A Woman’s PCT Gear List Explained

The PCT Continued…

In the spring of 2019, I set out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) solo from Mexico to Canada. It was a very big snow year for Northern California and the Sierra Nevada with a lot of snow to hike over and high and potentially dangerous river crossings. I happened to meet another thru-hiker named Mark (aka Potatoes) close to Walker Pass and we grew rather sweet on each other. Once we got to Lone Pine, we decided to flip up to Washington and the Canadian border together.

By late September the days were getting shorter and it was getting colder. We ended up finishing our hike short of the Sierra Nevada, with the goal of completing it at another time so we could enjoy it more. Rather than rush through the section, we wanted to savor what may be one of the most beautiful regions of the PCT.

That ‘another time’ happens to be this summer, starting in late June 2021, picking up from Donner Pass and walking south to where we got off. We’d hiked 2,250 miles of the PCT in 2019, so I guess you’d called our journey a really big section hike. And we’re okay with that.

Continue exploring this gear list summary put together by Heather Daya Rideout.

LAST UPDATED

October 18, 2024

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Section Hiker

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Philip Werner is a full-time outdoor author and backpacker who resides in New England. His website SectionHiker.com is ranked as the #1 Hiking and Backpacking Blog on the internet by AdventureJunkies.com in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The name of this site, Section Hiker, refers to the Long Trail which I section hiked in 2008 and the Applachian Trail that I’m still working through. To date, I’ve completed 1400 miles of the AT and hope to complete all of the sections between Georgia and Maine someday. I’ve also hiked thru-hiked the TGO Challenge (Coast-to-Coast across Scotland) twice and I’m currently section hiking the Cape Wrath Trail, also in Scotland.

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