Preparing for Chaos: Why Hike in a High Snow Year?

So, I quit my full-time job, fit all my possessions into a Honda Civic, and drove across the country just to go on a long walk. Well, a long walk along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

A Crazy Idea

I first learned about the PCT in college. I backpacked sections of the PCT in the Sierra Nevada with my dad and our fearless leader, Bob, our next-door neighbor and backpacking extraordinaire. One year, when hiking up Kearsarge pass, gasping under the weight of my bag a woman passed me going at twice my speed. Her white faded backpack looked to be half the size of mine. I watched the white spec zigzag up the faded brown switchbacks and crest the top of the pass in record time. “Did you see that?” I exclaimed between gasps for air. “Probably a PCT thru-hiker” another hiker echoed back at me. Returning home, I began researching and asking questions about PCT thru-hikers. The more I learned, the more it sounded like a dream come true though I was certain only a crazy person would commit to hiking the US from border to border in less than 6 months.

Apparently, I’m a crazy person. As the years progressed, I spent more nights in my sleeping bag instead of in my warm bed, and more weekends in the backcountry than in the city. Next thing I knew, the PCT looked more like an achievable goal and the planning began.

The Infamous Snow Year

In addition to the usual excitement and anxieties that come with preparing, the weather has provided extra…excitement.  California’s snow levels have just kept growing, increasing the danger and logistical confusion surrounding the hike. This year PCT hikers have sought refuge from snow storms skipped large sections of the PCT, and stopped their hike completely for safety concerns. This legendary snow year has prompted questions I now ask myself every day. Why the heck did I sign up for this absolute chaos? And now…how do I prepare for this absolute chaos?

Wait, why this again?

There are many reasons why I signed up to embark on this journey, but embracing nature’s chaos is probably the biggest reason. My mid-20s have been a season of constant change and confusion. Keeping it short, I feel like since 2020 I’ve been driving around in a Mustang on fire. I’m having a great time with the wind in my face, full speed ahead, seeing new sights…but everything is on fire.

Reflecting on nature’s power, magnitude, and chaos is the only thing that grounds me. It reminds me of how small I am in the universe and suddenly, the anxieties I’m facing seem silly. Yes, snow storms and atmospheric rivers are not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to ’embrace chaos’. However, I think it’s part of the nature-driven chaos I deeply need. This high snow year will sweep me off to heightened adventures, more lessons learned, and bountiful stories. To quote the (unarguably) best series of all time: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Practical Snow Preparation

Okay, now to the more practical question. How do I prepare for this year’s dumpster fire conditions? I’ll be honest, the thing about planning for chaos is…well you can’t. At least not really. BUT for all of my friends/fam out there who are not as excited as I am for my upcoming trip here is a little taste of how I’ve been preparing for the chaos to come.

1) Mentally preparing for change

This (in my opinion) is the most important aspect of my preparation. I am walking myself through scenarios of skipping sections, staying in town longer than I’d like, or even stopping my hike altogether. Mentally preparing for these scenarios will allow me to make safe decisions, even if the safe decision is not something I like. Hiking the PCT is a dream I’ve had for years, but it’s not worth risking my life or others’ lives.

2) Educating my SoCal Butt

So, here’s the thing…I am very new to snow. I lived 24 years of my life in Southern California, and only recently encountered snow this past year when I moved to Ohio. Needless to say, snow is not something I’m used to. There are some truly incredible resources online that I have been studying. I am no expert so I’m linking a few sources I’ve been reviewing and learning from.

• Mountain Education – Ned Tibbits (who was recently on Backpacker Radio) is a genius and a saint. I highly recommend binging his material. https://mountaineducation.org/
• Wilderness Firstaid – Just a good general source I found for wilderness first aid. Classes are online and cheap, but it’s not a NOLS course so I’m using it more for personal education rather than certification. https://survivalmedonline.org/our-courses/wilderness-first-aid/
• Andrew Skurka’s River Crossing Sheet – https://andrewskurka.com/psa-hazardous-high-sierra-creeks-list-map-alternates/ Great resource for more information on river crossings.
• Postholer – I don’t think I’ve opened this once in the past month without gasping at the snow levels. If you open the link and are able to scroll through without gasping, I owe you a beer. https://www.postholer.com/snow/Pacific-Crest-Trail/1

3) Bringing the right gear

I’ve upgraded my equipment to do my best to remain warm, dry, and upright this year. The three purchases I’m most excited about are a sleeping bag liner, river crossing booties, and crampons (instead of microspikes). To my cats dismay, she will not be joining the gear in my pack. I could go on and on about gear, but I’ll spare you (this time).