View Full Version : PCT thruhike scheduling question
Hi!
I thruhiked the AT in 2008 in exactly 5 months, and I am planning on trying to try to thruhike the PCT in 2011. I'm starting to do some preliminary planning, and one major constraint that I have is that I am going to be starting medical school around august 20th of 2011. I would like to hike the entire PCT, but I've been looking around, and it seems that the zero day festival is in late april. I had been thinking that with luck I could hike the PCT in 5 months, but if I start in late april, I would need to do a faster pace or shorten my hike, both of which I think are possible, but not desirable.
Two questions:
Can someone tell when the earliest one would be able to being a thruhike of the PCT is?
Any general advice as to how to sort through this?
Thanks,
Extra
Pacific Tortuga
11-28-2009, 17:02
Try PM Jester2000, he will give you some good info. :welcome
Your starting date will probably depend on how much snow there is this winter. But as for trip length, my thru took 4 months and 3 weeks at a pretty reasonable pace (with 24 zero days). If you did the AT in 5 months, you should have no trouble doing the PCT in 4 1/2 or even much less.
I left Campo on April 18, 2006 and ran into snow and ice (in week #2) near San Jacinto that really slowed me down.
Every year is different. Trying to predict snow levels in the CA mountains is tough. Springtime snows can throw you schedule way off.
If you want to gain a week or two, start April 15th and hike south from Idylwild to the kickoff. Then hitch back and stay ahead of the pack.
ARambler
11-28-2009, 18:30
I left Campo on April 18, 2006 and ran into snow and ice (in week #2) near San Jacinto that really slowed me down.
Every year is different. Trying to predict snow levels in the CA mountains is tough. Springtime snows can throw you schedule way off.
If you want to gain a week or two, start April 15th and hike south from Idylwild to the kickoff. Then hitch back and stay ahead of the pack.
Good advice, and also check out the unofficial alternatives around San Jocinto.
Unfortunately, the kickoff is too early for fast hikers in a normal snow year, unless you are capable of tough conditions in the sierras. If you can navigate the snow, stream crossings and probably at least one extra side trip for resupply, you may be facing an extra week for the sierras. This year, of 4 of the hikers who finished by August 19, 2 hiked the trail more than half a dozen times, 2 broke the supported record in an unsupported hike, and one I saw hiking the 100 mile wilderness in 3 days. You will not succeed as a 5 month AT hiker. I feel the pct is about 10 pecent faster per mile and 20 percent more miles, for about 10 % longer. Most hikers grow, and actually hike the pct fatser than the AT. However, you want to be at the top end of the speed spectrum. What are the records?... 42 days for the AT and 66 days for the pct?
I hiked about 1500 miles of the pct after undergrad, and that was certainly a good adventure. There is good transportation from the WA/OR border to get home.
How did you get accepted to Medical School in 2011?
Rambler
In 2008 I started April 16th and finished September 15th with FIFTY THREE zeros and 250 missed fire miles. I'm not at all a slow hiker but neither am I Scott Williamson.
In 2009 I started April 26th and finished September 4th with 18 zeros, countless neros and no missed miles from fires. both years I went at a comfortable pace and never had to force myself to hike, I just hiked miles that felt good. I rarely (maybe twice) night-hiked and often would hang out with people in towns.
If you start from the kickoff and do 25s and take a couple zeros you can hit Kennedy Meadows by May 31st pretty easy. Take a zero or two and enter June 2nd or so (that's what I did this year). There will be snow but there will also be other people to hike with. The snow is not that scary at all, just be safe and time your ascents/descents for late morning. you can easily make it to south lake tahoe by July 2nd or so. And if you then proceed to do 30s every day (not very hard on the PCT, in my opinion) and take it easy on the zeros (maybe 4 or so, that's just a rough idea) you can definitely finish by the end of August.
As for snow early in the beginning, don't worry about it. If you have maps and start from the kickoff it's not a problem, just hike with someone in the areas that are really snowy (maybe 2? 3, tops). Mostly just San Jacinto (Idyllwild area) and Mt. Baden Powell (wrightwood area).
So, don't worry about it. You can totally do it.
Spirit Walker
11-28-2009, 19:27
One alternative is simply to see how it is going. If you are slowed down by a heavy el Nino snow year, then just hike California. A lot of hikers end up quitting at about 1700 miles. Or do California and ORegon and save Washington for another year. IT doesn't have to be all or nothing.
For some context I hiked the AT in 5 months also (17 zeros).
Hiked the PCT in just under 5 months with 30+ zeros. Kick off to Sept 20th.
As others have mentioned, it basically depends on the snow. I gotta say though, 2007 was a REALLY low snow year and there still were very few people finishing before August 20th. I suppose that year you coulda started in early April and gone all the way thru.
