Pacific Mountain Trail (Pacific Crest Trail). Why you shouldn't read the motivating story "wild" and watch the film of the same name with Reese Witherspoon

The route of the trail passes far from large settlements through the picturesque corners of wild nature untouched by man. It is the westernmost and second longest route of the Triple Crown of Hiking.

Geography

The route of the Pacific ridge passes through the territories of the states - California, Oregon and Washington, and also partially (about 12 miles) through the territory of the Canadian province of British Columbia at a distance of 160 to 240 km east of Pacific coast USA. Altitude ranges from 43 meters above sea level on the border of the states of Oregon and Washington, to 4009 meters above sea level in the Forester Pass area in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The southern end of the trail is near the village of Campo (English)Russian on the US-Mexico border. The northern end of the trail is on the US-Canada border near Manning Park. Midpoint near Chester (English)Russian near Mount Lassen (Lassen Volcanic (National Park)). The route passes through 7 US national parks and 25 national forests.

Story

The idea of ​​​​creating a route belongs to the oil tycoon Clinton Churchill-Clark as an analogue of the existing one on east coast Appalachian Trail by combining many regional hiking trails into one from the Mexican to the Canadian border. In 1932, Clark organized Pacific Crest Trail System Conference, bringing together volunteers who from to years. were engaged in the development of the route and the study of the area where it was supposed to lie.

Officially, all work on laying, arranging and marking the trail was completed in 1993.

Route Features

The traditional route for most travelers along the trail is from south to north. Only a few, about 5-10%, travel from north to south. This is due to a small climatic "window", i.e., a period of snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. The duration of the entire route is from 3 to 6 months, which largely depends on the preparation and experience of the tourist.

Temperature regime in summer it fluctuates from +40 degrees Celsius in the Mojave Desert (Spanish. Mojave) and low mountains, to small sub-zero temperatures in Celsius on passes high in the mountains.

It is forbidden to travel on any type of transport, including bicycles, along the route. For cyclists, there is a 2,500-mile (4,000 km) parallel Pacific Crest Bicycle Trail.

Time record for complete passage The route is owned by Joey McConaughey of Seattle. He covered the route in 53 days 6 hours 37 minutes. However, Joy set this record not without the help of a support group of his friends, who delivered food and other necessary things to the right points on the route. Breaking time record complete itinerary Heather Anderson alone, without outside help, has covered the entire distance in 60 days, 17 hours, 12 minutes.

The first successful attempt to overcome the route in winter period owned by Justin Lichter and Sean Forry. They started their journey on October 21, 2014 from the border with Canada and ended on March 1, 2015 at the border with Mexico.

The entire route can only be traveled from south to north. From north to south, the entire route is impossible to pass, since it is allowed to cross the Canadian border towards Canada at the point of intersection of the route with the border, and back towards the United States, the border can only be crossed through special checkpoints, the nearest of which is located 50 miles from the trail.

Every year at the end of April, on the 20th mile of the trail from the border with Mexico near Lake Moreno, a Kick-off day is held - a gathering for tourists traveling the route for the first time.

Along the entire route there are so-called "Angels of the trail" - volunteers involved in maintaining the trail and campsites, helping tourists, for example, by organizing hiding places with drinking water in dry areas.

In 2012, Cheryl Strayed published a book called Wild. Dangerous journey as a way to find yourself." The main character of the book goes on a 1100 mile hike along the Pacific Ridge Route. Since July 2012, for several weeks, the book topped the New York Times Best Seller List. In 2014, the Hollywood film adaptation of the book was released - the film "Wild" (Eng. Wild). The book and the film contributed to the greater popularization of the route, including among tourists from other countries.

