Before starting the PCT, you have to know the Why. Hiking is not just a physical exercise, but a deeply mental one too. And understanding your reasons for being on the trail might just give you the push you need to stay on it. Below I've attempted to record my motivations for hiking the PCT, as well as a realistic list of what quitting would look like for me. I want to finish, and I think I can, but it's important to be realistic and pragmatic. There's a chance I'll quit and drop out - I can't let that destroy me. So if I understand what quitting would mean, I can be more reasonable and clear-headed when put in a position where I might need to make that choice. Why I want to hike the PCT I want an adventure that is physically and mentally challenging I want to immerse myself in nature and forget the routine of daily life I want to meet cool people and become a part of the community I want to see the whole West Coast and meet people different from myself I want to do something on purpose instead of just by chance I want to make a choice and follow through, even if it seems crazy I have the rest of my life to figure everything else out, I should take this chance I want to spent time alone and become more comfortable with who I am I want to feel more present in my body and mind I want to cut out everything that isn't essential to survival and see what;s left I want really hard days and to be completely exhausted but feel accomplished I want to do something that seems absurd or pointless, and that people might not understand I want to come away with cool stories and experiences I want to do something scary and overcome that fear I want to prove to myself I can do this ​ Once I hike the PCT I will Have unshakeable confidence in myself Have great backpacking and outdoors know-how Have a greater appreciation for nature and life along the trails Be a better listener Be able to set my own schedule and routine Be more comfortable being alone Overcome fear of the dark and animals Understand how to eliminate things that aren't serving me Be a part of an amazing community ​ Things that would make me quit Unavoidable fires that make me miss 200+ miles Serious injury or foot problems Family death/emergency Running out of money Worsened mental health that I can't control If I am hating the trail for more than two weeks in a row, even after multiple zeros If I truly feel like there's nothing more I can see/learn on the trail ​ Things to do if I feel like quitting Understand that not every day is a good day and that's fine I don't owe it to anyone to have a perfect trip, as long as overall the good outweighs the bad Go at least 5 days more and see if my opinion changes Take a trail zero or town zero Sleep in, go swimming, walk in the wrong direction Start traveling alone or find a new group to travel with Call family and friends Find someone to visit me on the trail - even a couple weeks out - to have something to look forwards to Journal more, go through pictures, draw the scenery Meditate for 15 minutes every morning Change up eating routines and food choices Buy something extra special at the next town Download new music, podcasts, or audio books Take up a new skill like whittling Try to notice every animal and new plant I encounter, try to learn their names Make a list of things that annoy me in real life and compare it to what annoys me on trail Have a good cry session, give myself an hour to feel awful and scream in the woods Go on day hikes with no gear Talk to someone on the trail/in town/hitching and try to learn their life story Make a detailed pro and con list, rank it, tally, and compare it to friends' versions

This is just a list of random bit-and-bobs I run into while researching. I figure it's not a bad idea to write them down somewhere! I have these organized by towns I'm planning to resupply in. 77 Julian Free pie for PCT hikers at Mom's Pie House Big water carry afterwards Carmen's Garden restaurant is good 109 Warner Springs Eagle rock nearby Check out Golf Grill Long water carry afterwards Paradise Cafe at 151 179 Idyllwild Close together, hiker-friendly town Quirky town Whitewater preserve near 210 - great swimming 275 Big Bear City Lots of good food and restaurants 369 Wrightwood Cute town, appreciates hikers Close together, not much walking 454 Augua Dulce Great mexican place - very small town Hikertown at 517 Night hike the aquaduct at 518 566 Tehachapi Store in town center Good community - likes hikers Relatively affordable Kohnen's Country Bakery Major water alert at 620 648 Onyx Places tend to close early here 702 Kennedy Meadows Try to reach by June 15th Mail package to Grumpy Bears nearby for free Get Sierra gear and prepare for a long carry Mount Whitney at 767 - night hike to reach the top at dawn 786 Bishop Hiker friendly hostels Free bikes to ride around town Easy hitching, chill town Erick Schat's Bakery and Cafe is good VVR detour at 878, good hiker boxes but very pricey Take Bishop Pass Trail out - beautiful 906 Mammoth Lakes Free transport Bougie vacation spot Tuolomne Meadows snack bar at 942 1016 Kennedy Meadows North Good bar, free shuttle Overpriced rooms 1091 South Lake Tahoe Very bougie and expensive But free transport Base Camp Pizza is good 1153 Sierra City Very overpriced, one hotel Very limited resupply options 1289 Belden Kind of weird town vibes Midpoint marker at 1323! 