LA to Canada in 3 Months?

[Lilly of the Valley]

Hi everyone! First time poster, long time lurker I think I can sell a 3 month leave of absence to my employer and will attempt a doable portion of the PCT. I'm thinking the best way to cut out some time is to skip the Sierras. Do you have suggestions on where to get on/ off? Or a better suggestion of how to cut off some time on the trail? Thanks!!

[Malto]

I would start June 15th for a normal snow year at Kennedy Meadows and head north. If you are in trail shape when you arrive then you have a good chance of hitting Canada. I would not skip the Sierra unless you have already hiked the JMT.

[Donde]

I'm thinking the best way to cut out some time is to skip the Sierras.

If you are going to skip the Sierra then why the hell do you want to go on the PCT? Its the piece de resistance of the whole trail. Did you get that idea from the book? Don't be like Cheryl skipping the Sierra and stiffing waitresses.

The above suggestion to start at KM sounds good, or Maybe start up in WA and go SOBO till you have to stop, then finish the rest another year (if you are so inclined).

[Miner]

You should mention what 3 months we are talking about as that will affect any recommendations about what is doable. If you are skipping the Sierra because you think you'll need to be there too early, be aware that there may still be too much snow north of the Sierra also (depends on the snow that year which varies in different places along the trail. I know of people who tried to skip north of the Sierra to avoid the snow and they ended up in more snow and it didn't work.

[enyapjr]

+1 to what Miner said! If going nobo, many times there is just as much or more snow in NorCal and/or Oregon - and navigation can be much more difficult there than in the Sierra when the trail is snow covered.

If your 3 months will be during 'normal' thru season, IMHO do not skip the Sierra! The Sierra & the North Cascades in WA should not be missed!
Since your 'location' is shown as Los Angeles, I would skip most of SoCal - you can pick up whatever portion skipped later on...
Walker Pass (50 PCT miles S of Kennedy Meadows) has public transit available Monday, Wednesday, & Friday (& Tehachapi Pass (~136 miles S of KM) has daily bus service). Starting at Walker Pass might be somewhat 'easier' to get to than KM, unless a friend or family member can drive you up to KM.
If you do start at KM, take a night or two for acclimating to the higher elevation - a short ways N of KM you will be over 10K feet through much of the Sierra.

[Lilly of the Valley]

Thanks for the advice!! Hadn't even thought of starting that late but make a lot of sense. Hoping to be in good trail shape with lots of practice on the weekends : )

[sbhikes]

I think a great way to do the trail would be to start at Sierra City and go north or go south. Go north if it's regular thru-hiking season. Go south if you are going to hike late summer to fall. Do whichever one you didn't do another year.

[kevperro]

If I had three months... I think I'd start with the Sierras and work my way north and get as far as I can. Of course I've hiked the southern section and I live in northern Washington so I've hiked in the Cascades a lot.

[SCRUB HIKER]

I would advise against skipping any part of the trail. Just walk in an unbroken line from wherever you start (I can't give a recommendation since I don't know what months you are working with) and look for the beauty everywhere you go. I disagree with the notion that there are highlights and lowlights to the trail that are experienced by all hikers, that you should be planning for. Everyone reaches their own high points and low points at different and sometimes unexpected places. I liked the Sierras but they weren't my highlight. My low point was in a place people commonly praise. Etc., etc.

Walking straight through whatever sections you do also makes it easier to go back and pick up the missing pieces if you decide in later years that you want to get the whole trail done. Speaking from experience here ... I left 300 miles in the middle of the AT and 110 miles at the northern end unfinished after my thru-hike attempt in 2011. The travel logistics for finishing those 410 piecemeal miles in a tight window were challenging and expensive, to say the least. Also it was weird to be jumping around, and a pain in the ass to explain to anyone.