The PCT isn't WILD anymore | PCT Conditions
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
- This is the PCT video that we wish we had seen before hiking.
Its easy to get caught up in the magic of the trail and think that you are Reese Witherspoon in Wild. We definitely underestimated some of the most basics aspects to walking 2655 miles. In this video, we talk about some of the less glamorous parts of the hike, what is changing about the PCT, and why it is not the trail that Sheryl hiked. If you are planning on hiking the PCT in 2024 or beyond, we hope that we can help prepare you for what lies ahead.
Dumpster and Quarterback
If you like what we do, follow us on Instagram @dazed.adventure and feel free to message us with questions.
Its rare in today’s world where people are authentic about doing hard things. Admitting to having bad days, struggling and graciously accepting help is a telling sign the trail has given these two hikers something special. Do hard things folks
Living on a trail town, thru hiking the PCT in 2011 and the CDT in 2013 it's the influx of entitled hikers and huge groups "tramlies" that put off trail angels. It ain't what it used to be.
Valid.
LOL, it’s funny how people live in a bubble of time and make assumptions. I’ve lived on this trail in SoCal for near 20 years, hiking, doing trail maintenance, and trail angel work. It’s never been easy, try hiking it in the 90s LOL, and everything always changes everywhere (not just on the PCT “in the past 5 years”). There’s always been heavy winters and fires affecting the trail (all trails everywhere that’s how they work, they’re not magic it’s nature). Also there’s more trail angels around than ever with resources like Guthook and social media. Sorry your report is in now way comprehensive or representative of anything but your limited perspective. I’m tired of RUclipsrs pretending they know a thing 😂or two
Thank you for all you do. It's true our perspective is limited, but people sharing their experiences is the only way new hikers can find out about what they're in for, whether it's here, forums, or guthook.
I’d say there’s no substitute for getting out there. One person’s opinion doesn’t hold for everyone. Just get out there! You won’t know what’s up for You until you try.
These homeless bums don't know nothing
I'm sick and tired of these bums coming out to my state and littering
Easier every year, more expensive and more crowded every year. And there’s ppl that are softer every year too
Great video! I’m doing the PCT NOBO starting 4/27
My why that will keep me going is trying to make a positive difference.
I donated a kidney to a stranger in need on 7/26/23. I’ll be spring messaging from The National Kidney Registry and the National Kidney Donor Organization while they feature my pics and progress, as a way to encourage people to consider becoming a living donor.
The goal is to demonstrate that you can donate a kidney, change or save a life, and still live a happy healthy life and do hard things. ❤
Thanks for this. I got a permit to hike the PCT this year. Going NOBO starting April 15. Been doing all the youtubing and getting a little overloaded with gear recommendations and logistics. I definitely needed a re-framing and to remember the bigger questions like my reasons why. Much Appreciated!
One thing that will never change is anyone who thru hikes any of the Triple Crowns or the PNT, Ice Age Trail or any of the 1000 plus mile trails whether they did it back in 1932, 2002, 2024 or 2300 etc. is a total bad ass. I have huge respect for anyone who accomplishes a long distance trail thru hike. All of them are stars. I hiked before RUclips was a thing or any talk about lite weight, what shoe to wear etc. but I would be arrogant to somehow think this makes my accomplishments better and lessons the accomplishments of those hiking today or in the future. Every generation literally since the caveman days has looked at the younger generations and thought they were lacking, lazy etc. in some way. Times change and people get set in there ways and trick themselves into thinking the next generation will fall apart. What really is happening is adaptation. My grandparents relatives, brothers and sisters etc. only advice to me was to make sure I stuck to the high ground in California because if there is a earthquake everything west of the Sierra Mountains will fall into the ocean. They all thought I was insane to take the risk of potentially drowning due to a catastrophic earthquake. They teased my grandpa because he stopped riding a horse and started driving a car, they thought he was foolish to think the automobile might replace the horse. Times are always changing but all thru hikes but especially the thru hikers that accomplish the challenge will always deserve the respect of being labeled a bad ass.
