Washington PCT

[belayerslayer]

Anyone have info/beta on the washington stretch of the PCT? Specifically, how long it takes? Any speed records? Special permits required to hike the whole thing? And how does it work when you cross into canada - gotta carry a passport or something?

Thanks!

[cbcbd]

I think it took my friend a little less than a month and that was with spending some good days hanging out at all the towns along the way. Not sure of any records. No permit required. You need to take your passport with you if you plan on returning to the US.

[Taluscat]

So here it is: port of entry headed in a north orientation is cascade locks OR/WA -the columbia rivers "bridge of gods".from there 480-510 miles after awesome places such as the goat rocks,

alpine lakes,NCNP, pasayten wilderness areas one emerges from the woods 8 miles north the US border in manning park B.C -upon entering the candian side,past the monument 78 border swath-all too be found in 02' was a rusic cabin style structure declaring its pointless fukin ownership by our so called border patrol that "wasnt working that day" ..for TIME most fit hikers hiking end-end alot 20-24 days @ 20-25M PER DAY average w/a few down days. SPEED RECORDS:not sure on the exacts but willing to bet that "Flyin Brian robinson" is a good prospect with having avereged 38-42 MILES PER DAY!! no rests days ha.No permit needed.no passport in the woods i guess. hope this helps.

[Fairweather]

Anyone have info/beta on the washington stretch of the PCT? Specifically, how long it takes? Any speed records?

Thanks!

 

On foot or mountain bike?

[Taluscat]

ON FOOT FOOL! but ive always wondered if the tires were vibram

could we then "SHRED"!

[belayerslayer]

SPEED RECORDS:not sure on the exacts but willing to bet that "Flyin Brian robinson" is a good prospect with having avereged 38-42 MILES PER DAY!! no rests days ha.

 

impressive!

 

 

Anyone have info/beta on the washington stretch of the PCT? Specifically, how long it takes? Any speed records?

Thanks!

 

On foot or mountain bike?

 

foot fer sure

I've always had the desire to hike the breadth of washington cascades, so this helps. thanks all!

[sobo]

Anyone have info/beta on the washington stretch of the PCT? Specifically, how long it takes? Any speed records?

Thanks!

 

On foot or mountain bike?

This citation would seem to suggest that mountain bikes are excluded from the PCT, although I have seen folks on mountain bikes on the section from the Goat Rocks to Chinook Pass.

[sobo]

SPEED RECORDS:not sure on the exacts but willing to bet that "Flyin Brian robinson" is a good prospect with having avereged 38-42 MILES PER DAY!! no rests days ha.

 

impressive!

Seems like this guy lays claim to the impressive.

A round trip ticket in 6 months. And a one-way speed record of 71 days and change. Yowza!

[hkrhnk11]

I hiked the PCT through OR and WA in 6 weeks in '05. Any non re-supply day I would hike 28-32 miles, which left no time for "hanging out", very little time to eat (usually on the run), and forced me to sleep in less than optimal campsites. Basically means your walking from 7am to 10pm.

 

As far as permits, if you hike more than 500 miles on the PCT the PCT association "recommends" that you buy a thru-hiker permit from for $5, which means you don't have to obtain multiple wilderness permits along the way. I had one, but nobody ever asked me for it. They also say you need to apply to the Canadian government for a permit for access into Canada via the PCT. I had one of these too and was never asked for it. I figured that I had time to get the permits so might as well, but you could probably skate w/o as nobody is really patrolling 2,500 miles of trail or knows your itinerary.

 

You will need to carry your passport to get back into the country.

 

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

 

-Tyson

[Tod]

Figure about a month, give or take a week. In 1993 I did it in one month, and that was with taking 10 days off at resupply points.

 

One way to look at it:

With a 2.5-3mph pace hiking about 8 hours a day will get you there in 20-25 Days (no rest days). With resupply/rest days add in an extra 4 days.

 

Plan for resupply/rest days at:

White Pass

Snoqualmie Pass

Stevens Pass

Stehekin

 

With ~16 hours of light during the summer, unless you intentionally want to sleep in every day, take long siestas, and end early every day it would be hard not to hike 8 hours a day when you know you have to get somewhere.

 

As described by hkrhnk11, there are official ways to do your permits (which aren't hard to do), however almost the complete stretch of WA PCT is self issued permits (which is usually done at the trailhead; no need to get permits beforehand). Near Mt Rainier NP, the PCT is mostly outside the east boundary(except for a couple of miles). In the North Cascades NP, there is about a 20 mile section that you may need a permit for, however it is common to just pass through this section and not camp in the park at all.

