Journey to the PCT: West Coast Trail and Washington section 1 breakdown
In my last post I talked about why I am setting off on the Pacific Crest Trail this summer. In this post, I will outline what the first week on the trail will likely look like as well as what I am doing to train and prepare for this endeavor.
In February, I started reading the ‘Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail – Washington‘ book by Tami Asar (published by Mountaineers Books) with more vigor, and trying to study the details of the first section. After a few pages, it became clear that the first leg of this journey is going to have a lot of challenges that I still need to work my head around. The book breaks the 500 miles into 7 sections, from the Oregon-Washington border to the Washington-Canada border. The trailhead I’ll be starting on is called Cascade Locks, and it starts on the north side of the Columbia River, over the Bridge of the Gods. If you ever read or saw the movie ‘Wild‘, this is where the protagonist ends her journey.
Section 1 covers 81.8 miles from the Columbia River to Forest Road 23. It has +17,230 feet of elevation gain and -13,370 of loss. While that’s a lot, the highest point of the trail is only at 5,150 feet, but you do start at near sea level at the river gorge. This section of the trail can be done in as fast as 6 days or as slow as 8 days. I suspect I’ll be trying to do it in about 7 days, which would allow me to average about 12 miles a day. Doing a 12 mile day hike is not a big deal for me, but 12 miles with a full pack of food, water and gear is definitely a moderate effort. My goal is to eventually be able to do 20 miles a day by the end of the hike. Since this is the first leg, I have to assume I’m going to be in more pain as my body slowly adjusts to the weight and the effort.
The biggest challenge of section 1 (also referred to as mile marker 2,145, if you are counting the miles from the US/Mexican border, where most people start the trail) is water. This section is dryer than most of the rest of Washington, as you are just starting to get into the mountains again southeast of Mt. Rainier. And of course, to kick things off with some excitement, the first day of the trail requires some water considerations.
PCT Week 1 Breakdown
Day 1: Section 1, Leg 1 (Columbia River to Camp 4), Night 1
For my first night on the trail, I should aim to get to ‘Camp 4’, which is 9.3 miles into the trail. However, the last water source is at the 7 mile mark, and the next water source isn’t until the 18.6 mile mark. That means there is an approximate 11.5 mile stretch of trail without any water. Because hiking almost 19 miles on the first day (when the pack is heaviest) is an enormous endeavor, my only choice is to accept the fact that I will need to limit my water consumption for dinner and breakfast that first night and second day. In general it’s better to camp near a water source so you don’t have to stress about this, but I’m going to learn this lesson early on the trail. As I see it, I have a few ways to approach this:
- Try to make dinner or maybe even breakfast food at the 7 mile marker, and either eat it there or continue it on to camp at mile 9.
- Plan to add an extra 4 miles roundtrip to day 2 in order to go back and get more water in the morning before setting up to finish the next 11 miles before the next water source at Rock Creek.
- Plan to camp at the water source at Table Mountain. There is apparently room for 1 tent.
I think what I’ll probably end up doing is, if the campsite is available on Table Mountain on night 1 I’ll camp there for the night. Otherwise, I will refill there, maximizing up to 4 liters, and hoping that I can keep my consumption to 1 liter for the final 2 miles + dinner + breakfast, leaving me with 3 liters for the next day and next 11 miles. I also am hoping my husband can join me for this section, in which case between the two of us we should be able to carry 8 liters and allow for some reserve. 4 liters of water is approximately 9 pounds of weight.
Day 2: Section 1, Leg 1 (Camp 4 to Rock Creek), Night 2
I’ll wake up and hike the remaining 9 miles to the next water source at Rock Creek, and camp there.
Day 3: Section 1 Leg 2 (Rock Creek to Trout Creek), Night 3
I’ll wake up and hike 10.4 miles. Within those 10.4 miles, from mile 2 to 9, there is also a dry spell so I’ll make sure to have maximum water with me that morning.
