PCT Day 130 – A&B on the PCT

Bend, OR (mile 1984)

Zero in Bend, no hiking

We’re relaxing in Bend for two days so I’m going to keep these posts on the short side and focus on some of the more random aspects of thru hiking.

By the time we’ve left camp each morning we’ve decided we’re going to camp that night, and probably where and how many times we’ll get water during the day. This is largely Keith’s doing. He is an obsessive planner who likes to know the details of what is to come. Partially this is so we don’t get stuck without enough water or else have to hike late because we weren’t paying attention to where campsites are. But also it’s because he doesn’t want to miss out on any cool sights. He is a perfect example of the type A hiker, and he’s definitely not alone.

The PCT is largely undertaken by people who are privileged, moderately affluent, and for the most part are pretty high achieving in their regular lives. After all, how many people do you know who want to go on an extended vacation that involves constant effort, discomfort, and is wrapped up in a massive succeed or fail goal? PCT hikers are the triathletes of the outdoors world, we’re a little high strung and want to see how far we can be pushed. While you’ll meet a lot of different kinds of people on the trail, many of them will share a desire to challenge themselves, have a moderate competitive streak, and generally be bad at sitting still. Furthermore, thru hiking is a lot of logistics. From saving money for the trail, to planning resupply boxes, to researching gear choices, if you like comparing the weight of backpacks and tents, you’ll love planning for the PCT. It’s classic Type A behavior.

But those aren’t the only folks on the trail. There is a small and somewhat quiet subsection of thru hikers that are more freewheeling and intuitive. You won’t hear from these folks on the forms because they don’t care to participate in those discussions. These aren’t the people who have PCT 2020 on their Instagram accounts because they’ll decide to hike the trail only a few months before they start. On average these type B hikers are doing the trail with less money, fewer plans, and less ego attached to finishing. You can spot a type B hiker by asking them where they’re going to camp that night and watching them shrug, or else they’re the folks who are sitting like hungry puppies near the hiker box because they’re running short on money now that they’re in Oregon and want to spend as little as possible on food, or maybe they’ve just been relying on hiker boxes since the beginning. I’ve seen it done, or rather, attempted.

The difference between the A and B hikers comes down to how you view the trail. Is thru hiking about achieving a long term goal, or is it about a loosely formed adventure? I’m not saying one is better than the other, each have their merits. But it is interesting to think that this kind of life attracts such divergent personalities.