PCT vs. AT

“What are some of the notable differences between the PCT and AT? I've heard the PCT isn't nearly as hard as the AT. Also I gather there isn't as much of a "trail culture" on the PCT as the AT.”

“Not as hard?

Haven't heard that one, since the PCT goes from near sea level to 14,000.


Proximity makes me biased towards the PCT, since I can go out my front door and a short hike puts me on it. It's less crowded, if that's what you mean by a trail culture.”

“The PCT is lower, higher, longer. With longer soloing stretches. Very few shelters, crossing deserts and mountains. Not to take anything away from the AT. The AT is damp to wet.
I am watching... 3 PCT thru hikers and 1 AT thru hiker. They all are going through many similiar experiences. And I of course am not an authority, but from everything I have read. The CDT is the toughest. Because of the endless solitude. Playing havoc on the hikers mental well being.”

“The AT is physically harder. Lots of quick up & downs. Lots of social interaction. The PCT is longer, greater distances between resupply, greater temp differences, greater altitude, and water finding diffulculties, and less interaction with others. Being that the CDT is yet "officially" complete, route finding is needed. blah, blah, blah.”

“CDT=Continental Divide Trail?”

“That is correct Steve Hiker”

“PCT = High mountain vistas and alpine settings. Aesthetically speaking there's no contest the PCT wins. I've also heard that the AT is more strenuous (not difficult) due to a greater accumulated elevation gain. As for difficult, try hiking across the Mojave when it's over 110* and no water for 30 miles, that's difficult. The first 400 miles climbs from 2500 to 9000 back down to 1000 and up to 10000 before dropping to 2000 before climbing to 13000.”

“Yo, the Dunkster is in da house! How ya doing man?”

“None of them are easy, each has it's own unique difficulties. Mileage alone tells you a little...

AT: 2168 miles
CDT: 2558 miles
PCT: 2645 miles

I think you'd see the fewest people on the CDT, then the PCT, then the AT.

I think you'd have the biggest climate/terrain/elevation differences on the PCT, plus the water scarcity problem in many areas of California.

You'd have a tough time following the route on the CDT since some sections are still being rerouted.

Why not email Brian Robinson (brian_a_robinson@hotmail.com) since he did all of them last year!”

“I have to vote for the PCT just because thats the one ive seen and its closs to home.
On the other hand i havent hiked anything too rigorous on that trail.”

“Thats "close" not "closs."”

“Here's some info from a GORP site from someone who has done the PCT and the AT:

So I’d be careful of making any generalizations such as "hiking in the East is easier than hiking in the West." Also, you should be aware that when many people think of eastern hiking, they are thinking of the AT. The East doesn’t have as much public land as the West, so many people use the Appalachian Trail, which they then take as a sample of eastern hiking. So they tend to think of eastern trails as well-blazed, with lots of shelters, and accessible only to foot-traffic (not bikes or horses). In fact, there are lots of eastern trails that don’t fit those criteria at all.

You could make some very general statements, but for every one of them, there are tons of exceptions.

For example:

"There are shelters in the East, not in the West." In fact, most eastern shelters are found only on the major trails. And shelters are found randomly in the West – though admittedly, not many of them.

"When eastern trails go up mountains, they switchback less than western trails." Okay, that’s certainly true as a general rule. Except for the wonderful switchbacks in the Southeast on trails put in by the CCC. And except for some incredibly steep straight-up-straight-down trails in the west (Anyone been down the Indian Springs Trail between the PCT and the Eagle Creek trail in Oregon?)

"Western wildernesses are more remote." Well, you can’t argue that big wildernesses and smaller population density affect the wilderness experience – unless, that is, you show up with the rest of the crowd at the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Trailhead (in Washington) on a sunny summer weekend!

All that said, however, you’re right that differences do exist. The West does have bigger wildernesses, bigger mountains, and more extremes of environment closer together (which his probably the most important difference for backpackers to consider). The East is less varied – many of its trails are deservedly referred to as "long green tunnels." And it’s simply not possible in the east to walk for a week without crossing a road.

I’ve got pictures in my head of what western hiking means, and I see big open spaces and high mountains. When I think of the East, I think of quiet green forests and trickling streams. But then it occurs to me: What about the Cascadian forests of the Northwest? What about the Tennessee Balds? And I become confused all over again.”

“BP'er Mag did a story titled "12 Tough Loves" (or something like that). It was about 12 strenuous trails/hikes. One of the featured hikes was Paintbrush Canyon in the Tetons - 4000' elev. gain in eight miles.
"Whoo-hoo!" I thought. Been there, done that. It was the toughest day I had ever spent on the trail.

Until Cheoha Bald, AT in NC.
Belle, Rad, Dude, and I - 2001.
3000' elev. gain in eight miles.

Virtually every step in the Teets was uphill. The Cheoha hike, however, was more like two steps up and one step down. Our net elev. change was prolly more like 5000'.

I've hiked about as much out west as I have in the east. Bottom line, IMO... Appalacians are more strenuous than the Rox.”

“that was a funny scene, when i think back to it...

'jo and i just about pass out and let our packs pull us backwards to the ground, in one of those "FUKIT, I'M RESTIN'" moments.

sarabelle thought 'jo and i had died!”

“Belle did two things that evening that I had never seen her do before - or since:

1) Complained about her pack/wanting to stop - still a mile from the bald.

