PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

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PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby norts » Tue 18 Nov, 2014 9:18 am

I am planning on doing the PCT next year, I was wondering if anyone on here has had done it in the last couple of years? I just want to get a Aussies perspective on it.

Roger
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby wayno » Tue 18 Nov, 2014 3:42 pm

here's some motivational reading. just to be different, theres a winter attempt under way at the moment...

http://www.justinlichter.com/blog/
from the land of the long white clouds...
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby norts » Tue 18 Nov, 2014 4:41 pm

That's a bit beyond my capabilities.
Roger
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby sef » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 12:08 am

Yeah, I did it in 2012. Happy to help where I can, here or on email if you send me a message.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby Turfa » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 4:14 am

It would be great if you could post here as I am planning the PCT for 2017 and would love to hear about it too
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby whitefang » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 7:42 am

I would love to hear about your experience too, sef. I'm also hoping to be able to attempt it in 2017.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby Eljimberino » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 12:05 pm

What visas do you need for this walk? How long do the visas take to organise?


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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby norts » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 12:53 pm

The walk takes about 4-6 month so you will need a 6 month visitors ( B2). you can do the application on line but you will have to visit a consulate. Allow a plenty of time, I cant remember how long it took but I think it was about 4 weeks, It will depend when you can get to a consulate, you have to make an appointment. After the appointment they will post your passport back. Dont go for the single entry visa.

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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby Turfa » Fri 21 Nov, 2014 7:55 pm

It is an annoying process and you want to give yourself plenty of time (get the visa before you pay for flights). Here are the details about the application and interview process.

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/au-niv-visaapply.asp

The key thing they seem to be looking for when considering a visa application is that you have good reasons to go back home again eg. Family, job, property etc.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby sef » Sat 22 Nov, 2014 6:14 pm

Get the B2, which is tedious unless you live in Sydney or Perth, but you don't have a whole lot of options. It's also a great introduction to the cheer of US immigration and customs. On that, the length of your stay is still determined by the official at the border -- just because you're entitled to up to six months doesn't mean they'll give it to you. In fact, they'll almost certainly ask "So how long are you planning on staying?" and when you answer "I'd like the full six months sir" you're going to have to explain why.

I'd suggest not simply saying that you're planning to walk from Mexico to Canada, as that makes you sound a bit mental. Say that you're on an "organised hiking tour". Print out the USNST .gov page, wiki, and take the first section of your maps*. They are kind of that terrible.

--

* If you use maps. The track really is so well marked that you can just use a databook and the occasional phone-GPS check -- but you'll want a databook that has incremental mileage between water, towns, etc anyway and the PCTA one is so out of date that you're going to use one extracted from one of the mapsets anyway. I'd strongly suggest using Halfmile's maps (and if you ever do the CDT, the Ley maps). They're community sourced, reasonably error free, cheap and that's what almost everyone else out there is using. Get them printed up at work (free) or by the group printup that someone will organise for your year, probably on the Facebook page. You can then bring them over to Australia by way of a shipping forwarder (eg shipito.com), or even better just get them mailed to trail angels or a motel in San Diego. It was scandalously cheap that way - US$30 vs AUD$320 at Officeworks or punching yourself in the face because you bought Erik the Black.

On that, you should buy Yogi's guide. The town guide you carry with you on the trail, not the planning guide or the laminated cards or that orange spoon that breaks as soon as you wave it near peanut butter. It has its limits, but you're going to need something like it.

Um... get your Canada permit ahead of time, use a pepsi can stove, go as light as you can, don't listen to The Fear that swarms around telling you that the desert is too dry, the Sierras have too much snow, it's going to be a bad fire season in NorCal, etc etc. Get shoes that fit. Almost every piece of outdoor gear is MUCH cheaper in the US and their postal and returns system is pretty generous, so don't worry too much about getting things right. Don't go obsessive crazy over gear, just get it light.

Sorry that all of that is fragmented - if you have any more specific questions or topics, happy to help where I can.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby sef » Sat 22 Nov, 2014 6:17 pm

Another fragment: Hitch-hiking is very established along the trail corridor -- something you don't see after Mr Milat in Australia. So plan on hitching into towns to resupply, it's never a problem.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby whitefang » Mon 24 Nov, 2014 1:13 am

I discovered this blog tonight: https://mexicotocanada2013.wordpress.com/. It documents an Aussie's (Muk Muk is the name she's going by) experience on the PCT last year. I have read the entries from the beginning of the hike up to the start of the Sierras and it has been a really interesting read.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby norts » Mon 24 Nov, 2014 4:37 am

Thanks for that.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby DaveNoble » Mon 24 Nov, 2014 8:31 am

John Henzell is an Australian journalist who lives in Christchurch. (I have walked with his brother) His website is http://henzell.com. He completed the PCT in 2006 and wrote up a Trail Journal. It is interesting but does have a NZ perspective rather than Australian -

http://www.trailjournals.com/henzell

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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby norts » Mon 24 Nov, 2014 10:06 am

Thanks Dave
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby whitefang » Sun 30 Nov, 2014 1:39 am

"Only The Essential - Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail" looks like it could be a really good movie about the hike. The full length movie is released on December 1st, but you can watch the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/91685304.
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Re: PCT - Pacific Crest Trail

Postby bikehikesafari » Mon 05 Jan, 2015 2:53 pm

Hi,
I too will be on the trail next year.
Certain to be a long hard hike but I'm looking forward to it.
Lots of people on the facebook site.
Look up PCT class of 2015, if you haven't already and
Pacific Crest Trail on facebook.
Lots of discussion about lightweight gear, re-supply, snow levels, logistics. And anything else PCT that you can think about.
See you there,
Brad
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