PCT Planning update

PCT planning has slowed a bit in the last few months. I did a LOT of research on it this summer. So now I've just been waiting until December and January where I actually start planning the entire thing! Crazy that it is coming up so fast!

The PCTA is the organization that maintains the PCT. They have a permit that covers PCT hikers through each of the national parks and wilderness areas along the PCT. That way thru-hikers don't have to get 100+ different permits for their hikes. February is when the PCTA starts issuing those permits. I know once I submit for the PCT permit...it's going to feel real. At this point, I'm still in "fantasy land" planning stages.

The re-supply planning will be the most work in this whole process. But there is so much information online to help out. There is a PCT planner online that I have been messing around with, http://www.pctplanner.com. Basically you enter in how many hours you plan to hike a day and how fast you plan on averaging per hour. It also allows you to add extra time in the calculation for the amount of elevation gain in each section. With that information, it will calculate your time in days in between each re-supply point on the trail. From there you can into even more detail on when you will take rest days and short days. Right now it looks like it will be about 3-4 days in between towns with occasional 7-8 day stretches.

There are two strategies for the for re-supply:
1. Pre-package all food for the hike and mail each box to pre-determined re-supply locations throughout the trial.
Pros: Cheapest because you are buying lots of food in bulk. Save time in re-supply towns. You can sometimes get some nicer foods, for example Mountain House freeze dried meals that aren't readily available in every re-supply town.
Cons: Very easy to get tired of what you packed for yourself. Sara and I learned this on the JMT...and that was only 3 weeks. We hated every single pack of oatmeal that was put in our re-supply boxes after the 4th day.

2. Buy along the way at different re-supply towns at grocery stores,
Pros: Variety in food. If I get tired of something, I don't have to buy it at the next town
Cons: More expensive, takes time to do some shopping for enough food for 4-5 days.

Right now I think I'll be planning on doing a mix of both strategies. I'll buy most of my food along the way but will definitely have packages sent every once in a while. Someone at home will have to do the package sending since you can't send anything 5 months in advance and expect it to be held until you get there. I will most likely have Sara or my mom do this.

My gear selection is much farther along than the actual planning. Mostly because I have been accumulating gear for a long time now. I'm definitely going to take my experiences from the JMT along with lots of research to help with my gear selection. I've been doing a lot of experimentation over the last 6 months on my adventures and I think I'll have a smart, light and efficient gear selection before I start my hike.