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An excerpt characterizing the Pacific Ridge Route

At the appointed hour, powdered and shaved, the prince went into the dining room, where his daughter-in-law, Princess Mary, m lle Bourienne, and the prince's architect, who, by his strange whim, were allowed to the table, were waiting for him, although this insignificant person by his position could not count on such an honor. . The prince, who firmly adhered to the difference in fortunes in life and rarely allowed even important provincial officials to come to the table, suddenly proved to the architect Mikhail Ivanovich, who was blowing his nose in a checkered handkerchief in a corner, that all people are equal, and more than once inspired his daughter that Mikhail Ivanovich did nothing worse than you and me. At the table, the prince most often turned to the dumb Mikhail Ivanovich.
In the dining room, enormously high, like all the rooms in the house, the household and the waiters who stood behind every chair were waiting for the prince to come out; the butler, with a napkin on his hand, looked around at the table setting, winking at the lackeys and constantly darting restlessly from the wall clock to the door from which the prince was supposed to appear. Prince Andrei looked at a huge, new to him, golden frame depicting the genealogical tree of the Bolkonsky princes, hanging opposite the same huge frame with a badly made (apparently by the hand of a house painter) image of a sovereign prince in a crown, who was supposed to come from Rurik and be the ancestor the Bolkonsky family. Prince Andrew looked at this family tree, shaking his head, and chuckled with the air with which one looks at a similar to a ridiculous portrait.

Journey through the southwestern United States to visit the most beautiful National parks and walk along a section of the Pacific Trail. Detailed travel itinerary on foot and in rental cars - motorhome and convertible.

We all know the United States from films, but few people know it personally. wildlife, and for myself I would like to fill this gap. The purpose of this trip is to explore as much as possible Natural Landmarks of the Southwestern United States. We will visit many national parks and reserves, we will spend the night in campsites, in tents, in order to fully enjoy the beauties of the United States.

A separate test should be hiking By Pacific trail. The entire trail stretches from the Mexican to the Canadian border and can be completed in 5-6 months, but this requires special training. I have a dream: as the heroine of Cheryl Strayed's book "Wild. A Dangerous Journey as a Way to Find Yourself" to test yourself and go along this path from beginning to end ... One ... Few girls made such a long trip. But for now, in this journey, try your hand at a small segment (relative to the entire route) from Lake Isabella to Lake Tahoe. I am going to go through this section not alone, but with my husband and friends. I hope they will support me during a solo trip along the trail. In general, we like to travel in a big company, we organize big trips for 10-12 people, which often, oddly enough, makes traveling easier and cheaper.

Well, since we flew to this country many thousands of kilometers away, we need to make the most of this chance and see as much as possible natural beauties, imbued with the culture of the country, try the national cuisine (well, you understand: Subway, KFC, Burger King)) is a joke).

USA is the most car country in the world, and therefore optimal way moving becomes rental car . Again, many associate America with a car, with traveling on it through an incredibly beautiful places, stops at motels and campsites. And, of course, we all remember the huge motor homes. And, of course, we rent just such a car for the first part of our trip. What a journey through the American reserves in another car, except for this. Although there is another trip - for the third part of the trip (after leaving the trail) we rent a cabriolet! The whole company will not fit into one convertible, and therefore we are driving together with my husband along the ocean along the west coast of the United States, the rest are side by side, not far behind).

In the meantime, let's figure out what and when we can see on this trip:

Reading "Wild" is as unbearably hard as the book's heroine and concurrent author Cheryl Strayed to follow the route of the Pacific Ridge. I just want to quit this bad idea. Get out of the race, firstly, because I don’t like the literary component, how the book is written (translated?). The author studied writing at a college in Minneapolis. But, either because she quit, or because of a banal lack of talent, Straid writes boringly, using either clichés, or weaving into a monotonous narrative such ridiculous metaphors that look as wild as, for example, the appearance of a llama in one from episodes in the book.

Secondly, all this is burdened with a banal story about an “ordinary girl” from the outback: a dysfunctional family, childhood trauma, the death of a mother, promiscuity, divorce, promiscuity, heroin, promiscuity…

Twenty-six-year-old Cheryl Straid, after a series of personal dramas, decides to pull herself together and is going on a trip. With the hope that it will "make me the woman that I could be, and at the same time turn me back into the girl that I once was." In new boots on her feet and with a huge backpack on her shoulders, the heroine sets off in search of herself on a hiking trip along the Pacific Ridge route, 4,285 km long.

The Pacific Ridge Trail (MTX) / Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of the longest hiking trails in the United States and in the world. It runs along the entire western coast of America from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska through the Cordillera.

The ridge in the eastern part is called rocky mountains, A western edge The Cordillera is represented by the Sierra Nevada (California), the Cascades (Oregon and Washington) and the coastal ranges. British Columbia(Canada). It is through these mountains, off the west coast of the United States, that the route of the Pacific Ridge is laid.

