The Pacific Crest Trail
1,000 miles and counting...
When I first arrived on the West Coast in 2011 during my study abroad year at UCLA, I didn’t know anything about the PCT. I first found out about it during one of my day hikes in the LA area hiking to the top of Mount Baden-Powell, where the trail followed the PCT for a while. I didn’t pay much attention into it, but definitely thought about how nice it would be to just keep hiking north for days and days!
That was sadly right before Wild took its toll on the trail by significantly increasing its use and popularity. But even now, the trail is still awesome and one of my favorite ways to get away from everything and spend some days, or weeks, or months in the backcountry. I love this feeling of not having to worry about anything except walk, stay hydrated, eat and sleep.
Back at UCLA for Graduate School, I started to really get into it. After some further research, I realized that being at UCLA was giving me the ideal opportunity to section hike the PCT, as taking a couple of days to a week off to hike would be a perfect way to clear my mind and get away from bustling Los Angeles. And it worked perfectly! I have enjoyed every mile of it. Sectioning my hike has enabled me to plan and hike under the most ideal conditions: off-peak and under cooler weather.