Fires aren’t because of climate change. They are quite a normal occurrence. Even devastating cycles. The last time we had a devastating fire cycles was 150 years ago in the mid nineteenth century. That was why we had so many beautiful trees before the most recent cycle.
As for droughts they are a regular feature too. It depends a lot on whether we have an El Niño or an El Nina weather cycle.
Are all forest fires, no, but there has been an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area. The wildfire season has lengthened in many areas due to factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation. Similarly, climate change threatens to increase the frequency, extent, and severity of fires through increased temperatures and drought. But hey, let's put our heads in the sand and pretend it's a "normal occurrence".
I thru hiked in 21 and 22. Thank you for this. I think I was suckered by all of the glossy and happy videos. But. those less than ideal experiences are what makes the journey so rewarding. I heard a quote once. "I failed my way to success" I wish more future thru hikers saw your video.
Glad you enjoyed your hike!
Nice quote!
Y'all got lucky. I hiked (some of) the PCT in 2023 and didn't really make many friends, like one or two people that I still talk to but I hiked 99.9% of the trail alone. Some of that was circumstance, the conditions, flipping and going SOBO, but definitely don't go expect to make lots of friends, especially if you aren't a cool attractive 20 something.
Ageism is a big thing reported in the Halfway anywhere survey for sure. SOBO sounds like it is always hard too
Thanks for a great video with stuff to have in mind. Besides my physical training for my hike start 5th of april I do think a lot, not worry or something like that, but a lot of reminding myself not to plan to much, not to try to comprihend the whole trail but to think of it as smaller hikes and of course look at my why's because it's getting close and I FEEL it. I'm excited in a way I've only tried once or twice before. When you don't really know what's going to happen but you throw yourself out there anyway....that kind of excitement 😀. My pct hike is my first thought when I wake up and my last thought before I fall asleep. It's on my mind 85-90 % of the time I'm awake.
You will be fine! They say if you can make it to Kennedy Meadows you will finish!
You guys are awesome!!❤️
Lack of trail angels can also be attributed to the behavior of the hikers. Trail angels are a somewhat finite resource. When they get repeatedly taken advantage of, it has effects on future hikers. That may partly be over blown due to social media but the perception is that there is a lot of entitled hikers. I section hike and the majority of thru hikers I have been around are good people and are thankful, but I have seen ones who are going to take advantage of situations every chance they get. That is true in daily life as well but it seems really under a microscope on trail.
We heard some horror stories from some of the trail angels we stayed with 😔
I think the record Sierra snow in 2023 messed up trail angel schedule's. At least for us in NorCal.
Since so many hikers flipped north, and the Sierra trails were effectively closed, our normal routine effectively was cancelled.
Then as hikers started returning, it felt more like everyone was spread out like a shotgun and it was difficult to determine where we should go to provide trail magic.
I'm hoping 2024 is a more 'normal' year so we can be more effective and provide more assistance this year.
@@mheinrichs thank you for what you do! The snow and flipping definitely messed things up
I live about 40mi from the PCT (@at BOTG) and can confirm the climate - specifically fires and subsequent landslides (due to precipitation with no roots to hold hills and cliffs in place) are having a HUGE impact on our trails.
I'm no regular trail angel, but I've found the hikers are also more weary when offered help... I suspect post-covid everyone is finding their bearings with each other again.
The hiking community is one of the few places I still see good people doing good things just because they should. Admittedly I've not done the whole of the PCT (nor do I want to) but I think we're still on the right path - mataphorically and hopefully literally lol!
Thank you for what you do! There is a lot of climate denial in the comments so we're glad to hear this is your experience.