Most travelers start at the Mexican border and end at the Canadian border. Many go hiking alone, like the heroine of the book Cheryl Straid. Although, a single woman on this route is a rarity. There are couples and groups of tourists. Some find fellow travelers on the road. These non-committal alliances can last as long as a day or a month. Those who meet at campsites along the way and reach the finish line are united by a shared experience and a sense of spiritual kinship, even if people see each other for the first time half a kilometer from the Canadian border.

Several hundred people go to MTX every year. Some go alone, others - in the company. Each traveler pursues his goals. Everyone has their own story and their own path.

In 100 days, Cheryl travels more than 1,770 km along one part of the Pacific Ridge route through California and becomes a real "long-distance traveler" nicknamed "Queen of MTX".

Additional bonuses are followed by the established personal life: a loving husband, children (son and daughter). The dizzying career of a writer: the book “Wild. Dangerous journey as a way to find yourself”, written in 2012, becomes a bestseller according to The New York Times and translated into 29 languages. And the icing on the cake is the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film adaptation by Jean-Marc Vallee starring Reese Witherspoon.

"Wild" is a book from a series of motivating and designed to inspire. I do not share the rave reviews on the cover of Oprah Winfrey and Nick Hornby. But I won't argue. In the end, everyone has their own path. "Wild" inspired me only to watch movie of the same name to not finish reading the book. Which also, for my taste, was not very successful. I had to finish reading to find the thread of the story lost at some point in the film adaptation and walk with the heroine to the end of her route.

"Wild" is about the American dream in action. Yes, and with an illustration in Instagram. Yes! It is, perhaps, almost more interesting than reading the book itself and watching the movie - to find the account of the real Cheryl Strayd. Reading her story and imagining it is one thing. Watching the film Valle written by Nick Hornby is another. But look into the personal life of the author through the filter social network and compare your idea with the facts ...

After reading, I found the author's Instagram account @cherylstrayed. 100 days of grueling hiking and getting over yourself to take a selfie with Reese Witherspoon.

And what have you achieved?

Hiking trails - an excellent test for the human body, in principle, well adapted by nature for such events. Good deal for avid travelerslay out a walking route to taste and spend on itwhole weeks, or even months. This article has collectedthe best hiking trails , which are also one of the longest in the world!

Hiking trails: Trekking across America

Walking Tourist Route: Italian Challenge

Hiking Trails: Japan Mini Tour

Best Hiking Trails: Troubled Africa

Self-guided hiking trails: Through the Himalayas

Hiking Route: Hobbit Country

This article talks about one of the longest hiking trails in the USA and in the world - Pacific Mountain Trail*- and also about the author's attempt (successful, by the way!) to cover the entire route in one summer.

*Note: The most correct translation of the name of the trail (Pacific Crest Trail), in my opinion, is exactly “Pacific mountain path” or “TGT”, and not “Pacific Ridge Route” (PRT), as in Lately it began to be called as a result of the decision of the translator of the book "Wild" (Wild). My thoughts on this can be read in the discussion of the Wikipedia article. This moment worries me because I am writing a book about my journey through the TGT. In a few weeks you will be able to start reading it. - Richard, 05/09/2018

Introduction

Along the entire western coast of America, from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, stretches the longest mountain system in the world - the Cordillera. In the center of North America, the Cordilleras expand and split into several parts. The ridge in the eastern part is commonly called the Rocky Mountains, and the western edge of the Cordillera is represented by such mountain systems like the Sierra Nevada (California), the Cascade Mountains (Oregon and Washington), and the British Columbia Coast Ranges (Canada). Along these heterogeneous ridges rising above the coast Pacific Ocean, and the "Pacific Mountain Trail" (hereinafter "TGT" or "PCT" - from "Pacific Crest Trail") was laid. Its length is 4270 kilometers.

The start and end of the route for most long-distance travelers are the Mexican and Canadian borders, respectively. Only about 5-10% of people who go hiking on the PCT become "southerners" (SoBos or south-bounders), who go from north to south. North-south trekking is often considered more difficult due to the shorter hiking season, with snow melting later in the northern Cascades than in the relatively low, dry mountains of Southern California. I will be a "northern": I will start at the Mexican border, like most.

