Hannah the hiker

Hey everyone! As I have mentioned before i am planning on thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this summer! I want to talk a bit about where I am with planning and preparing for the hike.

I graduated from college on May 22nd. Graduation made me realize how close i am to my start date, which is extremely exciting. I bought my train ticket to Seattle and will arrive on June 29th around 10 pm. It’s going to be a long train ride but i will be able to see parts of the country I have never seen before! I also want to note that I will be hiking from Canada to Mexico, opposite of how Cheryl Strayed hiked the PCT. I chose to go Southbound (often called SOBO) because of timing and traffic on the trail. I just graduated college which means that I would have had a late start at the Southern Border since most people start the trail anywhere between mid-March and mid-May. I also chose SOBO because less people hike the trail this way. I do not like hiking with big crowds or having to fight for space. So Southbound is the way to go for me!

There are a lot of reasons why I want to do this hike in the first place. My decision to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail was mainly fueled by the panic that I am graduating college and have no plan for my next steps, so hiking could be my literal and figurative next steps. I also love hiking so why not do it for a couple months?

I have bought all of the gear that i will be using on the trail, and will outline that in a later post. I just have to buy a couple small items that I will pick up in the next month. In the time I have before I leave I will be packing and dehydrating food that will be sent to me periodically on the trail and testing out my packs and gear.

Planning this hike has been a tremendous undertaking. I have spent countless hours reading blog posts from thru hikers (specifically PCT thru hikers), watching videos on youtube, calculating meals, exercising, and buying gear. Who knew planning a 5 month hike from Canada to Mexico would take this long?

The trail is 2,650 miles long and goes through Washington, Oregon, and California. I plan on starting on July 1, hiking up to the Northern Terminus in Canada from Harts Pass, Washington. Harts Pass is 30 miles from the terminus but I want to be certain that I actually start at the “starting” point. From the terminus I officially start the PCT. I am planning on averaging 20.5 miles a day so that I will make it through the Sierras before heavy snowfall. If I keep this average I should be done around November 4th, 2022.

Every single time I have told someone that i will be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail I get asked what I am going to do about food and resupplying. So this section is for those curious people. My dad will be sending my resupply boxes that I have prepackaged. I have to pack all of these boxes ahead of time so that the sending of the box is as seamless as possible. The places I am sending my boxes (and where I will be stopping) is outlined in this google sheet. This plan was adapted from a template that Zach “Relish” Hoopes so graciously made. That template can be found here. These resupply boxes will contain food, gear, and clothing. A very rough idea of where I will be and when can be found on this template as well. Until I start the trail and have a better idea of the pace I will be keeping, I will not know exactly when I will arrive to a certain location along the trail.

My meal plan is going to be focused on protein, carbohydrates, and fat. My food should follow this breakdown: 45-55% carbs; 35-40% fats; 10-15% protein, in order to combat unhealthy and significant weight loss and maintain stamina and energy for moving my body all day. In my research for diets on a thru hike the main piece of advice I have seen is to eat small and eat often to stave off the infamous hiker hunger. So the food I pack will mostly resemble a series of snacks rather than set meals. Once I have purchased all of my resupply food I will write a post outlining my thru hike diet.

Training for a thru hike can be difficult since it involves physical and mental exercise. Since I decided that I wanted to hike this trail I have increased my frequency of exercise and intensity. I do some sort of aerobic activity and strength/resistance training three days a week (on alternating days). I also walk with a weighted hiking pack to let my body get used to carrying heavy loads. It isn’t practical for me to walk 20 miles a day so I feel as if this workout routine is the next best thing. I also try to go on as many hikes as I have time for to get my hiking legs back in shape. My mental training involves a lot of self reflection and meditation. I journal often about my goals for this hike, why I am doing it, and how I will motivate myself on tough days. At this point in the PCT process I feel confident in my abilities and prepared to start the trail.

This is just a general update for those interested in following me along on the PCT process. I will be posting about my specific meal plan and gear list in the coming weeks.