1423 Burney Huge church for free camping Very affordable and walkable Check out the Bowling Alley 1517 Dunsmuir Free shuttle from trail Yak's on the 5 restaurant is good 1606 Etna Free community pool Cute town but fairly depressed 1726 Ashland Average town, pretty affordable Morning Glory restaurant is good Crater Lake alternate route at 1823 1829 Crater Lake Great breakfast buffet 1912 Shelter Cove Chill town, good hiker boxes Great swimming Bend at 1983 2001 Sisters Very cute and walkable 2107 Timberline Lodge Pretty overpriced buffet 2155 Cascade Locks Chill town, pretty affordable 2234 Trout Lake Surprisingly well-stocked grocery store, good wifi Affordable Free camping at church 2303 White Pass Check out Kracker Barrel Goat Rocks Wilderness is one of the best sections 2403 Snoqualmie Pass Affordable hotel with hot tub Closest to Seattle Hurry Curry restaurant is good Dinsmore Hiker Haven at 2464 2476 Skykomish Average town, good views 2580 Stehekin Amazing bakery - Stehekin Pastry Company Stehekin Valley Ranch is also great Very idyllic town Mail champagne :) 2661 Manning Park And done!

Planning for a trip this long can be really overwhelming, so it's best to do it little by little. I've done a number of backpack trips, but never longer than a week or so. So while I felt confident that some parts would come naturally, there's also a lot about thru-hiking I wasn't familiar with. To start planning, I created a spreadsheet where I recorded all my thoughts. Then I watched a bunch of Youtube videos that got me really inspired, and started my gear list. This was a long process - over the course of multiple years, my plans shifted and changed as I learned new information about my hike and the trail. It's important not to rush the process - you want to feel confident in your choices before you start. But it's likewise important that you don't overplan. It's easy to obsess over every detail of this hike, and get too caught up in the minutiae. Things are bound to change once you begin hiking, so be flexible and know that it's okay not to have all the answers. Planning Process To hike the PCT, there's really only three major things you need: a gear list, a resupply list, and a PCT permit. A gear list will include everything you'll be taking with you for 5 months. Sounds simple, but it took me about a year to finalize my list and over two years to get everything on it (taking advantage of sales and gifts). A resupply list will tell you what food you'll be eating on trail and where you're getting it from - whether that's from mailed boxes or in trail towns. And a PCT permit requires that you know your start date and location, and have enough luck to get your first choice. A general outline of my planning process was: Decide I wanted to hike the PCT Watch a bunch of videos, read some books Write out my motivations and inspirations Look at some maps and get a general idea of the trail Think about my resupply strategy List the various foods I'd want on trail Start my gear list Get dragged into the abyss of gear reviews Watch a bunch more videos and read more books Refine my gear list Choose a start date and plan out my pace for the trail Refine my resupply strategy Make a plan for training and shakedown hikes Slowly accumulate all my gear Get PCT permit! Do a couple shakedowns, confirm I have all my gear Think hard about safety on trail (mandatory lecture from my mom) Start accumulating food for resupply boxes Pack resupply boxes, get everything together Get to Campo and start hiking :) Obviously this is vastly simplified - I started planning during the summer of 2021 and never really stopped. Throughout this whole process, there were a number of resources that were completely invaluable to me. At the bottom is a list of some of those, though I'm sure there are hundreds of others out there that are just as helpful. Know what kind of hike you want to hike Everyone says to hike your own hike, but to do that, you need to know what that hike actually looks like. You'll figure most of it out on the trail, but it's good to know a couple basic things about yourself before starting. Will you be hiking solo or with a partner? Do you like hiking alone or with people? These aren't the same - I'll be hiking solo, but I do like to hike with someone near me. I know I prefer to hike with a couple people that know where I am, and maybe have lunch with them, but I like to be alone on the trail for the most part. I also know that I like doing long miles, but I'm definitely not going to push myself the first month or so. I'm interested in night hiking but only occasionally, and I'll probably cowboy camp a couple times. I also know that I like to take down camp before eating breakfast, and eat dinner a couple miles before I camp. I'm not interested in too many zeros, but when I take