Good video. We've been doing trail magic in NorCal and Oregon for about 10 years. From my perspective the trail has indeed changed in these 10 years. Forest fire smoke has all but stopped us from providing magic in August because breathing smoke all day is not something a seventy something can do. Despite what others have commented we have not encountered more "entitled" hikers in the ten years, 99% are good people and we enjoy meeting them very much. There are a few entitled kens and karens out there to be sure but really very few. What has changed IMHO is the increased number of so-called trail angels that are fee-based who are taking advantage of the hiking community. Charging for a service is not trail angel-ling, it is a business (and usually unlicensed). Finally I'd suggest that a lot of the price "inflation" seen in and around trail towns is again local businesses taking advantage of hungry/tired hikers by raising prices during hiker season (I guess that's capitalism at work).
Thank you so much for this comment. It's sad seeing some of the comments people make dismissing the changes that we can see happening in front of us. Thank you for everything you do and I hope you can keep doing it 💗
Love love love all of this. A lot of it can be applied to just about any thru hike. I thru'd the AT in '22, and it's only a party trail if you choose to make it so! Heading out to the PCT in March, and I've got my fingers crossed for light snow 😬
It's certainly seems to be shaping up that way ❄️
Been hiking the PCT since 2016 (yes, there were blowdowns then). This is one of my favorite trail videos ever. You guys are great and your dog is sweet.
10:25 according to Kyle Hates Hiking 20% of AT hikers quit in the first town, 30ish miles in, which I found insane. So something similar happens on the PCT too?
It makes me think the mystique of these trails draws in a lot of people who are desperate for a life-changing episode but have minimal outdoor experience. I've toyed wirh the idea for years and years, but until I've done a whole lot of progressively longer trails, it'd be crazy to cancel half a year of life to start a thru hike.
Welcome back! I think this is exactly the situation with any long trail for sure.
Loving your channel! Great work! Would love to hear more about your adventure racing!
We have an exciting year ahead!
Hey it's Griddy...I know we didn't really hike together but kind of bounced around each other. Always enjoyed our brief conversations. You are doing a great job on these videos...keep up the good work. I look forward to watching your future adventures.
Griddy! Mate I dont know if you finished it off but hope everything else went well for you after the Terminus!
This was a nice video, NOBO Apr 8 here and can't wait. Been planning this one for years and had to cancel in 2021.
Goldilocks date! Make sure you go your own speed!
@@dazedadventure yeah, I'm gonna use the full six months and experience it as best as I can!
@@gnittegdellort Hope to meet you out there, planned start is April 6th.
I feel very fortunate in a way. I was on the PCT from Harts pass to Canada in 1973. I was ten years old at the time. We saw nobody, and this was mid to later summer. We hiked the Grand Canyon in 71 and 72 as well. It looks nothing today like what it looked then around the rim . Makes me wonder what all this stuff will be like in another 50 years.
definitely a lot busier now!
Some really good thoughts in this video, both negatives and positives. Yes, society and nature are constantly changing. Thank you for recognizing the trail conditions are getting sketchier due to weather actions, some caused by climate change, and the inability to physically keep up with some of the tail condition changes, some of which is related to the reduced number of trail angels.
Trail volunteers and trail angels are mostly middle-age and older, and that means we slowly reduce in numbers through life changes such as family needs, physical injuries, and even death. In my age group, 70+, it's mostly physical limitations and death (it's just nature!). While I and many of my friends are still on the trail, brushing and sawing, and some of us still get in a 50-mile weekend or more each season, we need younger people to bat and replace us.
Come and learn about trail maintenance, devote a weekend or two each season. Attend a Trail Skills College weekend and become an expert or crew leader. Or volunteer a day for every 500 miles you hike (or every 100 miles hiked); it's good, dirty fun and a great workout! There's help needed teaching LNT to new and seasoned hikers, as well as to visiting tourists (what could be better then talking with other hikers?). There are trail scouting needs to pinpoint trail maintenance locations, this is great for hikers who move quickly and cover big distances along with an ability to quickly identify and log problems. There's even opportunities at trailheads for recovering hikers to answer trail and gear questions for arriving and exiting hikers. All this is true for the PCT and many other long distance and local trails around the country, a way to continue and extend your hiking community. To get started, just check the PCTA, AT, or CDT websites or your local National Forest or BLM websites for volunteer opportunities.
