Perhaps the best book in print on through-hiking the PCT is Karen Berger’s Hiking the Triple Crown: How to Hike America’s Longest Trails: Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail. Where Ray Jardine’s books advocate ultralight backpacking, Karen Berger offers you a smorgasbord of choices since each successful through-hiker has his or her own preferences. The first third of her book is a how-to on long-distance backpacking, while the remainder addresses specific issues on the AT, PCT, and CDT. If you plan to be on the PCT for more than a month, then by all means read Berger’s book.
There are other books for the long-distance backpacker to consider, especially two inexpensive ones published by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The first is Leslie C. Croot’s Pacific Crest Trail Town Guide, which has detailed accounts of supplies and services available for most PCT towns or resorts, each complete with a detailed map. This is great for planning and, at 4.5 ounces, is easily carried. The second PCTA book is Benedict Go’s Pacific Crest Trail Data Book. Although the guidebook in your hand has all the necessary mileages (state mileages, section mileages, point-to-point mileages), some trekkers want more when planning their hike, and Ben delivers. The bulk of his book is a synopsis of the Wilderness Press PCT guidebooks’ point-to-point mileages, each named, and each accompanied by overall mileage from Mexico, plus elevation, and what water and/or services are available.
How-to books and reference books certainly are useful for preparing and planning a through-hike, but so too are personal accounts, and several (both in-print and out-of-print) are listed under “Recommended Reading and Source Books.” Larger libraries may have copies of out-of-print books. There’s nothing like first-hand accounts to give you a feel for the through-hike and its challenges. And don’t forget to subscribe to the outstanding Internet mail list, “PCT-L.” To join and learn about up-to-date trail conditions, send an e-mail to: [email protected], with no subject and a message that reads, “subscribe pct-l [your e-mail address].”
Given that few equestrians attempt most or all of the PCT, it is not surprising that a how-to book for them does not exist. However, Ben and Adeline York have self-published their notes on the whole trail, which are quite useful for potential PCT equestrians. To obtain a copy of their publication, PCT by 2 in 1992, write them at 1363 Peaceful Place, Alpine, CA 91901. For horse use in the mountains, they recommend you obtain the packers’ Bible, Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails, by Joe Back (Johnson Books, Boulder, CO). You will encounter more problems than do backpackers, and so the following caution is even more important: a short horseback trip does not qualify you for a lengthy excursion on the PCT.
Two views of the annual PCT kickoff party in Lake Morena Regional Park, San Diego, California
Volunteers place trail registry north of Canebrake Road
Halfway between hikers and equestrians are those who walk the trail but pack with llamas. Like horses, llamas were native to western North America before going extinct here. Unlike horses, llamas are native to high mountains, and on erodible tread their foot pads have less impact than horses’ hooves. They are also much less damaging to mountain meadows, and do not spread exotic grass seed there. David Harmon and Amy S. Rubin have written a llama-packer’s guide, which stresses minimum-impact in the wilderness. Unfortunately, it’s now out of print.
Organizations Relevant to the Pacific Crest Trail
The previously mentioned books should answer most of your questions about hiking or riding the PCT. But if questions linger, they may be answered by contacting one or more of the following organizations.
Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA)
Those planning a long trek can write or phone the PCTA for advice that is either timely (e.g., current snowpack conditions) or expert (e.g., providing specific answers tailored to each individual). If those in the office cannot answer your questions, they will attempt to find one of their directors or members who can. Since this organization has both hikers and equestrians as members, they should be able to answer questions for either type of travel.
The organization is part of the legacy of Warren Rogers (the PCT itself is the other part). After the demise of the Pacific Crest Trail System Conference with the death of Clinton Clarke, Rogers in 1971 formed the Pacific Crest Club to be a “world-wide fellowship of persons interested in the PCT,” as his son, Don, put it. Then in 1977 he founded the Pacific Crest Trail Conference, which addressed the needs of both the trail and its users. But old age eventually interfered with running these organizations, so in 1987 the club was merged with the conference, and for several years Larry Cash was its chief officer. The conference campaigned against trailside clearcutting and against mountain bikes, and for additional water sources along the drier stretches and for volunteer trail maintenance. In 1992 the organization changed its name to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The mailing address is 5325 Elkhorn Blvd., PMB 256, Sacramento, CA 95842-2526; phone is (916) 349-2109; e-mail is [email protected]; and Web is www.pcta.org. Increasingly, this organization has become active in coordinating volunteer trail maintenance. For example, in 2000 the PCTA coordinated trail crews that donated more than 20,000 hours of their time. For this reason alone the organization deserves support, and you should consider becoming a member. Most hikers and equestrians on any trail give little thought to trail maintenance. Indeed, many PCT trekkers complain about sections being not up to snuff. Without the volunteers, though, there would be far more to complain about, since, in these years of tight government budgets, trail maintenance is one of the lowest priorities. (Trail maintenance is ongoing locally, where erosion damages parts of the trail, fallen trees and rolling boulders obstruct it, and shrubs continually encroach upon it.)
Pacific Crest Trail Association Registers in California, South to North
Because the locations of PCTA registers are not always obvious, a list of them is presented below. These locations are subject to change, although most are quite stable, especially the sites that are post offices. Unless otherwise designated, the register is located in a post office, which at some places is just a tiny room in a store or a resort.
Campo
Mount Laguna
Julian, Banner Store
Warner Springs
Anza
Idyllwild
Cabazon
Big Bear City
Fawnskin
Wrightwood, Mountain Hardware
Agua Dulce, Agua Dulce Hardware
Tehachapi
Mojave
Onyx
Kennedy Meadows, Kennedy Meadows Store
Lone Pine
Independence
Vermilion Valley Resort, store
Mammoth Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, concessionaire’s store
Lee Vining
Bridgeport
Markleeville