Before I set foot on the trail, I think it’s important to acknowledge that the entirety of the trail passes through lands stolen from the native people who were their stewards for thousands of years before being dispossessed and systematically eradicated. Should we think about this all the time? I don’t know, but we should think about it and maybe, at minimum, rename more of these trails and lands for these people and actively look to co-manage them with their descendents.

For more on place names, I highly recommend various parts of The High Sierra: A Love Story by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Thank you for your question. Extreme endurance athletes have completed the trail in fewer than 60 days. These herculean efforts, known as fastest known times or FKTs, require averaging nearly 50 miles per day! Like Bruce Springsteen’s ability to blow the roof off an arena for three hours at the age of 73, they truly boggle the mind. Exceptional endurance athletes will complete the trail in approximately 3 months.

I’m hoping to complete the trail in approximately 5 months or an average of about 16 trail miles a day. This does not count zeros (zero mileage days), nearos (days with nearly zero miles) or the many non-trail miles involved in enticing side trips (hello Mount Whitney!), road walks into town or accidental wrong turns.

If it takes me much less than that, something went wrong. I either got hurt (boo! hiss!) or fires closed significant portions of the trail (also boo! hiss!) . If it takes me much longer than this I will run into hike-ending snow in Washington.

Thank you for your question. Hopefully, just enough. Base weight is the weight of everything a hiker carries, less food, water, other consumables and the clothes they hike in which means that actual carried weight is quite a bit higher. On recent backpacking trips, my base weight was around 25 pounds. Now, my backpack, shelter and quilt (the big three) weigh as much as my previous pack did on its own and now have a base weight of 14 pounds. I hope to reduce it even further as I leave behind what I don’t need.

If you want to get down to specifics, they are here.

Thank you for your question. Yes! I’ll be exchanging information with other hikers and checking in using a hiking app called FarOut. My user name is alero. To track me, download the app, create an account and follow me. More details here.

Thank you for your question. Absolutely. Anything that you think will brighten a day on trail will most welcome. Gluten-free baked goods probably top the list. Snickers and other gluten-free candy are always a pleasure. A simple letter would also be great. Nutritional bars never brought anyone joy.

And since I have a lot of friends in the spirits business, I should note that shipping alcohol is illegal. However, shipping several ounces of fine olive oil is completely legal! Please don’t hesitate to send me some of your favorite olive oil.

If you decide to send something:

• Write my name in large letters on multiple sides of the package and make it identifiable. Bright tape or stickers are a great idea. The package will be competing with others sent for many, many other hikers.

• Write “Hold for PCT Hiker Allan Roth” and include my ETA.

• Please let me know you are sending something and include a tracking number. USPS Priority mail is a great option.

• Many trail towns are quite small and delivery may take longer than usual.

Some good places to send packages in the first 700 miles and my ETA are here.

Thank you for your question. I have! This was a record snow year for many parts of Southern California including Mount San Jacinto, the San Gabriel Mountains, and more importantly, in the Sierra Nevadas in Central California. This means that safe passage of many of these areas will require additional care and additional gear all of which will add weight and time to the trek.

A high snow year means a large snow melt once the thaw begins. Water crossings in the Sierra Nevada will require diligence, patience and good timing. Luckily, experienced hikers and guides have provided incredibly detailed suggestions for how to navigate these hazards. 2023 PCT hikers will also be sharing data through various social media, helping those behind them with real time trail conditions.

Thank you for your question. When potable water isn’t available, which will be most of the time, I’ll be filtering using a hollow fiber filter called the Sawyer Squeeze. These are great protection against bacteria and protozoa. In the off chance that my filter breaks (if they freeze they become ineffective) or becomes lost, I’ll have chemical backup.

Thank you for your question. Unlike the Appalachian Trail which has shelters every 8 miles on average, the PCT has almost none. If weather and insects permit, I’m going to try my hand at cowboy camping, sleeping under the stars. When that’s not possibly, I have tent made out of a very strong, very lightweight fabric developed for yacht racing called DCF (dyneema composite fabric). It weights 21 ounces and is a miracle.

Thank you for your question. If there is a flush toilet around, I will use it with glee. If there is a pit toilet (outhouse) I will similarly apply myself. If neither is available, I will dig a cat hole at least six inches in the ground, off-trail and at least 200 feet from any water source. I will dispose of my waste in the hole and pack out any toilet paper.

Apparently in 2022, thru-hikers competed to achieve the most Gordie Howes—a Gordie Howe being the use of a flush toilet, pit toilet and cat hole all in the same day. I hope I get that much fiber.

Thank you for your question. Thank you for your question. I highly recommend Journeys North, Barney “Scout” Mann’s memoir of his 2007 PCT thru-hike with his wife, Frodo.

If you’re interested in the trail as raw descriptive data, I suggest Postholer’s PCT Data Book.

And if you’re thinking about a thru-hike or want to know what a thru-hiker thinks about when thinking about a thru-hike, you should dig into Mac’s great content at Halfway Anywhere.

Of course, the official source for all things PCT is the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The people who work and volunteer there are very helpful.