Sorry for the long essay ;-)
Thabk you for the essay. We're glad you are invested in the discussion! We will be doing what we can up here in Canada 🇨🇦
@@dazedadventure Thanks for the response, just hoping some of your viewers will check out the response and take action. I’m going to have to watch your PCT videos, lots of dark nights even down here in Portland, Oregon ;-)
Say yes! That was my mantra on trail in 2018. Say yes to every opportunity. Amazing things and experiences happen. Seems really crowded these days. Lots more hikers and massive trail families. Not all do the right thing which has put a lot of trail angels off as well. It only takes one bad apple.
Unfortunately you are right. There was allegedly a lot fewer people in 2023 because of the snow but I think the PCT is growing in popularity with overseas hikers
PCTA statistics of issued nobo permits:
2018 4500
2022 4125
I guess you just see too many YT videos 😉
@@Henning_Rech Issued permits and people actually showing up are two different things.
@@dazedadventure Agree - but I would estimate that the ratio between actual hikers to issued permits doesn't vary too much over the years at similar snow conditions.
I can't remember their name now, but it wasn't Casa de Luna, it was the other big So Cal trail angel. They had a hiker steal the money from the tip jar at their house. I don't think it's a coincidence that they stopped being trail angels after that year (and I think Casa De Luna stopped the following year).
The PCT is a drug. As a section hiker I find that the more you hike the more you want to hike. Why? Because it's fun and the people are cool out there. California up to Seiad Valley is my last little bit. Only 1,600 miles. Ha, ha, ha!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This video was really good. I’m hoping to do the trail in up to five years from now, after I can look back on my career. My purpose is to live the exact opposite style of life as I have all my years. Outdoor adventuring is how I recharge my batteries, but I’m hoping we don’t all have to be adventure racers to be successful at long thru hikes. 🙂
You don't need to be an athlete. You just need to know that hard times are ahead, and you will adapt.
@@dazedadventure I appreciate you sharing! I hope that the overall society will still be a great experience when it’s my turn.
@@glenloewen7507 I plan for this year, after retiring from work last fall. In the moment my hiking speed is too slow to finish the 2700 miles in 6 months (weather & visa). But ok, if I will not be able to speed up enough I always can return in 2025 for the final - old guy's advantage...
@@Henning_Rech It’s too bad that this next year isn’t my year or else we could try it together. My time to try is coming soon, and my intention is to go in with the attitude that I’m trying to make it. If that plan doesn’t pan out (which could happen early for all I know), for the first time in my life I’ll cut myself the slack and roll with it. To your point, I can always come back to do more later.
I thought I would add another thing I remember from hiking a half a century ago. The people then were very similar to people today. I remember "hippie” like people, many who were admitted draft dodgers from the Vietnam war. But they were all really kind, nice people. People who were ahead of the time as far as pollution and leaving no trace….. people who were concerned about things other than themselves
Thank you. I think most people are good! I just think the wires are getting more crossed
I’m just starting my research, Thankyou so much for this info! (PCT 2026) ❤
Don't plan too much!
@@dazedadventure I’m not! But I do have to know more about gear and what is ahead , I’ve done some trails already so I’m not a complete Newbee, but more than 4/6 days and doing resupply has me concerned as I don’t know American grocery stores, I’m Canadian and know I’m gonna miss familiar food, So so might do more boxes than others, plus I’m older (47) and am looking at physical and mental training, hence your video information.
Hey guys! That was a really open, heartfelt video. Thanks so much for making it. In terms of society, I always look at the Halfway-Anywhere results, as you were saying, and I am really struck by the amount of discrimination--ageism, homophobia, and sexism/sexual harassment on the trail, or in towns along the way. Makes me wonder what situations I would have as a gay person on trail. Also, with climate change, do you think the PCT will just become harder and harder to do in an uninterrupted fashion as the years go on? I live in WA State, and we now have such a longer fire season, and also now a "smoke season."