Day 4: Section 1 Leg 2 and beginning Leg 3 (Trout Creek to Big Huckleberry Camp), Night 4
It’s about 4 miles to the end of Leg 2, and then you start Leg 3 at Panther Creek. I’ll probably try and push on to Big Huckleberry Camp instead of camping at Camp 14 (which is what the guidebook suggests for a 7 day itinerary). Camp 14 doesn’t have water, but Big Huckleberry does. Panther Creek to Big Huckleberry is 11 miles, so that would be a 15 mile day all and all.
Day 5: Section 1 Leg 3 and 4 (Big Huckleberry Camp to Blue Lake), Night 5
Leg 3 ends at FR 60, so from Big Huckleberry to there is 5 miles, plus the next leg to Blue Lake is another 7 miles. So that’s a 12 mile day in total. No water concerns.
Day 6: Section 1 Leg 4 and 5 (Blue Lake to Mosquito Creek Camp), Night 6
Leg 4 ends at FR 24 from Blue Lake which is about 10 miles. Then leg 5 is another 4 miles until Mosquito Creek, which totals another 14 mile day.
Day 7: Section 1 Leg 5 (Mosquito Creek Camp to FR 23), Night 7
Leg 5 continues for another 11 miles or so until it hits FR 23, which is where the section ends and probably my husband will try to find a ride to town to get back to his car (or we will leave a car there on the way down).
Itinerary Summary
Day 1: Columbia River to Camp 4, 9.3 miles
Day 2: Camp 4 to Rock Creek, 9 miles
Day 3: Rock Creek to Trout Creek, 10.4 miles
Day 4: Trout Creek to Big Huckleberry Camp, 15 miles
Day 5: Big Huckleberry Camp to Blue Lake, 12 miles
Day 6: Blue Lake to Mosquito Creek Camp, 14 miles
Day 7: Mosquito Creek Camp to FR 23, 11 miles
Training for the PCT: West Coast Trail
I was fortunate enough to secure permits to hike the West Coast Trail, one of Canada’s most famous thru-hiking trails, situated on the west coast of Vancouver Island. According to the Parks Canada website, “The West Coast Trail is an iconic backcountry, multi-day backpacking trail that is a challenge for even the most experienced hikers. Hikers climb more than 100 ladder systems with a heavy pack, trudge through deep mud, wade through fast-flowing rivers, and endure rough West Coast weather – often heavy wind and rain.” It is a 75 kilometre (47 mile) ancient path and paddling routes that was used for trade and travel by first nations.
I have reserved it from June 2-7, 5 nights going from Pachena Bay in the north to Gordon River in the south and plan on hiking it alone (though as one of the most popular trails in Canada, I’m sure I’ll never really be alone). I’m not sure I’m going to need all 5 nights as that would mean averaging about 8 miles a day which isn’t that much, but it’s good to have some buffer time in case of slow-downs. This is one of the most sought after backpacking reservations in Canada so I feel fortunate to have secured it. It will be early season and possibly quite wet which will really challenge me and allow me to fully stress test my gear before heading out for a month straight! It will be the first time I’ve backpacking by myself or for more than 2-3 nights in a number of years.
Securing the best gear
Annually, a survey is run from the previous year’s PCT hiking class where hikers rate and share the gear they used on the trail. I consolidated the recommendations from there and other blogs into an ‘ultralight gear list‘, which I will be using as a point of reference as I decide what gear to buy. I’ve been reaching out to brands that have made the list and am excited to work with some of the best in the business.
For example, I’m going to be stress testing Darn Tough socks, which even before I saw them on the PCT list, my brother-in-law lent me a pair to hike with for 2 days in the Washington backcountry last summer when my too-thick socks started giving me horrible blisters. These socks saved the day so I’m excited to have a few new pairs of my own.
I will also hopefully be testing out some great lightweight gear from Sea to Summit and Bear Vault, as well as finally getting to try out my new ultra-light tent from MEC. Stay tuned for more updates as I configure my backpacking kit!