 

Crossing the US-Canada border is easy, you just hike in (no border station, just mountains and trees). A Passport (or currently a birth certificate with ID) will then get you back into the US if you go back to the US by car.

 

Records: It is not uncommon for people to do 30-40 mile days when hiking the PCT. If you hike 35 miles a day at 3mph non stop for 12 hours a day you would finish the hike in ~14 days. With 16 hours of light, hiking 12 hours at 3mph will get you 36 miles. Your not hiking any faster or harder to get big miles, just longer days.

 

There are some good resources and books to help plan:

Pacific Crest Trail Association

PCT WA OR Guidebook

Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook (a great planning book)

[AR_Guy]

I hiked the PCT in 2006. I also section hiked the Washington part between 2001 and 2005.

 

A good planning guide for thru hikers (or long section hikers) is Yogi's Book (pcthandbook.com) - Yogi's done the trail ~4 or 5 times. Another handy book is the PCT Data Book from Wilderness press - it's the readers digest version of the guide book, with only datapoints, elevations and the like, without the commentary in the guide books. There is also a new guide book series coming out - search PCT Atlas and you should find it easily. I think the Washington one is out. I haven't seen it, but from the chatter on the PCT-L, it's highly praised. Speaking of the PCT-L, it is a handy resource as well (linked from the PCTA web site).

 

Washington is from Mile 2155.6 (Bridge of the Gods, West End) to 2663.5 (emerging on the road, ~8 miles into Canada, ~1/2 mile from the quite nice Manning Park Lodge). Call it 508 miles. Note that this is the 'proper' PCT route in Washington. The section up around Glacier Peak is still closed from the floods in 2003 that wiped out many bridges, including the one over the Suiattle River. For non-thru hikers, this closure is highly recommended to be respected. For thru hikers, you may get some reliable beta from SOBO's (in my case, I heard it from the above mentioned Scott Williamson) that indicate there is a log over the Suiattle. If so, then the original route is passable, but can be difficult (by hiker standards). There is an alternate in place and should be described in newer versions of the guide book (and is also in the data book). It's about 10 miles longer, roughly.

 

Depending on your condition, I'd suggest NOT trying to do 25+ MPD right out of the gate. A much more reasonable pace for Washington is 17 to 20 MPD (for mortals, not the Flyin' Brians or Scott Williamson's of the world - judge for yourself where you fit in on the fitness scale). The first month of any long hike is about hardening the body to the rigors of the trail, especially the feet. Expect plenty of blisters. I'd plan on roughly 30 days, give or take a few. This should give you enough time to enjoy the hike, stop and check out the views, and have a few days of cushion to allow sitting out some bad weather.

 

Permits: Get the 500+ mile permit from the PCTA as mentioned above. You won't have to bother then with the trail head self registration. You'll need to coordinate with the rangers in Stehekin if you're going to camp between Stehekin and Rainy pass when you head out of there. Campsites on that section need to be reserved. Other than that, camp where ever. The Mt. Rainier NP is only briefly touched - no special permits required for this mile or two at the most. On the Caniadian entry permit, send in the form linked from the PCTA web site to Canadian immigration. Leave about a month for this. That said, no one ever asked me for it both times I crossed the border (2004 and 2006). Of course, had they asked, I had it. Note that they'll deny you if you have a DWI or pretty much any other criminal past.

 

As far as records: Who cares. Besides, what defines 'the record'? Supported, unsupported, original route, which alternate route, yadda, yadda, yadda?

 

FYI on getting home: Each time I took the Greyhound from Manning (roughly 10am) to Vancouver (arrive ~3 in the afternoon), then caught either the bus or train (train is WAY better and is only a couple bucks more expensive) back to Seattle or Everett (arrives in Seattle / Everett around 9 to 10 pm). Passport to get back is probably the lowest hassle, although I hear other stuff mentioned works.

 

 

[Tod]

Wow, I didn't realize Scott Williamson was still making news on the PCT.

 

On my 1993 hike I remember passing him in Oregon as he was heading north (I was going south). By the time I got to S Lake Tahoe he had completed his hike and got in touch with me and hiked with me a week or two to Devil's Postpile.

[AR_Guy]

Yeah, Scott finally completed his first Yo-Yo in 04 or 05 after something like 7 or 8 attempts.

 

He did it again in '06, cutting quite a bit of time off from his first one. He must have passed me heading NOBO at about Kennedy Meadows (~Mile 700, I didn't see him) around June 12th or so and I saw him on his SOBO leg at Cascade Locks around September 2nd.

 

He was out again this last year trying to do the trail in some incredibly short time period.

 

The guy is a legend in the PCT and general long distance hiker communities.