PCT 2023

Our Pacific Crest Trail correspondent has finally reached the northern terminus. Here are his final thoughts from his time on the trail.

While heavy snow and closures forced most PCT hikers to flip-flop this year, a small, dedicated group is still trying for a continuous, end-to-end hike as the season hits its final stretch.

A deep snowpack in the Sierra disrupted normal trail dynamics for groups of hikers, but flip-floppers are reuniting as their paths converge.

In 2020, Danae “Queen Bee” and Olen “Spreadsheet” Netteburg set out with their four kids on the Appalachian Trail. Three years (and one more baby) later, they’re about to complete the Triple Crown.

Chips, candy bars, ramen bombs: A lot of what thru-hikers eat on the trail is far from good for you. But some nutrition-minded backpackers are trying to buck the trend.

Most of this year’s PCT class is skipping the snowbound Sierra and planning to come back later when conditions improve. But a small, hardy group of adventurers are pushing straight through.

As record snows in the Sierra force more and more Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers to flip-flop, trail angels are stepping up to make sure they get where they need to go—including a hiker-pilot who's flying them there.

With high snow levels making travel on the PCT unusually difficult, many Americans have canceled or postponed their thru-hikes. Not so for the trail's global hikers, who have mostly stuck it out.

Montezuma Valley Market was a beloved stop for PCT hikers until a blaze—and a dreadful diagnosis—threw it into limbo.

With heavy snow making mountain travel more difficult and hazardous than usual, a growing number of hikers are taking a less traditional approach to the PCT.