This post will be boring to anyone not interested in backpacking themselves: The gear list and plan.
Please skip it if you are not interested. But if you, like us on our first hike, want to hear about what gear we used, this post is for you.
We planned to hike only across Washington, starting at Cascade locks on the north side of the river, and ending in Canada.
Permits:
We hiked more than 500 miles so we chose to make donations to PCTA and they provided us with a thru-hiking permit for the entire state. If you are interested in shorter sections, particularly through some parks, getting the proper permits can be a little more difficult.
We also hiked into Canada, which requires a permit to enter. Otherwise, we would be illegal immigrants. Interesting fact: As or 2016, it is illegal to hike into the US on the PCT and there are no permits available to do so. So Southbound hikers must actually hike north to the border and then back south to avoid breaking the law.
Both of the permits can be accessed on the PCT website, pcta.org.
Tent: We used a Big Agnes Fly Creek 2-man tent. It was a little cramped for two tall people but otherwise perfect for us. It was possibly our biggest purchase and hurt my cheapskate heart a little bit. But it is really light and sturdy and is worth the price.
Packs: Laura used a Dueter pack. She swears that their hip-belt fits lady-hips better than anything else. I chose my Columbia Sportswear Edura based solely on the fact that it was the right size and a good price on Craigslist. I bought it from a guy who had planned to hike but never really did so it was like new. I would not suggest this to most people because lots of things can go wrong with a pack. But it worked for me.
Shoes: Laura uses Keen boots because they have more space in the toe-box than other brands. They have lasted a long time; well over 100 miles so far! My Brooks Cascadias (with superfeet insoles), on the other hand, were trash by the end of the state. They were the 10th model of the shoe and are now notorious for ripping across the toe-box where the laces end. I was happy with them regardless because they were light and supportive and I never got blisters.
Water Filtration: We used a Sawyer squeeze. If you get one, get the regular size, not the mini. The mini works way slower and is practically the same weight. Also, watch out about the bags. They break if you are not very careful. You can just use a platypus bag or something else. Also, don't let the filter freeze or it will stop filtering and you will get sick.
Stove: We used the Jetboil. It is light enough, compact, and pretty foolproof. It boils water fast and takes quite a while to run out of fuel.
Food: We ate mostly oatmeal for breakfast. We made our own with old fashioned oats, chia seeds, sugar, nuts, and dried fruit. For lunch, we had a lot of tuna with tortillas or with salty crackers. For dinners, we bought a bunch of mountain house meals at Costco. I like GORP for a trailmix. We also had Snickers and Payday bars. For dinner we also ate mac-n-cheese and mashed potatoes with veggies mixed in. There were other things, but that is most of it.
Resupply: We had a resupply about every 100 miles. We send food to Trout Lake, White Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass, and Stehekin. Trout Lake kind of requires a ride into town.White pass and Snoqualmie pass are basically on the trail. Stevens pass required a ride because we sent to the Skykomish Post Office. You can send to the actualy resort at the pass now... but it is still nice to go down and meet the Dinsmores. They are wondeful people. Stehekin requires a ride a few miles into town on the shuttle.
The hike took us forty days but we stopped for zeros a few times. We stayed in a room in Troutlake, in a hotel on White pass, in a hotel on Snoqualmie pass, in a hotel in Skykomish, at the Dinsmores, and at "The Ranch" in Stehekin. These were all "zero" days. We also took the alternate route north from Snoqualmie pass and stayed at the Goldmeyer hot springs.
If you have questions about this, or thoughts, feel free to comment. I will do anything I can to help answer questions if you are planning.
That wraps up the planning portion of things. Next, we will begin the hike!
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