Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

© Lars Schneider | Getty
Rainbow Falls in California’s Mammoth Lakes
The popularity of the PCT has skyrocketed over the past decade, largely due to
the movie adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling 2012 novel Wild: From Lost to
Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. In two decades numbers have grown from a
couple of hundred intrepid hikers annually to more than 3000 in 2016, which can be
a mixed blessing; it makes it easy to find a group to hike with, but those seeking
solitude may want to consider a southbound hike starting at the Canadian border
instead.
A month after leaving the southern terminus I arrive at the outpost of Kennedy
Meadows, which marks the end of the desert. By now I’ve got my ‘trail legs’. I can
walk 25 miles day after day with a full pack without a problem, my feet have
callused up and resemble a hobbit’s leathery soles, and my constant caloric deficit
means I’ll devour anything I can get my hands on. The High Sierra awaits.
Stretching nearly the entire length of California, the Sierras are a section of
outstanding natural beauty and spirit-testing isolation. Containing 10 snow-veiled
passes above 10,000ft (3048m), countless river crossings and minimal resupply or
evacuation routes, it’s a landscape that demands respect and in return delivers
some of the most dramatic hiking anywhere on the planet. Translucent mountain
lakes, sheer granite cliffs and raging rivers teeming with fish are just some of the
remarkable vistas the trail traverses for 600 miles (965km) between Kennedy
Meadows and Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California.