We never saw or heard of any kind of intentional discrimination based on race, age or sexual orientation, but the survey results are probably more accurate. In terms of fire, based on the last few years it seems less likely that you would make it the whole way without some kind of fire closure.
When I do my first thru hike it’s going to be the PCT and then CTD
Like how you provided no data for wildfire casualties, but did “kind of” for inflation.
I'm not sure where we talked about casualties?
Adventure racing. Used to follow it but lost track. Can u provide any links to groups or races?
Its not really our day job unfortunately. ARWS website for your region is a good starting place. 👍
The lack of maintenance means that it is getting Wilder!
This is a good point! More so referencing the movie
The dude won't let her talk. It's like he has to in charge. Next
Severe drought hits CA every 40 years. The drought of the 2010's coincided with a bark beetle infestation that killed off an appreciable amount of the forest throughout most of the Sierras. These dead trees burned hotter, faster, allowing fires to spread faster, farther than normal.
Very sad and wish it had not happened in our lifetime, but a resumption of normal rainfall and snowpack through the 2020's would be a step in the right direction.
I’ll be hiking the PCT southbound in July 2024
Good luck and enjoy it. Got an Instagram?
Dumpster, what pack are you wearing in this video?
That is an OutThere Packs 30L adventure racing pack
I never thought of the PCT as wild. Maybe more of a community-in-nature type of trail. Great points tho ;)
Wild as in the movie!
How did you arrive at the figure of seven million for the number of steps taken on your PCT thru hike?
We hiked with a guy who tracked every day and he got around 6.8mill. Our legs are shorter han his so we rounded up!
Hey you didn't show the hundreds of blow down trees on narrow sloped trails.
You cannot simply walk around them or simply go up or over them.
Thick trunks and branches sticking out like spears.
There are sections of either avalanche damage or burn sections that can take 2x or 3x longer to pass.
Also, high likelihood of ripping ultralight backpacks and hiking wear to shreds.
Very true. They also ripped my legs to shreds!
High intensity Forest fires (crown fires) are mainly due to decades of fire suppression plus no active or ongoing sound silviculture of these disturbance dependent ecosystems.
Even where we have been living in Australia, where there has always been management (controlled burns) fires are getting more frequent.
What is the land cover? What is the historic fire regime? BTW - fire is prescribed not controlled,
Drive it and visit every road crossing first before hiking the PCT 🥾🥾🥾
There's simply less Trail Angels now because of hiker entitlement.
Covid really affected trail maintenance. Ive heard from several sources that its been difficult to get volunteers out since the pandemic. I used to live in Tehachapi and participated in a 3 day trail maintenance at Walker Pass in 2018 when I was just starting to do small trips on the PCT. It is such hard work, and since doing it, I've felt that thru hikers should commit to a short trail maintenance project as a requirement for their permit. I believe it's a small thing to ask for such a great privilege. 🐻🌲
It's just so odd this fad of young people starting to wear mustaches...🙄
You'll have more than a moustache by the end!
Historically, their popularity tends to roughly alternate generations if you hadn't noticed 😜
My dad's generation all had mustaches so we think of them as something for creepy old gross people, and the people who would be my kids (if I had any) think it's fun to have one bc why not
I think that's a good point...I just think most guys do it just to be different, i honestly think theyd be hard pressed to find a girl who finds it attractive but I get that that's not the main determining factor for a lot of people...Plus how do you...? Oooh, never mind... :-)@@thefisherking78
Don’t forget how the mismanagement of forests for more then the last 100 years has contributed to forest fires.
Jumping to too many conclusions. Bit disappointing.
Climate change and Inflation don't exist? I know you and others probably had different experiences to us but this is what we gathered talking to other hikers and locals
Depressing - Sorry guys - Can't watch this - Not your fault - Many thanks though for bringing the message of climate change. Depressing
Sorry to hear