In a normal or high snow year you'll have to do major miles to finish before September, like 30+ average after the Sierra. It's certainly doable, but not a lot of fun and you'll probably be alone.
If it were me, I'd enjoy it at a more leisurely pace and set my sights on Cascade Locks where you can easily catch a lift to Portland Airport.
Best of luck
to give you a perspective on this year, I finished September 4th and about 15 people finished in front of me (not counting section hikers). I hiked with another person the entire time, never did a section alone aside from idyllwild to big bear, and there were other people around, I just chose to hike by myself. Yes, up front there are not tons of people, but if you bond with people before and in the sierras, especially people who have it in them to do 30s without getting all worried about it, you can totally hike with someone all the way to the canadian border (as long as you're thinking august 30th or so and not august 15th.
But yes, the vast majority of people will be behind you after you hit Ashland. And you'll be at what's considered the "front of the pack" right when you leave kennedy meadows, although there'll still be plenty of people. I entered the Sierras in early june (june 2nd to 5th area) both years with plenty of people with me and ahead of me. And 2008 was an average snow year and 2009 was average snowpack with a couple feet of fresh june snow (so a bit higher than average, in reality).
garlic08
11-29-2009, 11:05
If you start from the kickoff and do 25s and take a couple zeros you can hit Kennedy Meadows by May 31st pretty easy. Take a zero or two and enter June 2nd or so (that's what I did this year). There will be snow but there will also be other people to hike with. The snow is not that scary at all, just be safe and time your ascents/descents for late morning. you can easily make it to south lake tahoe by July 2nd or so. And if you then proceed to do 30s every day (not very hard on the PCT, in my opinion) and take it easy on the zeros (maybe 4 or so, that's just a rough idea) you can definitely finish by the end of August.
This is pretty much exactly what I did, in '04. Start at the kickoff, two zeros before KM, leave KM May 31. Average snow pack in the Sierra, average difficulties given the early start. From there it was 25s consistently, not 30s, very few zeros (until three in a row for a major storm in WA), and I finished early September. If I'd been motivated and more experienced (it was my first long hike) and few years younger, the end of August could have been doable. To emphasize the effect of experience, four seasons later I hiked the AT in just over 100 days, using the pace and style I developed on the PCT. I think if I re-hiked the PCT, I'd probably do it in the pace you're talking about, given the extra experience.
The kickoff isn't the only start date. Start when you want and then hitch back to the kickoff if you really want to go.
Just go as far as you can. If you don't go all the way, you'll still have a great time.
You might also try getting some of the lower more desert areas done in advance. That will push you way ahead and then of course you'll have even more snow to deal with. But if you're ok with that, then it might help buy you a couple more weeks. Section A to Highway 74 (which is in Section B) and the Mojave desert crossing could be done extra early.
As a rule of thumb, if you did the AT in 5 mos, you'll probably do the PCT in 4 - 4.5 mos. (Generally lighter gear, more experienced hikers, less trail culture to suck you in towns, easier trail in parts)
Good luck and have fun!
Thanks so much for all the good advice guys! I really appreciate being part of such a supportive community. When I hiked the AT I was blown away by how helpful people were, and its nice to see that the online trail community is just as great.
[quote=eXtra;925869]Hi!
I thruhiked the AT in 2008 in exactly 5 months, and I am planning on trying to try to thruhike the PCT in 2011. I'm starting to do some preliminary planning, and one major constraint that I have is that I am going to be starting medical school around august 20th of 2011. I would like to hike the entire PCT, but I've been looking around, and it seems that the zero day festival is in late april. I had been thinking that with luck I could hike the PCT in 5 months, but if I start in late april, I would need to do a faster pace or shorten my hike, both of which I think are possible, but not desirable.
Two questions:
Can someone tell when the earliest one would be able to being a thruhike of the PCT is?
Any general advice as to how to sort through this?
If my math is correct, you will need to start a 5 month PCT thru-hike, almost assuredly in Campo, assuming you need to finish around Aug 15, around March 15. To do that you are going to have a very tough time doing a straight thru. You are VERY likely going to run into deep snow with no or little trail to follow in some areas. Prepare to leap frog around to accomplish your goal. Doable though! I think it definitely could be done!
Jester2000
12-02-2009, 10:39
I hiked the PCT about a month faster than the AT, taking 5 1/2 months with too many zeros to count. To give you an idea of how many zeros I took, people who started on the same dy as me finished a month ahead of me, and they weren't rushing.
That said, you might, as others have mentioned, get slowed down in the Sierra if you start early.
What I would suggest would be to start as early as you feel you need to, leave KM early and see how it goes for the first couple of days, getting an idea of how the snow is. If you feel you're going to get bogged down in th passes, bail into Lone Pine, get the bus to Tuolumne, and continue North.