The beginning of my hike is timed to coincide with an event that is held every year for a freshly minted group of long-distance walkers in the park near Lake Morena on the 20th mile of the trail. This year it will take place on April 25 (4 days after writing these lines!). Accordingly, I start on the 24th. The organizers of this free (for long-distance walkers of the current season) event are a close-knit group of people who opened the trail together in the seventies. Since I am going on a route without company, I want to take this opportunity to get to know most of them who are undergoing THT this year at once. Many of them, if not most, also go solo, so, probably, almost everyone will be interested in new acquaintances. I think it will be easy to get to know each other. Despite the differences in origin, culture, professional activities, etc., everyone has a lot in common. One way or another, we all went through a similar path to get here. Further, our common experiences will bring us even closer.

As a rule, on extra long tourist routes non-binding alliances are formed - companies that can "dissolve" in a day, or maybe in a month. Each long-distance traveler is autonomous in terms of equipment and food and goes according to its own schedule. At the same time, no one canceled the need for communication. In order not to break away from the company, you have to adapt: ​​adjust the pace of walking, postpone the solution of physiological needs, change plans for visiting settlements. When the individual needs of the participants begin to diverge too much, they part ways. But the path is long, and it is possible that you will cross again after 10, 100 or 1000 kilometers. Several hundred people set out on the Pacific Mountain Trail each year. Some prefer to go (or are forced to go) alone, others - in the company. Everyone is looking for the optimal ratio of loneliness and society.

Geography and climate

The natural environment of the Pacific Mountain Trail is diverse. In Southern California, these are low, arid mountains and semi-desert. In central California, there is the high Sierra Nevada (“snow-capped mountains” in Spanish), built of granites, where for more than 300 km you do not meet a single road (and this is in the most populous US state!). IN Northern California the route passes along low forested ridges, and in Oregon and Washington - along the Cascade Mountains, which are interrupted only by powerful river Colombia is on the border of these two states. Oregon is characterized by densely forested plateaus with isolated snow-capped volcanoes, while Washington also has more typical folded mountains.

In the desert and low mountains, temperatures can reach 40 degrees or more, but in general temperatures will stay in the range of 15-25 (10-30?) degrees during the day and 0-10 degrees at night. Sub-zero temperatures are likely at least several times during the hike, therefore, despite the summer heat, most long-distance walkers take sleeping bags designed for temperatures from 0 to -10 C. It must also be taken into account that in a very thin body, resistance to cold decreases.

The climate along the west coast of the United States is markedly Mediterranean, i.e. precipitation falls mostly in winter and dry in summer. Of course, high mountains create their own microclimate, but even in the highlands a month can pass without precipitation. In California and Oregon, there are areas where you need to walk 30-40 km to the next water source. In the mountains of Southern California, late spring snowfalls are possible, and in the northern part of the Cascade Mountains, prolonged rains often begin as early as the second half of September. In the Sierra Nevada, the snow on the passes usually melts by July, but the bulk of long-distance hikers get there as early as June and encounter vast snowfields and full-flowing streams that need to be waded. The amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada can be tracked on special websites.

Another problem of long-distance walkers is various kinds of insects, most often mosquitoes. As we move north, we kind of run away from the onset of summer, and then we catch up with it. Almost all "northerners" in all years, sooner or later, face endless swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes.

Forest fires are also possible, flaring up in summer and autumn. In the event of a fire near the route, information (in the form of a sign?) will definitely appear about the need to get off the trail and bypass the burning area.

Equipment

The choice of equipment for TGT follows from geographical and climatic features. The Pacific mountain trail can rightfully be considered the birthplace of modern ease of walking. Ray Jardine honed his methods here, and later other craftsmen. It was at the TGT that long-distance walkers for the first time began to massively wear not heavy boots, but light running shoes. In contrast to the Appalachian trail, where there are a lot of unprepared people with any kind of equipment (movement along the trail is facilitated by tourist shelters placed every 20 km), most long-distance walkers on the TGT are at different stages of ease of walking. Here you can often see backpacks with a base weight of 5 kg or less. Lightweight backpack and beach view” have already become the norm here over the past 10 years.

