2010 PCT Hikers from Southern California?

Hey man,

Sadly I cant do the PCT next year. I just plain lack the money and I have bills to pay. But I am always interested in what people do that they are able to get time off/afford the trip. How are you able to pull it off? I'll do it one day, hopefully sooner rather than later.

~Brandon

David –

I am going to offer some unsolicited advice based upon my experience along the PCT…Other hikers may disagree with me…

I advocate that you go solo on the PCT…not in the sense that you won't hike with a partner, but in the sense that you will find people along the trail with whom you share a bond based upon mutual respect, common interests and most importantly, similar pace and hiking style. Hike with these people with the understanding that should either of you want to do his or her own thing, then by all means….

I would attest to the difficultly you may encounter finding any person who matches your pace and goals along the trail. Some people like to hike fast, other like to take their time. Some take few breaks others take a lot of breaks. Some enjoy town stops and take frequent zero days, others hike day-in and day-out. The point is that finding someone who suits your style is difficult and in my opinion, ever-changing. Be prepared to compromise should you hike with others. Compromise brings with it its own rewards and I hiked a great deal of the trail with people who were both faster and slower than my natural pace. I compromised in both respects. In exchange, I enjoyed a lot of great conversation, established new friendships and experienced things I may otherwise would have missed if completely on my own.

But I did hike on my own for about four weeks of the five-month journey…Sometimes this was out of necessity and other times just for the experience. I'd occasionally catch up to a hiker or two here and there (or more often than not, they'd catch up to me) and we would hike together for an afternoon or camp together for a night or two…But everyone has different goals, plans and town stops along the way…

Should you choose to attend the kickoff, you will undoubtedly head up the trail with the great masses, and bonds will form naturally.

Best of luck to you in 2010. It's a great trail.

Dirk

>How are you able to pull it off?

Easy. He's 20 yrs old! I could have done it at 20 too. Go for it Dave. How long does it take? would you take time off to go back to work or all at once?

I'm from LA and I'm also looking for people to hike with, but like Brandon I also have to pay bills. Drats! Dave, I'll be in touch if you're still interested in some shorter trips. Maybe I can do the PCT a piece at a time. :)

Adam and Brandon –

You are corect, it's a lot tougher to pull off the trail as you get older. The two primary groups on the trail are the young crowd (their early to mid-20s) or the wily veterans (semi or fully retired). I am in my late 30s and definitely was in the minority demographic. I was told that in fact there were more 30 and 40-somethings on the trail than usual. The general consensus was that it had a lot to do with the economy. Several people like myself were granted sabbaticals or a leave-of-absence by their employeers….other brave souls quit their jobs.

You can spend four or five months on the hike, but you're absolutely right, it's much tougher to do with things like mortgages, car payments and especially if you have a family (kids do like to see you).

Honestly, if I had limited time, I would hike the John Muir Trail, arguably (well, I'd say not-so-arguably) the most spectacular section of the PCT journey. You can pull that off in three to four weeks.

Dirk

As Adan has said, I am 20 years old and my only bills are my cell phone and vehicle insurance. For my hike, I gave my father 400$ to pay for my cell phone as I'm gone. I'm also canceling my insurance until I return.

Dirk- Great advice, and I have been told this before. I did meet some great hikers this past 2009 PCT, and I camped for 3 nights with the same group of thru-hikers. It was a blast! BUT what I'm mostly looking for now is someone who I can talk gear with and hike occasionally. Just a local hiker is what I'm looking for.

I know that a hiker's pace is everything, and to slow it down or speed it up can be very disheartening for that specific hiker and their "hiker self-esteem."