After you finish at the Northern border, get back down to Tuolumne and Southbound with the JMT hikers and finish on top of Whitney. Not an ideal way to hike the PCT, but a great place to finish.
Alternately, as ATrain and others have suggested, just start and see how far you can get. It all depends on how important the goal of thru-hiking the trail is. Your priorities might change while you're out there.
ARambler
12-02-2009, 16:50
Thanks so much for all the good advice guys! I really appreciate being part of such a supportive community. When I hiked the AT I was blown away by how helpful people were, and its nice to see that the online trail community is just as great.
It would be great if you updated us on your success. It would also be interesting to know if there was any actual advice that helped, like flipping or shortening you goal.
This list gets lots of threads started by someone with <10 posts who want to hike extra fast or cheap. They usually want to be in the top 10% or even 1%. The more people that respond with realistic assessments, the more others chime in with support for the thread starter's plan. Note, most of the support came from those who think a Aug 19 finish is doable, not those who have done it.
While you may have less than a 50 % chance of finishing the pct by Aug 19, you have hiked the AT, so you have a lot more credibility than those who want to hike the AT in 100 days. Also, your med school acceptance shows some intelligence and ability to achieve goals. Good luck and hope to hear from you in another year and a half.
Rambler
Rambler:
Well, I definately have a better idea now about the type of challenge I would be taking on with this type of hike. It sounds like to really be sure about finishing on time, I'd be smart to do some sort of flip/ hopping around. It also sounds like it might be doable as a straight thru with a tremendous amount of effort and very few zeros. I'm not totally sure I'm going to want to do that, but at least I understand my options. The most appealing sounds like it would be just to start at a normal time and see how if I really want to try for superman miles. Obviously, I take it as a given that I'll need a lot of luck and planning one way or the other to hike the whole trail or even close to it.
A friend of mine did the PCT in 3.5 months.
Larger mile days, few zeros, lots of discipline (and it was his first time on the PCT). May be worth checking out his journal:
http://cwillett.imathas.com/pct/index.html
He called his trek on the PCT "A beautiful thing". So it is possible to hike the PCT at a faster pace without feeling rushed..if you are into that pace (which just means hiking all day and fewer town stops. Not hiking fast per se)
FWIW, I did the PCT in ~4 mos and hiked the AT in 5 mos.
frisbeefreek
12-03-2009, 18:59
I did it in 107 days this year (May10-Aug25). Left KM on June 9th. There were a couple of other hikers with almost the same schedule (Road Runner, Josh).
Base pack weight was 15#. Cooked a hot meal every day until White Pass in Washington.
I basically kept moving the entire time. 4 zeros total (2 unplanned to replace premature shoe failure). 28 "resupply" days where I averaged 19mpd, and 29mpd on the full hiking days. Only 9 days where I did less than 10 miles (including zeros).
Note that I started with trail feet - I hiked from Springer to Pearisburg in March - So I was able to leave Campo doing 25+ comfortably and not blister up my feet (second day for me was 12 miles on Kitchen Creek road in 90F due to detour - that sucked until I had a beer at Mt Laguna).
I really enjoyed the hike. I liked the physical challenge, and I generally prefer to hike alone, so moving fast was just dandy. If I did it again, I'd probably be under a 100 days simply because I'd save time with resupplies.
Walking Thunderbird
12-14-2009, 15:04
I finished a SOBO AT thru-hike in 75 days (2.5 months). Could I do a PCT thru-hike in about the same time, or maybe even a bit less?
garlic08
12-14-2009, 15:17
Wow, that's a pace. Congratulations on your hike.
I hiked the AT last year (in 106 days) four years after hiking the PCT (130 days). My daily average mileage on the AT was a little faster than my PCT pace, but that was due as much to experience as anything. Most AT hikers increase their pace on the PCT, but again, I think that's experience and lighter pack weight.
Not many hikers have hiked the PCT faster than 75 days, but then again, very few can hike the AT at that pace, either. If all goes well, you may be able to make it. If you're even considering it at this point, you must not have hurt yourself on the AT, which is a good sign. I know at the end of my first thru hike, the PCT, I sure didn't have immediate plans to go right back out on a long hike!
You'll have a few more nature extremes to plan around on the PCT at that pace. For instance, you'll either have leave MEX (assuming NOBO) later than normal and deal with a hotter desert hike, or deal with very high snow and water levels in the Sierra.
Remember the PCT is several hundred miles longer then the AT. The unsupported PCT record was just set this year and was 65.5 days (they also broke the supported record at the same time). However, they hiked basically hiked into the dark hours, skipped breaks and eat while walking. If thats the kind of trip you want, then yes, you could possibly hike in about the same time or less. Be aware the your resupply distance will be much greater and you'll have to carry more water then you did on the AT while covering those high mile days.