My own choice of equipment is also determined by the experience of hiking in,. I already have a stable set of equipment. In addition, finances now do not allow much experimentation with new equipment. Here I will briefly describe and justify my choice of basic equipment:

• Backpack: in the south - "Zip" from Mountain Laurel Designs (40-45 liters), in the Sierra Nevada - "Pinnacle" from Golite (70 liters), in the north - "Blast 36" from Zpacks (50-55 liters) or " Zip. Changing backpacks in the Sierra Nevada stems from the need to use additional equipment (ice axe, crampons, and the obligatory bear-proof food storage container). In addition, the distances between resupply points are greater here, and more food will have to be carried. Probably at the beginning of the Sierra Nevada, my backpack will weigh about 18 kg.
• Sleeping bag: Rocky Mountain No Sniveller sleeping bag from Jacks ‘R Better (which strange names!) throughout the route. It is comfortable both at +10 C (if it is slightly tilted away from the body), and at -5 C.
• Hammock: Ultralight hammock from Grand Trunk (formerly The Travel Hammock) with homemade mosquito net. Why a hammock? There are several reasons. It is easiest to fully relax in it if you need to wait out the hot time of the day, and the wind blows you from all sides. It can be hung in one minute on halts to escape mosquitoes. Finally, it can be installed anywhere where there are trees, and sleep will be equally comfortable every night. No need to look for a level place or clear the ground from branches and pebbles. If I later decide that I don’t need a hammock, then I’ll just send it home.
  See the video of my hammock and net here:
  
• Rug: evazot mats in various sizes from Gossamer Gear. Due to the use of a hammock, I take about 120 grams more rugs than usual. Below zero in a hammock it will still be cold from below, therefore, at such temperatures I will sleep on the ground (I take a 90x250 cm rescue blanket as a bedding).
• Awning: 160×265 cm cuben from Mountain Laurel Designs. Its area is enough to hang over a hammock in moderate rain without much wind, if you pull it diagonally. At heavy rain most likely I'll sleep on the ground. I'm looking for a way to avoid tangling the guy lines.
• Cloth: my favorite polyester shorts, windpants and windbreaker. This time, instead of a polyester Golite T-shirt, I take a thin merino wool T-shirt from Icebreaker. It weighs 40 grams more, but it does not bulge, which is especially important when entering civilization. Sometimes I will wear an open cap with a visor from Golite, probably over a towel to protect my ears and neck from the sun. But usually I will go under my favorite reflective Golite Chrome Dome umbrella. I also use Icebreaker merino wool thermal underwear. I will wear it at night so as not to stain my downy sleeping bag. At the beginning of the trip, I will still have a down vest weighing 160 grams. from Montbell. And, of course, briefs - polyester and quick-drying, from ExOfficio (1 pc.).
• Shoes: going to go in sneakers Inov-8. First, I wear already worn models 320 and 315. Then I will order 305 or maybe 335. Among the entire Inov-8 line, it is the models 305, 320 and 335 that have the thickest cushioning layer.
• Socks: I have developed a sock fetish, especially merino wool socks (Smartwool). I have accumulated a fair amount of them, which I hope to use up during the campaign. I also want to try thin polyamide socks, which are much cheaper than wool socks. Maybe I'll take one pair of thick socks with me for the mountains of Southern California and the Sierra Nevada. I hope during the trip to finally decide which socks are best for long summer hikes.
• Burner: spirit lamp "Caldera" from the company Trail Designs. I decided for a long time what to take - a Bush Buddy wood-burning stove or a Caldera. Or don't use a torch at all. I ended up choosing Caldera because it's faster and easier to cook than Bush Buddy. It is also better protected from the wind and does not smoke the boiler, and I want buckwheat for dinner, and not cold 🙂 It also turned out that alcohol (antifreeze) is easy to get in “tropical” towns and is sold in small bottles or even on tap. If I was walking with two people, I would probably choose "Bush Buddy" for the sake of weight savings.
• Bowler:"Titan" from MSR. My version of the Caldera is fitted to the dimensions of the Titan.
• Trekking poles:"Adjustable Goat Poles" by Titanium Goat. To take or not to take, that is the question. In the end, I decided to take it, because it is always easier to send it home than to ask for it.
• Flashlight: Tikka Plus XP by Petzl. It is likely that in the hot semi-desert I will sometimes walk at night, and there is nothing more convenient than this headlamp. For this, the tiny "Photon" is not suitable. I take it only as a spare (it weighs only 6 grams). When I no longer need to walk at night, I will send a headlamp home.

