Читать книгу The Pacific Crest Trail. Hiking the PCT from Mexico to Canada онлайн

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Basically a north-to-south thru’-hike is only for experienced long distance walkers who have good knowledge of the PCT or are super-fit and intend to do the trail in three or four months. There is an additional legal problem as there is no easy procedure for gaining permission to enter the US from Canada along the PCT. This guidebook assumes you are hiking from south to north.

Flip-flopping

Some thru’-hikers reach Kennedy Meadows too early. Rather than face deep snow conditions or wait for it to melt sufficiently, they decide to head to Northern California and return to the High Sierra later in their hike. That is not a good idea, however, as the High Sierra is the easiest PCT section to traverse in snow. If there is substantial snow there, there will also be snow in the mountains of Northern California, Oregon and Washington where the PCT traverses many steep slopes, which are difficult and dangerous under snow.

The only section to which you might flip-flop is the short section from Hat Creek Resort to Castella, in Northern California. The other flip-flop some hikers choose is to hike through California from Campo to Ashland, then travel to Canada and hike south from Manning Park to Ashland. That can be a good plan if you reach Ashland rather late and don’t want to risk being in Northern Washington for the first big winter storms.