One of the two guys that broke the record this year (Scott Williamson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Williamson_%28hiker%29)), co-set the previous record the year before with Tatoo Joe at just under 80 days. I think that might have been Scott's 8th thru-hike of the PCT. So to do it in 75 days you would have to beat last year's unsupported record by 5 days. I (more than) suspect that part of the reason Scott can go as fast as he does now includes his intimate and detailed knowledge and experience from past thru-hikes, so while technically possible I think you'll be very wise to not count on completing it that fast.
Walking Thunderbird
12-14-2009, 18:04
Yeah, no major injuries, other than lingering knee pain.
I think the distance between resupplies might slow me down. I flew through a lot of the AT because I could stop every 2-3 days for food, and I never carried more than 2 liters of water at a time. Almost always under 20lb even with food and water. I didn't do much night hiking, other than maybe half and hour to an hour a few times to reach a shelter.
I've heard that the PCT elevation is easier than the AT. There's nothing like the Whites or southern Maine on the PCT, right?
Jester2000
12-14-2009, 18:10
I've heard that the PCT elevation is easier than the AT. There's nothing like the Whites or southern Maine on the PCT, right?
Well, the grades tend to be smoother, as does the footbed itself; my understanding is that this is because the trail is graded for horses. On the other hand, there isn't anything like Forester Pass on the AT. I find myself slowing down a wee bit once I get above 12,000 feet.
For a fair portion of the PCT 5- or 6,000 feet would be considered low elevation; it would also be one of the higher points on the AT. Depending on how your body feels about elevation, that might matter.
One of the two guys that broke the record this year (Scott Williamson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Williamson_%28hiker%29)), co-set the previous record the year before with Tatoo Joe at just under 80 days. I think that might have been Scott's 8th thru-hike of the PCT. So to do it in 75 days you would have to beat last year's unsupported record by 5 days. I (more than) suspect that part of the reason Scott can go as fast as he does now includes his intimate and detailed knowledge and experience from past thru-hikes, so while technically possible I think you'll be very wise to not count on completing it that fast.
Just to clarify, I believe Joe and Scott's record was about 71 days and Scott and Adam knocked that down to 66 days this summer, so it is possible, but as you mentioned Scott knows the trail as well as anyone. I believe he's around a dozen PCT thru-hikes.
frisbeefreek
12-14-2009, 23:38
The thing I found that slowed me the most on the PCT was resupplying.
I tried to minimize getting off the trail (for example, I hiked straight from Kennedy-->Tuolumne and was willing to carry 8-days of food instead of 5 so I could skip a town), but there were many cases where you have to hitch into a small town. Getting in and out efficiently wasn't always easy.
I (more than) suspect that part of the reason Scott can go as fast as he does now includes his intimate and detailed knowledge and experience from past thru-hikes, so while technically possible I think you'll be very wise to not count on completing it that fast. - BrianLe
DITTO!
I finished a SOBO AT thru-hike in 75 days (2.5 months). Could I do a PCT thru-hike in about the same time, or maybe even a bit less?- Walking Thunderbird
I've heard that the PCT elevation is easier than the AT. There's nothing like the Whites or southern Maine on the PCT, right?- Walking Thunderbird
With all due respect to you Walking Thunderbird and your accomplished trek time on the AT if you have to ask questions like these you may not yet be in the best place to attempt such a fast hike of the PCT.
Scott Williamson may very well know more about thru-hiking/trekking the PCT(NOBO, SOBO, YO-YO, resupplying, etc) in all seasons at a record setting pace than anyone else around. You can crunch the numbers, but I think he avg. more than 40 miles per day on his last record setting pace. It may seem odd enough, but in 2008, while breaking the previous PCT thru-hiking record, set by him in a previous yr, he still found the time to be cordial and polite enough to stop and share trail info and stories with other hikers - stand-up guy!
Yeah, 75 days is probably not doable for an average person with no foreknowledge of the trail and no support. I'd say a very fast but achievable pace for a first-time hiker is probably 90-100 days. That's still quite fast but it gives you enough wiggle room to allow you to figure out how stuff works on the trail. I think 90 days for the PCT would be like a 29.5 mile per day average, overall. That means 30+ every day with only a few neros. Doable, but that's very fast, especially for a first time hiker. I'd say the average person that is considered "fast" on the PCT finishes the trail in about 120 days with maybe 10 or 14 zeros. Some people are faster than that their first time, but most are about that or slower (keep in mind these are the "fast" people, whatever that means). I finished in about 125 days this year, on my second thru-hike, with 18 zeros.
The PCT is harder to just rip right down, because of the way you have to stagger your entry periods to various sections because of snow, water, etc. And while yes, it's graded much nicer than the AT, it still has plenty of overall elevation change (partly because of the extremes of altitude -- 13200 ft to as low as 140 ft). So it can still be a very tiring trail.