#thru hike

[unbfacts]

Every year, over 3,000 people try to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, and only about 1 in 4 actually finishes the whole thing.

[lauraepartain]

On the steep, steep side of Ben Lomond | Scotland | April 2023 This was one of the first especially intimidating munros I saw while walking north into the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately, our route would not have us climb this fabled mountain. This view however, amazed me nonetheless. Upon nearing the base where the mountain paths lay, I observed two very much windswept hillwalkers shuffle down the trail. “Did you climb Lomond today?” I asked. “Oh yes”, they reply in a Scottish accent. “Incredibly windy up there. I felt like I was going to be blown off the hill at any moment!” Scottish Hillwalking aint for babies. While I had a monumental ascent up the north face of Ben Nevis, Scotland left me wanting more. Another trip, perhaps. I’ll be doing a print and post card sale soon, y’all! What images should I add back to my shop? Everything will be printed in advance this time, so if you have any suggestions as to what should go to print, add a comment!

[americasgreatoutdoors]

As summer begins to fade into the past, the greens will slowly morph into hues of yellow and orange.

This late spring photo from a section of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (P.C.T.) in a @mypubliclands managed area of California, is giving us a fall feelings preview.

Designated for its scenic significance, the P.C.T. spans California desert valleys to Northwestern rain forests, offering hikers a wide variety of climate and terrain. It crosses California, Oregon, and Washington, with starting points in Canada and Mexico. The P.C.T. has the greatest elevation change of any of the National Scenic Trails, from near sea level to the crest of the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges.

Although open year round, as fall temperatures give way to higher elevation snows, many sections of the trail become impassable and adventurers put their thru-hike plans on hold until next season.

Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. Photo description: Thousands of yellow and orange flowers spring up from the grassy desert ground. Sunset light can be seen on the rocky mountains in the distance.

[cabinology]

We’ll never get tired of hard to reach lakes.

[pcttrailsidereader]

And They're Off!

Right about now there are likely to be close to 350 hikers who have started the PCT so far in 2022. There are fifty permits issued each day beginning in the early days of March and stretching into May. Not everyone plays by the rules so there are likely others who slip into the queue of hikers who were permitted so the numbers can be a bit squishy.

Of the total number of thru hike permits issued each year, that number can be around 4,500 plus, there are over 2,000 section hike permits issued too. A quick calculation suggests that in the ensuing ten weeks or so there could be over 3,000 hikers making their way north toward Canada.

This year the weather in southern California is ranging in the pleasant high sixties to lower seventies during the day and dipping into the mid to upper thirties at night. There appear to be steady cooling breezes for hikers heading north. As the days go by these temperatures will surely climb. Those with May start dates will probably find themselves happy to have a head lamp as they will discover night hiking.

Over the course of the next eight to ten weeks there will likely be an attrition rate as people realize a PCT thru hike was not their cup of tea, they will suffer from some mild to moderate injury, they simply won't like the experience, or any number of other good reasons. This process is all part of what some describe as 'the thinning of the herd'.

You may know someone who has embarked or is about to embark on their Pacific Crest Trail hike. Wish them well and try to imagine them as they make their way north. For some, it is a shock to the system, while for others they might describe it as 'living the dream'. Whatever and however their experience unfolds they will feel the many positive impacts of embracing any one or all of what the Pacific Crest Trail has to offer.

[marcherarrant]

Day 3 baby!!! Its going so perfect!!! The homie @bones.2.pick is the best road dog! He hikes fast though, damn! But we abide by hyoh protocol so we meet up later if he feels like going fast. We are at our first hostel (@atchostel )and it's perfect! Such good vibes and the people here are passionate about what they do. Highly recommend this place! Meals are included and laundry and it's just super nice and clean and people are super chill and friendly! All the hikers I've met on the trail have been super cool too! Everything is just going so good! I knew I would be in good walking shape because I am always walking, always, so I knew my legs and feet would be 100. But before the trip I never trained walking with my kit so I thought I might be outta shape in terms of having a bag on. Everyone tells me my bag is big and heavy but it feels so lite to me and has not been hard to carry at all and I'm thinking wow what a great surprise that it's not an issue at all. Then I had an aha moment hahaha. Although I did not train with the kit for the trail I realized that everyday I was walking before the trail I was carrying a huge camping bag full of paint with two big bottles of water and food hahaha. That thing has to weigh at least 50 pounds hahahaha, and I was walking with it like 5 hours a day down the tracks hahaha, so I was unknowingly training for the trail and not even thinking about it hahaha. On another note, when we were staying at our first shelter at Springer Mountain I heard a helicopter and gun shots at night. I figured the gun shots were a hunter. But then I heard a machine gun!!! It sounded like a war was going on!!! I asked the homie the next morning if he heard it all and he didnt! I thought I had just hallucinated it all hahaha. The next day we found a sign saying they were doing military training in the area and that we might see people in camouflage and to 'not engage' hahaha. Then we came across a military truck hahaha. I still had not put two and two together from what I had heard the night before hahaha. Then we met some Appalachian trail volunteers who told us about the military and that we might here machine guns hahaha.

[vulpinion]

McAfee Knob on the Appalachian Trail

[whatsy0urdream]

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 15-18

Pacific Crest Trail, Days 15-18

May 11, Day 15, Miles 20, Mile marker 251 A little bit about life on the trail. For those of you who may not know, something called Tramilies ‘Trail Family’ forms while hiking. Most people choose to be a part of one, some, of course, choose to hike alone but I found the start of my tramily with Ali. Typically most tramilies hike during the day alone, meeting up for breaks or at water stops, as…

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