them, I want to be with a couple people. Obviously this is likely to change, but it's helpful to have some idea of your habits before starting off. That way, you have more control over the people you hike with - you'll know pretty quickly whether they match your hiking style or not. That being said, you can't always get the kind of hike you want, and you should be realistic about your expectations. If you idolize the trail, you'll end up being disappointed when it doesn't live up to your hopes. So have some idea of the things you'll dislike before leaving. I know the large crowds are going to annoy me, and I'll try to speed up to skip them. Novice backpackers will probably get on my nerves, but I'll try to remember to be respectful and supportive of everyone. And I know it'll bother me that despite all my experience backpacking, the trail is still going to kick my ass. My feet are going to hurt and I'll be sore everywhere and very dirty. I'll be frustrated that I can't brush out my hair, or get the dirt out of my nails, or that I brought the wrong kind of gear or food that I can't stand. Going into a hike knowing this is going to prepare me for the low points on trail, and I can push past them to the highs. Plan for before and after the PCT Hiking the PCT can be a logistical challenge - its important to know what you'll do with yourself and your belongings before you leave. That way, it doesn't catch you off guard a couple months beforehand. Personally, I'll have graduated my Master's program in December, and will store most of my belongings in Boston, as that's where I plan to return to after the trip. Then I'll be living with my parents in Northern California until April. I'm hoping to have a part-time job for those three-ish months, possibly as a lab technician. My hope is to know that by the middle of my last semester. During that time, I'll also be getting together all the odds and ends for hiking. Confirming I have all my gear, printing everything out, gathering supplies for my resupply boxes, and doing lots of hiking. Then, I'll take a plane to San Diego, and take bus #894 to the Southern Terminus. There's also a shuttle run by trail angels and a place to stay, which I'll definitely consider using. My hope is to start quite early in the morning, if possible. It's equally important to have some kind of plan for when you finish your hike. Post-trail depression can be severe as you reintegrate into the 'real world.' It helps to have some kind of drive or goal for after you finish. I plan to stay with my parents until the New Year, applying to jobs, and hopefully move out in January. My plan is to go back to Boston, where I will have stored some of my belongings. There, I have a number of friends in the area that I can stay with until I've found an apartment. It's also great to know other hikes you might be interested in too! It'll help with post-trail depression if you happen to have caught the thru-hike bug and want to keep hiking. I know I'm very interested in hiking the Continental Divide Trail, Arizona Trail, Te Aroara, and the Hayduke in the future. Resources Books PCT Trials Thirst Walk in the Woods On Trails: An Exploration Adventure Ready PCT Trailside Reader I Promise Not to Suffer PCT Visual Compendium Podcasts Hiking Thru Trail and Errors Walking Distance Sounds of the Trail Youtubers Homemade Wanderlust Elina Osborne Darwinonthetrail Websites PCT tips: https://theoonthepct.wordpress.com/lessons-learnt/ Things you learn on the PCT: https://hikewithll.com/2017/10/03/107-things/ How to glissade: https://www.climbing.com/skills/learn-this-how-to-glissade/ How to use an ice axe: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-use-an-ice-axe-for-mountaineering.html Gear advice: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-gear-guide-2020/#gear-advice Gear reviews: https://www.backcountryemily.com/pctblog/2018/10/2/2018-pct-gear Getting deals on used gear: https://www.reddit.com/r/ULgeartrade/new/ Water report: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gEyz3bw__aPvNXpqqHcs7KRwmwYrTH2L0DEMW3RbHes/edit#gid=0 Trail map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1UtogyvQzegPXZYLARMCTwckZTRxIOOLf&fbclid=IwAR2nxcfYzVo-YCrGl27ofn7rZDON2j3wvW2zw-IUdSLgWGharYeTBV98pOA&ll=32.753073496581386%2C-116.45427101953126&z=11 Trail town guide: http://asthecrowflies.org/pctpacific-crest-trail-town-guide/ PCT Water, Fires, and Fords Updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1601705620156833/ Women of the PCT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1601705620156833/ A bunch of other resources: https://hikewithll.com/resources/ Getting to the trail: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/pct-transportation/directions-southern-terminus-pct/ More on getting to the trail: https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/get-pct-southern-terminus/ Public transportation along the trail: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/pct-transportation/ Trail towns ranked: https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/almost-every-pct-town-ranked/