“I Just Had To Skip So Many Miles”: How 2024 PCT Thru-Hikers Are Adapting to Fires and Trail Closures

On the Pacific Crest Trail, wildfire closures are no longer the rarity they once were — they’ve become part of the thru-hiking experience.

With five current closures on the trail, several sections only recently reopened, and the threat of more fires burning nearby, this year’s thru-hiking class is facing an especially tough test. Fire and smoke are the defining challenges of the 2024 PCT experience, with a surge in wildfires across Washington’s most remote sections resulting in a fractured footpath and complicated logistics.

At last month’s Pacific Crest Trail Days festival in Cascade Locks, Oregon, the future of everyone’s hikes was all the buzz. We caught up with a few thru-hikers to learn how they’re handling the closures.

Sunny & Gas Monkey

“It’s hard,” Gas Monkey says of this year’s closures. “It makes it so you can’t really do a ‘true thru’ anymore.”

As fires ahead continue to wreak havoc on the trail, Sunny and Gas Monkey have made the difficult decision to skip Washington and end their hike early.

“We’re almost done, and we’ve kind of spent our budgets already,” Sunny explains. “It’s just too remote up there, too much logistics and money to be jumping around this far north.”

Having previously thru-hiked the PCT in 2019, the pair are no strangers to the trail and its weather challenges.

“It’s one of those things (where) you think ‘this will be my year,’ but it’s no one’s year, ever it seems like,” says Gas Monkey. “It’s such a bummer.”

Beyond the logistical challenges, Gas Monkey reflects on how trail closures affect the mental game of finishing a thru-hike for many hikers.

“I think it really contributes to burnout,” says Gas Monkey. “If someone has a continuous line, then they hit a fire — if they had to jump 200-300 miles — I can see that taking the wind out of your sails.”

Sunny also points out how unpredictable fires are compared to other trail conditions when choosing a year to hike.

“It’s tough that it seems now that it’s coming down to luck,” says Sunny. “You can track snow reports to check how high the snow year is going to be, but you can’t plan for wildfires.”

Despite the challenges, Sunny and Gas Monkey are trying to keep perspective. Like many hikers, they’re grappling with the disappointment of not completing the trail as they imagined.

“I think a lot of us feel disappointed in ourselves that we can’t do it, but it will take us some time to realize how cool it was to do the stuff that we actually did,” Gas Monkey reflects.

The Little Mermaid

While closures can drain the motivation of many thru-hikers, for The Little Mermaid, the opportunity to move ahead on the trail gifted her with the energy to keep going.

“When I was in NorCal, I was pretty depressed and ready to quit,” The Little Mermaid shares. “Getting to skip up a few miles gave me a little more momentum.”

After bypassing parts of Northern California and Oregon, the finish line felt suddenly closer, renewing her sense of purpose and easing the “NorCal Blues.”

Despite mixed feelings about missing miles and more closures ahead in Washington, her spirits lifted when she realized she could still hike one of the sections she was most excited about: Goat Rocks.

Love Child

For Love Child, the fires were a known factor heading into the PCT.

“The fires are definitely concerning, but they happen every year, so it was something I knew about coming into this trail,” he explains.

Despite the challenges, Love Child hasn’t had to skip ahead due to fire yet, and in some ways, it has added a unique layer to his hike.

“The road walks I’ve done have been with my trail family, and it’s been really nice just to have a shift,” he says. “Going from looking at nature all day — which of course is beautiful — to seeing the countryside, rural farms, and towns, gave me a different perspective of California when hiking through it.”

His experience hiking through Lassen National Park stands out as a highlight, getting to witness one of nature’s apocalyptic scenes up close.

“My trail family made it into Lassen a day before they closed it. Seeing the smoke and ash coming down, the orange skies … it was a unique experience you don’t get on any other trail besides the PCT, though maybe a bit romanticized.”

When asked about the fires ahead of him on his journey, Love Child remains pragmatic.

“You find out what’s going to happen when you get there.”

Panchete

As the fires disrupted her plans, Panchete couldn’t help but reflect on her timing and choices along the trail.

“Maybe if I didn’t have that many zeros, I would have made it on time,” Panchete says.

It’s a sentiment shared by many hikers who, in hindsight, start piecing together how a few different decisions might have helped them avoid the closures.

As for the future, Panchete hopes that looming closures will resolve themselves before she gets there.

“I’m going to go back to Bend from here, hike up, and then hopefully the Washington fires will be under control. We’ll see.”

Still, the 300 miles she missed because of the Park Fire weigh on her mind.

“I might have to come back next year and do those 300 miles,” Panchete says, determined to finish everything she’s missed along the way.

Low Flow

Low Flow’s journey has also been marked by skipped sections and closures. His primary concern is the smoke.

“I just had to skip so many miles, and also some of the parts that weren’t closed but the smoke was really bad,” he explains. “I’m really sensitive, that’s my major concern.”

Although he didn’t mind missing Northern California, Low Flow had hoped for a smoother experience in Washington.

“I thought Washington was going to be fine,” he says. But coordinating his return home to the Czech Republic has made timing and logistics tricky. “It’s hard with the timing … flights home are really expensive.”

Despite the logistical challenges and missed miles, Low Flow remains focused on what matters most to him.

“For me, it has always been about the time here and the people I meet,” Low Flow reflects. “For people who want to hike all the miles, it’s more complicated, but for me, it’s not that deep.”

A New Normal

As wildfires and extreme weather become a regular part of the PCT experience, the dream of an unbroken footpath is shifting from expectation to rare bonus.

For many thru-hikers, the conversation on trail is also evolving. It’s no longer just about how many miles they’ve completed. This year’s thru-hikers are openly discussing plans, adapting to the season’s unique challenges, being transparent about missed sections, and embracing the unpredictability that defines every PCT journey.

Featured image panel: Top center photo via Abby Evans. All other photos by James Townsend.