PCT Day 32 – One Month and 10 Lessons

Acton KOA (mile 444) to Hiker Heaven (mile 454)

It’s been one month on the trail! Well, plus one day, but give me a break, I’ve been busy ya know? Anyway, I want to start a monthly series where I examine what I’ve learned on the trail.

1. Saying “the old white guy with the beard” or “the young white guy with the beard” describes 70% of the hikers within your immediate proximity. Diversity on the trail is conspicuous only in it’s absence.

2. Hiking with your partner is awesome! At least for us. I think this largely comes down to both of us really wanting to hike the PCT, as a couple and more importantly as individuals. We can share gear and motivation, and having your person on trail keeps homesickness at bay.

3. Pack weight isn’t as important as you’ve been lead to believe (within reason). While I do believe that your bag should be as light as you can comfortably get it, I’d say if your base weight is 15lbs +/- 5, you’re fine. We’ve seen people with bigger bags cruise past us, and folks with UL dream kits struggling to crack double digit days. Far more important is familiarity with hiking and overall fitness.

4. Digging a cathole is still my least favorite part of hiking. For those who don’t know, a cathole is a 6-8in hole, 200 feet (70 steps) from trail, water, and camp, that you poop in. Yep, in nature even humans bury their poo. And while it’s not the biggest of annoyances, it certainly makes one appreciate indoor plumbing.

5. Trail angels are a national treasure. Be kind to them and appreciate these complete strangers who are helping you achieve this bizarre goal.

6. Sour gummies are bomb dot com! Haribo or nothing. Also, resuppling is strangely stressful.

7. When you visit Carmen’s in Julian you’ll see strawberries and hearts painted on the deck. These were done by a 2017 hiker trail named Strawberry, who died while hiking the trail last year when she tried to ford a swollen river in the Sierra and was swept down stream. The PCT has a lot of safe guards, but it is not a venture that should be taken lightly. People can and do die on the trail and developing your skills as outdoors person should be high on your priorities pre trail.

8. You don’t need to be an experienced backpacker to succeed on the trail – but it greatly helps. Little things like knowing animal tracks, how to anticipate flow patterns of spring rivers, how to self arrest with or without an ice axe, and personal knowledge such as how many miles you can go on a liter of water given the current temperature are all things you can learn on the trail, but you’re better off knowing them ahead of time. Luckily the trail will still be here next year, and in 10 years thanks to the wonderful folks at the PCTA. I’d encourage novice hikers to develop backcountry skills before starting the trail, you’ll be happier for it.

9. It’s better to over pack food than under pack. Always.

10. Gently Used is the best trail name of the class of 2018. Shout out to my man Sam!

Thanks to all of you who have been reading along, I don’t always get the chance to reply to the comments I get, but I read them all and appreciate every one. If there is anything you’d like me to write about or stuff you’d like to know about the PCT let me know by commenting below or contacting me via my About page or on Instagram @KayMKieffer.