Pacific Crest Trail


	Photo	OldSnowy 15AJPG
	Caption	View of Goat Rocks Wilderness along Pacific Crest Trail
	Length	2650 Mi 4240 Km
	Start/End Points	Campo, California <br>'''Boundary Monument 78''' United States-Canada Border
	Use	Hiking <br> Horse Riding
	ElevChange	300,000 Ft {Link without Title}
	HighPoint	Forester Pass (13,160 Ft , 4011 M )
	LowPoint	Bridge Of The Gods
	Difficulty	Moderate to Strenuous
	Season	'''Late April''' to '''Late September'''
	Sights	Sierra Nevada (US) <br> Cascade Range
	Hazards	Severe Weather <br> Dehydration <br> Wildlife

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain Hiking and Equestrian trail that runs from the United States border with Mexico to its border with Canada . It passes through the Laguna , San Jacinto , San Bernardino , San Gabriel , Liebre , Tehachapi , and Sierra Nevada ranges in California , and the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington states. The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles (4,240 km) long. It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1993. The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail , and the Continental Divide Trail form the "Triple Crown" of long distance hiking in the United States. The PCT was conceived by Clinton C. Clarke in 1932; however it was not given official status until the National Trails System Act Of 1968 .

THRU-HIKING

Each year, about 300 people, commonly called Thru-hiker s, attempt to hike the entire trail from end-to-end. The trip usually takes between four and six months. Around 180 complete the hike each year. Most thru-hikers start from the Mexican border and reach the north end of the trail before the first hard snow. Picking up supplies along the way, usually packages sent to them via mail, most hikers cover about 25 miles (40 km) per day.

The trail may have been first thru-hiked in 1970 by 18-year-old Eric Ryback. Wilderness Press, the publisher of Ryback's 1971 book ''The High Adventure of Eric Ryback'', later claimed that Ryback had "cheated" by accepting rides for part of the distance. Ryback sued for $3 million, but dropped the suit when the publisher produced statements from people claiming to have given Ryback a ride. The truth of Ryback's claim is still debated today.

The first person confirmed to have thru-hiked the entire PCT, as well as the first person to hike from south to north, was Richard Watson, who completed the trail on September 1 , 1972 . The first woman was Mary Carstens, who completed the journey later in 1972 accompanied by Jeff Smukler.

The first person to have thru-hiked the entire PCT both ways in a single continuous round-trip was Scott Williamson, who completed the "yo-yo" circuit on his fourth attempt in November 2004. Williamson traveled a total of 5,300 miles in 197 days, covering an average of 35 to 40 miles per day when not in snow, wearing an extremely ultra-lightweight pack, which "without food, weighed about 8.5 pounds".

LOCATIONS OF INTEREST

The following areas or points of interest are found along or adjacent to the route of the Pacific Crest Trail. They are listed from south to north to correspond with the itinerary typically followed by through hikers to take advantage of the best seasonal weather conditions.