As part of the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey, I ask hikers what their lowest moments on the trail were and when, if ever, they encountered a situation where they felt legitimately afraid or in danger (e.g. when you're about to be eaten by a bear). Sadly, the PCT is more than following a line
The Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey (2020)
In the second installment of the 2020 Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey, we'll take a look at the hikers who were actually on the trail this year. Normally, this information is covered in the initial survey publication, but because of many hikers choosing to cancel their hikes due to COVID-19, I
The 2020 Continental Divide Trail Survey – Part I: NOGO
The 2020 Continental Divide Trail thru-hiking season was not immune to the pandemic and the CDT Hiker Survey is here to reflect this change. This year, just as I did with the PCT Survey, I am first documenting all of the data collected from respondents - both those who hiked the CDT and those who
The PCT 2020 Survey: NOGO vs. Hikers
The Pacific Crest Trail in 2020 has given us a group of hikers we don't typically see in a "normal" thru-hiking season - the NOGO hiker. Yes, there's now NOBO (northbound), SOBO (southbound), YOYO (both-bound), and NOGO (nowhere-bound). In fact, we have data from nearly twice as many people who
The PCT Resupply Guide: Class of 2020 Survey
I often advise that hikers not to worry about resupply before beginning a thru-hike, but I am not always believed. Barring any dietary restrictions or a tight resupply schedule (i.e. you're on a PCT speed run), there's little reason to stress about where you're going to buy food in Northern
2021 Pacific Crest Trail Permit Update!
The long-awaited announcement from the US Forest Service and the Pacific Crest Trail Association is finally here. After not issuing any 2021 permits at the end of 2020 (as would have been done regularly), the PCTA has announced that on January 19 they will be issuing PCT permits for the 2021
The Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide: Class of 2020 Survey
In the third part of this year's Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hiker Survey, we take a deep dive into Pacific Crest Trail hikers' gear. PCT gear lists vary wildly between hikers and (spoiler alert) it's impossible to find a perfect PCT gear list. That said, we can try. I've organized this post in a
The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey (2020)
In the second installment of the 2020 Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey, we'll take a look at the hikers who were actually on the trail this year. Normally, this information is covered in the initial survey publication, but because of many hikers choosing to cancel their hikes due to COVID-19, I
The 2020 Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey – Part I: NOGO
This late into the year, I'm sure we've all been reminded plenty that 2020 is/was, to say the least, different. The 2020 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiking season was no exception. I considered not conducting a survey this year as I didn't want to encourage getting on the trail. But since I don't