training in order to be able to hike
without injury.  Many younger folks are good to go right up front and get
in shape on trail, but many also drop out very early on if they've never
done it before.  If it's new, it can be hard on your body.   I started with
3 other people I'd met on this forum.  One had never trained and dropped
out after the first day, bloodied and battered just walking the first few
miles from the border.  Another, a young woman who had hiked 3 miles per
day in Portland, no hills, as training, dropped out in tears after two
weeks.  But she had an encounter with a tick in her posterior during her
first few days and may have been traumatized when Jackass and I had to
extricate it from her behind.  Poor kid.  Gramma Lissa on the other hand
had trained well before and she made over a thousand miles of deserts and
mountains before being stopped by the deep snows of 2010 in the High
Sierra.  She was older than the other two, but loved trail life because of
her training.

That's a start and good luck on your upcoming hike.  I'm sure others will
chime in.

Shroomer