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7 Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hikers Share Their Favorite and Most Challenging Sections
As the 2023 thru-hiking season draws to a close, we’ve asked our Pacific Crest Trail finishers to share their thoughts on which parts of the trail were their favorites and which ones were the most challenging. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Josh “Chute” Barrett
Most Challenging Section
Favorite Section
This is such a tough question, as it’s like being asked which of your kids is your favorite! Each section has something beautiful to offer and also a challenge that you must overcome. I had amazing days and super difficult days in each section. That said, since I have to answer, I’m going to say Washington. While there were portions that were brutal, when I think of the beautiful scenery that I was able to experience throughout the whole trail, very often I find myself thinking about some of the amazing sights in Washington!
Björn “Refill” Dziambor | @django hikes
Most Challenging Section
From South Lake Tahoe to Truckee. The snow in the Southern Sierra was a joke compared to this! What many did not realize: the trail changes in the souther, highest portion of the Sierra. Between Lone Pine and Sonora Pass, it runs through valleys and across passes. Everywhere else, it runs around the mountains. On this particular stretch around Lake Tahoe, the trail was running around hills AND still covered in snow. The constant danger of slipping to death, deep tree wells, long miles, and the hoping that the snow would finally end around the corner almost broke me mentally.
Favorite Section
Emily “Strider” Rahn
Photo credit: Jean Taggart
Most Challenging Section
Favorite Section
Three Sisters Wilderness — I was fascinated to find huge chunks of obsidian alongside a burbling creek in a brilliant green meadow with a backdrop of pines and snow-splotched volcanic peaks. Gorgeous!
Leonie “Desert Moon” Lazarus
Most Challenging Section
Favorite Section
I can’t choose an absolute favorite, but near the top of the list would be the section from Stevens Pass to Canada. I had to skip a few miles in this section due to wildfire closures, but I was in awe of the Cascade Mountains, and the section from Hart’s Pass to Manning Park will live in my heart forever.
Tom “Honey Buckets” Frenchu
Most Challenging Section
Favorite Section
My favorite section was probably Northern Washington. I found it struck a nice balance between scenery on trail and culture in town. The infrastructure was helpful too: plenty of toilets, water sources, and delineated campsites.
Rosemary “Stretch” Adrat
Most Challenging Section
What is exciting about trail is that challenges are always evolving or arising. Being the snow year that it was, the Sierra will take the cake of most challenging. Getting through it was a slog. Waking up at 2:00 a.m. to beat the sun before it weakened the snow, constant exposure to the sun and it reflecting off the snow, and no visible trail to walk on for days. Easily the most type two fun I’ve experienced.
Then I so sadly got a knee injury in the Sierra and I had to deal with the fact that I wouldn’t make it all the way through. Since so few people were doing a full northbound hike, I was elated to be in the small percentage of hikers who were, along with the even smaller percentage of women who would make it through. The entire time I was in the Sierra, I saw three women, two of whom turned around. And as much as I didn’t want to, I became one of the girls who turned around and needed to exit. It took me until I met some other women hikers later on who made it all the way through to realize I didn’t fail because of being a girl. It was simply an injury, and the mountains don’t care that I’m a female.
NorCal was hard just because I went from slow days of 12-14 miles max to a marathon every day. Felt like I was always in a rush.
Oregon: my trail family split up and I had to learn to have fun in my solitude, which ended up becoming another great section!!
Washington was about racing winter to Canada. Rain came in for days, the nights grew long, and I was constantly holding my hands in my armpits. But wow, what a beautiful section when the clouds did break. Ten out of ten: I would say if you wanted to do a section of trail, Washington should be it.
Favorite Section
Will admit I had the most fun in the desert! There are no worries about getting to Canada in time (I had a later start date). I wasn’t tired of living outside yet (actually never got tired of that). I was meeting new people/ making new friends the whole time. Dare I say it felt like I was a kid; the world felt small and laughter came easily. There wasn’t a worry in the world, and I just cruised along in a beautiful desert garden.
The whole damn thing was beautiful, maybe a total of ten miles would I consider ‘ugly.’ So the best parts of the trail are only distinguished by your mental state, physical state, and the good people around you.
Photo credit: MAV
Most Challenging Section
Favorite Section
North Cascades. The trail was a lot of steep, big, and long climbs, and the terrain was so rugged. But the views… and logistically there were resupplies perfectly spaced in awesome towns.
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Comments 1
Agree that Washington per mile is the best part, especially Mt Adams to Mt Rainier. Goat Rocks! Don’t get me started. Even with the (very wet) detour down the Cowlitz River due to a 2019 forest fire near Packwood, would not trade it for anything.
JMT is almost equally unforgettable. Evolution Valley was worth the price of admission. Snowbound at Tuolumne Meadows for five days in a freak eatly Sept storm, after a mad descent from Donovan Pass, was the onset of my now chronic osteoarthritis. Still, impossibly beautiful.
Anything pre Kenndedy Meadows South and China Hat… skip these if you can.