[pct-l] Worst parts of the trail and ways to get though them

[Eric Lee]

Taylor wrote:
>
I'm planning to hike the pct in 2014 with the love of my life and want to
make the hard parts, such as the desert and long parts without resupply, as
easy as possible for her and I.
>

I strongly agree with everyone who said that flexibility and positive mental
attitude is key.  Everyone's hike will be different with different
challenges.  It's not possible to prepare for them all.  The best thing you
can do is be prepared to roll with the punches and accept what the trail
gives you.  There are very few experiences you can have on the trail that
don't have some interesting/memorable/redeeming aspect to them.

However to be a little more specific, here are some thoughts:

The most common challenge people face is probably just being not physically
fit at the start of the hike.  The best way to prepare for a thru-hike is to
hike a lot, preferably with a backpack.  General cardiovascular fitness is
useful but you've also got to condition your feet and joints to the unique
punishment of walking all day every day.  Yes, you can condition yourself on
the trail but trust me, that's not "easy as possible".  Related to that,
don't push yourself too hard, especially at first.  The toll that your daily
mileage takes on your body goes up exponentially with additional miles, far
more than you would guess.  There's a huge difference between a 20 mile day
and a 25 mile day.  It's usually better in the long run to avoid blowing out
your body in the pursuit of some short-term goal.  Town will still be there
tomorrow.  Don't kill yourself.

Extreme heat can be challenging to deal with.  You can get that in southern
California but also in northern CA and Oregon.  Start extremely early and
hike in the cool parts of the day, taking a siesta during the afternoon if
necessary.  Wide-brim hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants can help
protect you from the sun.  Some people have reported good results with a
reflective umbrella (GoLight and others make them). 

Mosquitoes in the Sierra and Oregon can be dreadful.  DEET can help but a
lightweight headnet and high-coverage clothes usually work better.  There's
no magic solution here other than to soldier through it.  They don't last
forever.

Extended snow travel can be physically exhausting and challenging for
route-finding.  Getting some experience on snow before your trip is useful
(consider Ned's snow course).  Don't be in a hurry to hit the Sierra.  If it
looks like a very high-snow year, you always have the option to postpone
until the following year.

Hiking together as a couple carries its own advantages and disadvantages.
On one hand you always have a friend close by and you can share gear for a
lighter overall load, but on the other hand you may find that you have
different styles and goals out on the trail and it can be really hard to
come to a compromise.  I strongly advise you to think carefully about why
you're thru-hiking and what you want to get out of your experience, and to
compare your list with your significant other's.  Having some guiding
principles and philosophies can make decision-making easier when you're out
on the trail and short on energy and patience.  I've seen couples become
much closer and stronger through the experience of thru-hiking together but
I've also seen relationships explode and end messily.  Be careful.

The trail is really stinking long.  It's a romantic adventure and vacation
for the first few weeks, then reality starts to set it.  By the time people
are a few months into it and they realize that they're still only halfway
done, a lot of people decide they've had enough.  That's ok - the trail will
still be there next year and you can always come back.  In the vein of
thinking about your goals, think about whether you're fundamentally out
there to get to Canada or to have a good time on the trail.  If you're more
about the latter, then you might think about doing a couple of 2-3 month
section hikes over multiple years.  That would make the overall experience a
lot easier.

Eric