Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

It is late April, and dawn is breaking over the southern Californian desert as the
dust kicked up by my friend’s car settles. I watch as she disappears into the
distance, then turn around and approach a large wooden marker standing a
few feet from the US/Mexico border fence. It reads ‘Pacific Crest National Scenic
Trail; Southern Terminus; Mexico to Canada 2650 Miles’. A dirt footpath meanders
away from the site. I snap a picture, hoist my backpack on to my shoulders, mutter
something reassuring and take my first few steps along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
towards Canada.
The PCT truly is epic, traversing the country’s wilderness virtually unbroken
between Mexico and Canada. It cuts the states of California, Oregon and
Washington in half by following the spines of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade
mountain ranges, passing through 25 national forests, seven national parks and
climbing over 90 vertical miles along the way. And I’m attempting a hike of its 2650
miles (4265km) in a single season, a feat commonly referred to as a ‘thru-hike’ and
usually met with some combination of confusion, awe and bewilderment when
announced to the general public.
Timing is key: a late-April start will get me through the desert before it becomes
too hot and dry, let me reach the Sierra Nevada mountains just as the snow from
the previous winter has melted, and then give me three quick months to make it
through Oregon and Washington to Canada before winter.