As mentioned earlier, in June 1972 the Forest Service maps of the PCT route became available to the public, and the race was on. The first person to hike this entire route, as it then existed, was Richard Watson, who finished it on September 1, 1972. No one knew of Papendick, so for years Watson was considered the first through-hiker, as backpackers who did the trail in one continuous, multi-month effort would come to be called. Barely behind him, finishing four days later, were Wayne Martin, Dave Odell, Toby Heaton, Bill Goddard and Butch Ferrand. Very soon after them, Henry Wilds went from Mexico to Canada solo. In 1972 Jeff Smukler did the PCT with Mary Carstens, who became the first woman to make it. The next year, Gregg Eames and Ben Schifrin set out to follow the official route as closely as possible, no matter whether trail or cross country. Schifrin had to drop out with a broken foot at Odell Lake, Oregon (he finished the route the next year), but Eames got to Canada, and is probably the first person to have walked the official route almost without deviation.
Road 38N10 forces the PCT onto a narrow rim, Section O
In 1975, at least 27 people completed the PCT, according to Chuck Long, who was one of them and who put together a book of various trekkers’ experiences. Perhaps as many as 200–300 hikers started the trail that year, intending to do it all. In 1976, one who made it all the way was Teddy Boston, the first woman to solo the trail, so far as we know. Teddy, then a 49-year-old mother of four, like Eric, made the trek the hard way, north to south.
Fascination with the trail steadily dropped, so that by the late 1980s perhaps only a dozen or so through-hikers completed the entire trail in a given year. However, as completion of the trail approached, interest in it waxed, and some notable hikes were done. Perhaps some day a trekker’s PCT anthology will be written, and in it many can be given due credit for their accomplishments. However, in a trail guide, space is limited, so we will mention only a (subjectively) select few who set “higher” goals. In the past we recommended that the through-hiker allow 5–6 months for the entire PCT. No more, thanks to ultralight backpacking espoused by Ray and Jenny Jardine. In 1991 this couple completed the entire trail (their second through-hike) in only three months and three weeks, and Ray subsequently wrote a how-to book (see the next chapter) based on this accomplishment. This was comparable to the length of time taken by Bob Holtel (in his mid-50s), who over the summers of 1985, ’86, and ’87 ran the PCT at the pace of a marathon a day, and he also wrote a book about it (see the next chapter).
A few through-hikers not only did the PCT, but also did the two other major north–south national scenic trails, the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) and the AT (Appalachian Trail). The first person to have accomplished this task may have been Jim Podlesay, hiking the AT in 1973, the PCT in 1975, and the CDT in 1979. Back in 1975 many new stretches of the PCT had yet to be built, and in 1979 the CDT’s route was still largely a matter of whatever you chose it to be. By 1980 the PCT was essentially complete, except for gaps between the Mexican border and the southern Sierra and the initial southern Washington stretch, which would become an annoying, out-of-the-way ascent and descent to the level, direct, temporary route. And with the PCT mostly complete, the first person who hiked it plus the AT and CDT may have been Lawrence Budd, who did all three in the late 1980s. Starting earlier but finishing later was Steve Queen, who hiked the PCT in 1981, the AT in 1983, and the CDT in 1991. The first woman may have been Alice Gmuer, who hiked the PCT in 1987 and ’88, the AT in 1990, and the CDT in 1993. Close behind was Brice Hammack, who over eight summers completed the last of the three trails in 1994—at a very respectable age of 74.
While there have been hundreds of successful through-hikers on the PCT, very few equestrians have matched this feat. Perhaps the first equestrians to do the trail were Barry Murray and his family, who rode it in two summers in the early 1970s. Much later, in 1988, Jim McCrea became the first “through-equestrian,” completing the entire trail in just under five months. Very few through-hikers actually do every foot of the trail, and for through-equestrians this feat so far has proved to be unfeasible, due to icy snowfields impassable to stock.
Chapter 2
Planning Your PCT Hike
Trekking Days or Weeks versus Trekking Months
On the basis of our limited research we have concluded that approximately 90 percent (or more) of those who buy this book will do parts of the trail as a series of short excursions, each lasting about two weeks or less. For those people, little planning is necessary; you should be able to carry enough food in your pack. You need not worry about mailing supplies to post offices along or near the trail. Furthermore, you can hike the desired stretch in its optimal season, and not need the additional clothing and gear that through-hikers must carry for the times they may have to traverse miles of snow and confront many cold-weather storms. If you prefer to dayhike along the PCT, consider obtaining a two-volume set, Day Hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail (California and Oregon & Washington) by George and Patricia Semb. (For books on or related to the PCT, see the section “Pacific Crest Trail” under “Recommended Reading and Source Books.” For books on general hiking or riding, see the section “Backpacking, Packing, and Mountaineering.”)
At the other end of the spectrum of PCT trekkers are 200-300 or so each year who start at the Mexican border and attempt to do the entire trail in one multi-month Herculean effort. Before the early 1990s there was a rather high attrition rate among these through-hikers—typically 50+ percent don’t complete it. This need not be so. Today there are great books out there to prepare you—mentally, physically, and logistically—for the grand odyssey. Ray and Jenny Jardine were instrumental in a long-distance backpacking revolution with their 1992 how-to book, The PCT Hiker’s Handbook, published by AdventureLore Press (unfortunately, out of print since the late 1990s). The Jardine’s book advocated ultralight backpacking. If you have only 20 pounds on your back, you’ll be able to traverse more miles per day than if you have 60. No longer do you have to take 5½-6 months for a through-hike; traveling light, you can do it in 4½-5 months or less (the Jardines did it in under 4 months). Fortunately, Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine’s Guide to Lightweight Hiking is available, covering this material and other useful tips, with sections also tailored to the “casual” backpacker.
Southern Terminus of the PCT
There are several advantages to ultralight backpacking. A lighter pack is easier on your joints and muscles, making the excursion more pleasurable. Furthermore, by traveling light you are less likely to have an injury because: 1) your body isn’t overly stressed; 2) you’re less likely to fall; 3) and if you do, the impact isn’t as great. Traveling light, you’ll perspire less, which is a plus on the long dry stretches. Additionally, you’ll burn fewer calories, getting by with less food and, hence, less weight. By reducing your pack’s weight to less than 20% of your body weight (that is, about 25-35 pounds for most hikers), you probably can get by with lightweight running or walking shoes, or even high-quality hiking sandals, making you less prone to those painful blisters synonymous with almost all boots. Both lighter packs and lighter footgear increase your daily mileage, providing an advantage other than comfort. You can start later and finish earlier, thereby encountering less storm-and-snow problems in the High Sierra early in your trek, and less storm-and-snow problems in Washington near completion.
However, there is a drawback to ultralight backpacking. If you’re caught in a blizzard or some other adverse condition, you may not have sufficient