PCT: Logistics
Alight let us get nerdy. The next few posts are going to discuss planning for my PCT hike. I am not an expert; this is my first long distance thru-hike. Most of my information has come from individuals that have successfully completed the PCT. These sources will be mentioned and linked later. My intent is to provide details on my approach and by no means am I saying this is the correct strategy. Some of my plans will work and many of them will be a raging dumpster fire that will be designated as future Tyler problems.
Within this series I plan to discuss.
Logistics
Gear
Resupply Strategy
Permits
I will discuss budgeting and the cost of the PCT; however, this will occur after the hike when I have a more accurate account of how much this misadventure cost.
With that, let’s discuss logistics. Some quick stats (source: Halfmile’s Notes and the PCTA): The trail will cover 2,650 miles over three states; California, Oregon, and Washington, and includes 480,000 feet of climbing. Along the trail there are 87 locations where thru hikers can resupply. The average time to hike the PCT is 5 months. For the purposes of my hike, I have assumed that I will be hiking northbound from Campo, Ca to Monument 78 in Manning Provincial Park Canada. I have also assumed that I will be starting on April 1st, although I will officially find out my start date on November 14th. Logistics on the PCT include obtaining permits for the trail, resupplying, and timeline. To keep the content digestible, I am going to focus on how I will determine where and when I will be in a certain location on the trail.
2,650 miles is a long way. How is it possible that I can accurately predict where and when I will be? From everything I have read, watched, and listened to, the answer is that I cannot. I can guess but the exercise of hiking the PCT is the exercise of flexibility. This presents a challenge for many reasons. First, it affects my resupply strategy. Second, it affects what equipment I will bring. Third, it affects the duration of my trip which can create problems with budgeting and timeline. My goal is to create a space where I can feel comfortable completing this trail without a deadline, so I have made the following decisions:
Leave my job.
Creating a budget that includes all outside expenses for the predicted hiking duration (car, home, student loans, etc.).
My sole purpose for five months will be hiking this trail, and by controlling things that are controllable such as funding and personal commitments, I am working to create an environment where I have the most flexibility.
Flexibility, however, does not mean I am going into the trail blind. I still need to be able to predict the range of dates I will be in a particular location. Predicting these dates will allow me to send gear to certain towns throughout the trail, minimizing the amount I need to carry. I will also likely be sending myself a few resupply boxes throughout the trail, again knowing where and when to mail these boxes is important.
I like spreadsheets, so, I created a spreadsheet that will hopefully allow me to make an estimate of the date I will be reaching each resupply point I plan to use. I did not fully invent this. There are many sources available to help with planning. I used Halfmile’s notes, which describe the PCT in half mile increments... impressive. Also, my spreadsheet was created based on something that Arielle Shipe created for her thru-hike.
The idea is that I can predict where I will be on the trail based on my previous hiking pace. This method does require that I make a few assumptions. First, it assumes that I will be hiking at a consistent pace. This is unlikely, many hikers are faster through Oregon than they are in the Sierra or Washington. Also, injury could occur, and extra town days are needed delaying my timeline and reducing my average pace. Again, this is an estimation. However, this spreadsheet will serve as the groundwork for my resupply and budgeting strategy.
Here is a link to the spreadsheet I have created and below are short descriptions of the intent behind each column.
Column descriptions:
Mileage – The mileage location of each available resupply location.
City – Lists each city that I am predicting to stop. Some of the locations have similar mileage markers (column 1). This is because these stops are at the same location on the trail, but I do not know which I will utilize. The average distance between stops will is about 48 miles. Locations will be added or deleted as I complete the trail.
M/B (Mail or Buy) - Represents my intention to mail a resupply box or purchase supplies in town.
Est. Days – The number of days it will take to get to the next stop. This column is not exactly accurate right now. Again, I may not stop at each town.
Act. Days – The actual number of days it took to get to each town.
Est. ETA – The estimated date that I will arrive in each town based on my average hiking pace. This will provide a baseline for when resupply boxes will be mailed.
Actual ETA – The actual date I arrive at each town.
Box # - My resupply boxes will have numbers to help make supporting from home easier. I will create a list available to me and my home support for what is included in each box.
How to Ship, Mail drop address, Special Instructions, Hours/Contact - Provides necessary information for sending a resupply box to certain locations.
I want to make it clear. In no way do I fully expect this plan to succeed as described. Adjustments will need to be made on the PCT. However, I do feel creating this spreadsheet makes the idea of walking 2,650 miles a little more manageable.