2) After reaching camp, she promptly laid in the grass and went to sleep. She didn't even do a rat sweep!”

“The East is humid, humid, humid with plenty of lush growth and dirt. The West is arid, arid, arid with lots of rock, wildflowers and little shade.”

“The PCT claims the highest point in the lower 48 (Mt. Whitney). Just climbing that in a day is tough as heck. I don't know crap about hiking in the east so I really can't compare.”

“Isn't Mt. Rainier the highest point in the lower 48?”

“Nope. Whitney.”

“Houston?”

“We have a go. Go for throttle up...”

“Mt Rainier el.- 14,409'
Mt Whitney el.- 14,495'
Not a huge difference, but when your talking records, I guess it matters.”

“Sure, Rainier is 14,409' but it FEELS like 14,410'.”

“"and it's simply not posible to walk in the east and not cross a road"

That is sad, really sad.”

“Thats my dream trail to do is the PCT!!!!!

8)”

“jagged... we need those roads..on account of all the chickens.”

“I think Rainier is probably harder to climb due to the constant snow. In the summer Whitney usually does not have much snow to deal with.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

He was in dirtyoldman's backpack!!”

“Neither Whitney nor Rainier is on the PCT - though Whitney is only 8 miles off trail, so close enough if you really want to do the mileage and the snow isn't too bad.

Both trails can be difficult, but in different ways. Most of the PCT is graded for horses - what we called wheelchair trail - wide and level, rising slowly and gradually in interminable switchbacks. The AT has short steep climbs - in some places with climbs over 1000' per mile. The AT has frequent if not constant rain. The PCT has long dry waterless stretches - 25 miles or more - but has trail angels who leave water caches to make those long traverses more manageable. Both trails have constant reminders of human presence - windmills on the PCT, highways on the AT. Both have nice views -- when the smog isn't too bad. We had a lot of smog on the PCT, but some gorgeous days as well, especially up in northern California and Oregon. The AT had more wildlife than the PCT and a lot of variety in the vegetation. That long green tunnel is a lush one. The PCT had the beauty of spring in the desert, lots of flowering bushes -- lovely in its own way. With the dense chapparal on both sides of the trail, we often felt we were in a desert version of the long green tunnel. There are more thruhikers on the AT, and much more of a community of hikers. But we often saw up to 50 people a day on the PCT, once we were north of the Sierras. Not exactly wilderness hiking. But we had the southern desert to ourselves, and only met 10-20 people a day in Washington. Both trails have beauty - all trails have beauty if we have eyes to see it.

Best of all I've done so far is the CDT - more wilderness, more wildlife, no people, and constant beauty. But then, I haven't been to Alaska yet.”

“I read the following on Troubadour's PCT journal:

"When I arrived at the campsite I met Bionic Man, Rerun, Nick, Whitney, Jeff and Kim."

Only 2 of 6 had trail names? Seems to be one of the differences between the PCT and AT, where almost everyone has a trail name.”

“Preferences are ok but these generalizations are lame. Did no one read kleetn's posting? It's a big country and until you have hiked every trail in the west and east, drawing conclusions on what little you have done is moronic. Some of you definitely need a geography lesson.”

“steve hiker:

That's because left-coasters aren't ashamed of themselves and are not afraid to be open and honest.”

“Gear Slut, while you might consider me a moron, I don't, I just gave some of the facts that I know. I've spent time in the east and west.”

“Hear hear, Dunk. What's more, if we applied GS's philosophy to most things, we'd all be afraid to make statements about anything.

Personal experience, when shared, lends to a communal knowledge.”

“Gear Slut is just trying to break into the 'TT Most Hated' list.”

“I'm but one man, and can express but one mans opinion.”

“It's the difference between 200 people hiking the trail and 2000. On the AT, at one time there may be 10 Steves, 14 Jims, and 8 Bethanys. It's much easier to talk about and remember 'Trailnameless Steve', 'Pigeye', 'Froggy', etc. It is a way of asserting individuality. This is me, the one and only "Wandering Minstrel" (at least this year). Certain names return year after year, but most people feel like the trail names express who they are or want to be as individuals and distinguishes them from all the others with similar names. Hence you will end up with Yogi, YogiMaster, and Yogibear - but not Fred, Fred II and Fred III.”

“You seem fairly knowledgeable and well traveled and you have a unique name. Are you perchance the Ginny that authored the John Muir Trail Country, Ansel Addams Wilderness and I think a Yosemite book too?

Just curious”

“I stand by my words, a few hikes in the west and east does not make an expert.

Apparently personal experience can lead to communal ignorance on this board.”

“So in other words no one's opinion amounts to anything? Who mentioned anything about a "few hikes"? It sounds like your only opinion is that we're all a bunch of morons. Why the anger and hostility? If you look down on all of us here, why do you even bother dropping in? I'm not suggesting that you leave, but how about giving us a break. The original message asked for our opinions, that is what is being given.”

“I have already stated that opinions as are preferences are fine, just don't try and state it as a fact.

To be cliche, the older I get, the less I know. The same goes for travel...the more areas I have been to, the more I realize how little I have really seen. I have also hiked in the east and west and I refuse to make an arrogant conclusion although I may have preferences on what I have seen.”

“Sorry, don't know how to turn it off.

It is refering to the color of your blisters after taking the 50 mile detour.”

“who are you talking to? a guy who posted two years ago?

~i see dead people~”