The base weight of my backpack will be about 5 kg (7 kg in the Sierra Nevada). A hammock + an additional mat weighs half a kilo, and a camera kit (Canon G7 + spare battery + Charger+ card reader) weighs another half a kilo. In the Sierra Nevada, I carry a heavier backpack, a bear canister, an ice ax and crampons (claws would be more correct), which add two kilos.

Plans, intentions, nutrition

Based on last year's experience in Colorado and the prices of California hotels, I decided that I would not spend the night in the cities. An overnight stay in a hotel unsettles me a little, and dubious amenities - a shower, a washbasin and a toilet bowl - in my opinion, do not justify the price of accommodation (usually around $ 70-100 for a double room, but there are no single rooms). Thus, I will immediately reduce the cost of my trip by 500 dollars compared to the average tourist on the PCT. But you still have to get or buy food in cities. It is possible to avoid forced overnight stays in the city only through planning: you need to enter and drive into the city before lunch, so that there is time to do all the work and return to the trail before evening. At the same time, you need to know in advance the opening hours of the post offices where you will receive the parcels. I made myself an approximate travel schedule with information about all settlements, post offices and libraries (where there is Internet). Fortunately, there is more than enough information now, both in books and on the Internet. On the net, you can even find an almost complete set of amateur PCT maps that are superior in quality and detail to the official ones.

Having only the experience of one 40-day hike, and even then not completely successful, I cannot be sure that my body will allow me to cover all more than 4000 kilometers of the route. If I have to leave the trail ahead of time, so be it. But I will do my best to reach the end. In particular, my layout this time will provide me with the required amount of calories, as well as a reasonable ratio of fats, carbohydrates and proteins (about 40:50:10 in caloric terms, respectively). I learned last year's lesson in malnutrition in Colorado. My planned layout at the beginning of the trip will be approximately 1100 grams and 5000 kcal per day with the possibility of increasing. Since I will be buying products from out of state at the lowest possible price and mailing packages to me, I will be able to adapt the layout to my needs and still continue to "reap the benefits" of this method of restocking. However, it is impossible to predict in advance what will make you sick in a month. I will replenish my standard food set with vegetables and fruits from stores, as well as other products as I wish. My base 5,000 kcal costs about $9, plus about $3 for shipping (I'll usually get food for 3-5 days at once). Considering shopping trips as well, I'm hoping to hit $500 a month for food. Other expenses will be kept to a minimum, unlike most other trekkers who typically spend $3,000 to $5,000 per trip, including hotel rooms, visiting restaurants and changing equipment.

Planned basic diet (approximate, subject to change):
Breakfast: Granola (fried muesli) 200 g, whole milk powder 50 g
Dinner: (stretched in time for the whole camping day with meals every 1-2 hours) various kinds of bars with a maximum of natural, not processed ingredients - 400 g, dried bananas 100 g
Dinner: buckwheat 150 g (from a Russian store, because there is no normal buckwheat in the USA!), salmon 50 g, olive oil 40 g, dried onion 10 g, biscuits 50 g, peanut butter 50 g

As you can see, it comes out to 1100 grams and approximately 5000 calories. It is necessary to cook on a burner only in the evening, and then only to heat the pre-soaked buckwheat. I like all the elements of the diet to taste (even very much). But if anything, I can refuse this layout partially or completely and take other products in stores along the way.

I know from my last year's campaign that after some time I will have an information hunger and a desire to strain my brains with some kind of mental work. Along with food supplies, I will also “order” printouts of some interesting texts. I will take notes and report at least in a nutshell about each day, and then post them on the Internet (on). I found an ftp platform that allows you to edit websites without downloading any software. I want to attach to the records one photo per day. My schedule is to have Internet access approximately once a week.

Everything else is unknown! I would like to finish the route by the end of August with average speed 35 km per day, but this is just an assumption. If you have any questions, write on the forum.