9/4/2015: Itinerary

Spreadsheet magic

While it will be impossible to plan out each day of a 430-mile hike, an overall schedule is necessary to plan out resupplies and food quantities. The main topics to be worked out are starting date, resupply quantities/locations, and total time on trail.

Picking a starting date is somewhat of a balancing act. Weather, trail conditions, bug activity, and work schedules all play a part. The window for weather and trail conditions is between mid June and early September. Any earlier than June and one risks running into too much snow. Any later than September and drying creeks combined with hot temperatures make for a difficult trip. I'm still researching when bug activity is at a minimum, but it seems like it's too hard to predict. In addition, I've yet to read a PCT journal that didn't mention how terrible the bugs were through Oregon. It may just be a fact of the trail and time of year, so all I can do is prepare with the proper gear and mental outlook. Since I want to meet Kylie along the way and will be relying on her for to and from the trail, the duration of the hike must fall within her summer break, which starts in mid June and ends in early September.

Alternatively, one could reference the schedules of the hundreds of thru-hikers starting at either border (Mexico or Canada) to see when they'll be in Oregon. The standard start date for the 5-month trip is early April for Northbounders and late June for Southbounders. This places the Oregon window between July 15 and August 6 for both groups (assumes overall 20 mile/day pace). However, when planning to hike the entire trail, Oregon is hardly the driving factor for selecting a start date. For Northbounders, the crucial times are the heat in the southern California desert, residual snow in the Sierras, and new snow in the Washington Cascades. For Southbounders, the critical window is avoiding residual snow in the Cascades and getting to the Sierras before new snow. In both cases, Oregon not the priority but rather an afterthought sandwiched between more serious challenges.

The duration of the hike is based on average miles hiked each day, number of zero-mile days, and time spent at resupply locations. My duration assumes a 20 mile/day average, which is based on research and what I think I am capable of. After interrogating Ryan and reading others' online journals, I've learned that once your body gets used to hiking every day, the miles tend to come easier. In addition, it's not hard to spend 12-16 hours each day hiking, especially when solo. After eating dinner at 6:00 PM, for example, you have the option of setting up camp and relaxing for 3 hours waiting for the sun to set, or you can keep hiking and gain another 6 miles (assuming your feet abide). In short, there's not much else to do but hike! I don't plan on taking any zero-days, save for any potential meet-ups with friends along the trail. As a buffer/safety factor, I've assumed that once I make it to each of my resupply locations, I'll spend the rest of the day there, continuing on the next morning. This accomplishes a few things: It allows me time to collect my resupply package, purchase anything I may need, charge my devices (phone, battery pack, camera), eat "real food" at any facilities there may be, and shower/launder, if available. As calculated by one of my many spreadsheets (photo above), this works out to a total duration of 25 days.

All things considered, I am thinking that a start date coinciding with the full PCT dates (July 14 - Aug 7) is best. In addition to satisfying the criteria outlined above, it conveniently accomplishes a few additional things. It occurs in the window between Kylie and my wedding anniversary (July 2) and Kylie's birthday (August 13). In addition, hiking during the standard Oregon window means there will be the highest volume of thru hikers and therefore the most potential for receiving support. Since I'm hiking solo, the chances of getting help on trail will be the greatest during this time.