Check out the most recent PCT Survey results here.
Following my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike last year, I decided to survey my fellow hikers in an effort to provide some concrete information to the next year's class (and of course to compare my own stats to everyone else's).
My experiment was successful (meaning nobody died), and so in an effort to maintain my year-long streak of surveying PCT hikers, I decided to conduct a similar survey this year.
Now before you go getting your panties in a bunch regarding any of the information here, I suggest you first, check out the disclaimer; that you second, remember that what I have done here is by no definition scientific, independently corroborable, or possibly even accurate; and that you third – well and that you third just remember that we're all friends here.
I had a total of 106 completed surveys (all by hikers who (supposedly) completed the trail), and all but a few provided me with usable data (you know who you are person with 300+ zero days).
So here you are, the results of Halfway Anywhere's Annual Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hiker Survey:
DEMOGRAPHICS
Going by the numbers, if we were to choose a hiker at random (because we're mathematicians now), then we would find a white, college-educated male in his late twenties (and would be from California). Now, who do we know like that?
- Sex: 65% Male, 31% Female, 1% Genderqueer
- Age: 32 Average (0% under 20, 26% 20-24, 37% 25-30, 19% 31-40, 7% 41-50, 6% 51-60, 5% 61+)
- Race: 88% White, 2% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 3% Multi-Racial, 2% Decline to answer
- Education: 67% Bachelor's Degree, 17% Some College, 17% Graduate Degree, 5% Associate Degree, 3% High School Diploma
- Countries Represented: 10 (Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, USA)
- States Represented: 26 (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington)
TOP THREE COUNTRIES
- USA – 88
- Canada – 7
- England – 3
TOP THREE STATES
- California – 26
- Washington – 13
- Oregon – 11
STARTING
WHEN SHOULD I START MY HIKE!? Our average hiker was on his first long-distance hike, and began the adventure alone during the last week of April (maybe even on April 24th). He didn't go to the ADZPCTKO, but if he had, then chances are that he would choose to go again.
- First Long Hike: 77% Yes, 23% No
- Began Alone: 63% Yes, 37% No
- Kickoff Attendance: 63% Did not attend, 7% Would not attend again, 30% Would attend again
- Happy With Start Date: 70% Yes, 21% No, would start earlier, 9% No, would start later
- Month Started: 4% March, 78% April, 16% May, 2% June
- Most Popular Start Date: April 24
- Start Date: 6% Before April 8, 13% April 8 – April 14, 25% April 15 – April 22, 34% April 23 – April 30, 16% After May 1
HIKING
So how much time did our hiking friend really spend hiking? Well he took nineteen zeroes with fifteen near-os sprinkled in for good measure. To make up for all that shameless resting, his longest day was 37 mi / 59.5 km.
- Longest Day: Average 37 mi / 59.5 km (σ = 7.8 mi / 12.5 km)
- Zeroes: Average 19 (σ = 8.5)
- Near-os: Average 15 (σ = 8)
- Would Hike PCT Again: 81% Yes, 19% No
RESUPPLY
Surely we need to learn what we can about the all-important resupply strategy. Our average hiker mailed themselves around thirteen resupply boxes and made a total of twenty-four resupply stops over the course of the trail. Twenty-four stops over the course of 2,660 miles? That's an average of 111 mi / 178 km between resupplies.
- Resupply Stops Made: 24 average (σ = 6.3)
- Resupply Strategy: 73% mailed some boxes, 23% mailed all boxes, 4% mailed no boxes
- Resupply Boxes Sent: 13 Average (σ = 7)
DEFINITELY MAIL A BOX:
- Kennedy Meadows, CA
- Stehekin, WA
- Warner Springs, CA
- Snoqualmie Pass, WA
- Skykomish/Stevens Pass, WA
- White Pass, WA
- Timberline Lodge, OR
- VVR, CA
MAIL A BOX INSTEAD OF BUYING:
- Sierra City, CA
- Stehekin, CA
- Castella, CA
CHANGES TO RESUPPLY STRATEGY?
- Send fewer boxes
- Send more food in boxes
- Send a larger variety of food
I also asked everyone to list everywhere they resupplied over the course of the trail. In geographical order, starting at Mexico, here are the most popular resupply stops (aka everywhere at least 70% of respondents said they paid a visit to):
- Mount Laguna, CA (88%)
- Warner Springs, CA (97%)
- Paradise Cafe, CA (87%)
- Idyllwild, CA (97%)
- Wrightwood, CA (82%)
- The Saufley's, CA (90%)
- The Andersons' (70%)
- Hikertown, CA (72%)
- Tehachapi, CA (76%)
- Kennedy Meadows, CA (100%)
- Mammoth Lakes, CA (81%)
- Tuolumne Meadows, CA (87%)
- South Lake Tahoe, CA (91%)
- Sierra City, CA (95%)
- Old Station, CA (76%)
- Etna, CA (72%)
- Seiad Valley, CA (77%)
- Ashland, OR (92%)
- Mazama Village Store (Crater Lake), OR (93%)
- Shelter Cove Resort, OR (85%)
- Timberline Lodge, OR (95%)
- Cascade Locks, OR (93%)
- White Pass, WA (92%)
- Snoqualmie Pass, WA (100%)
- Skykomish/The Dinsmores (94%)
- Stehekin, WA (95%)
NOTE: This does NOT translate (at all) into a viable resupply strategy because there are many resupply stops where hikers are split between multiple locations. This list only reflects those stops used by the overwhelming majority of hikers.
GEAR
Now to the question of gear. What did Average-Hiker-2014 end up with here? Research shows us that he started the trail (April 24) with a base weight of 17.8 lbs / 8.07 kg, but when he finished he was down to a base weight of 14.8 lbs / 6.71 kg (3 lb / 1.36 kg savings).
He spent a grand total of $1,291 on gear before the hike.
Chances are that he did filter his water.
- Starting Base Weight: 17.8 lb / 8.1 kg average (σ = 7.8 lb / 3.5 kg)
- Ending Base Weight: 14.8 lb / 6.7 kg average (σ = 8.6 lb / 3.9 kg)
- Filter Water: 58% Yes, 42% No (from “Yes”: 12% only sometimes, 6% only in desert)
- Average Spent On Gear: $1,291 (σ = $901)
What gear took you longest to drop from your pack?
- Extra Clothing
- Solar Charger
- Rain Pants
- Water Filter
What gear do you wish you had invested more in (or had been able to upgrade)?
- Backpack
- Shelter
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
What was your favorite piece of gear?
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Backpack
- Down Jacket
Top comments on gear for future hikers:
- Go lighter.
- Do your research.
- Good gear is worth the investment.
- Don't stress too much about gear.
For more on gear, you can check out my Final “Complete PCT Gear List”.
MISCELLANEOUS
What was the FAVORITE section of the trail? Top five responses:
- The Sierra
- Washington
- North Cascades
- Goat Rocks
- Glacier Peak
What was the LEAST FAVORITE section of the trail? Top five responses:
- Northern California
- The Desert
- Mojave/Tehachapi
- Hat Creek Rim
- Southern Oregon
What resource did you find MOST VALUABLE when planning your hike?
- Past Thru-Hikers
- Yogi's Guide
- Blogs
- Craig's PCT Planner
- Forums
What resource did you find LEAST VALUABLE when planning your hike?
- The PCT Facebook Page
- Yogi's Guide
- PCT Data Book
- Other people's opinions
- PCT-L
Fin.
THE OTHER PCT SURVEYS
- Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey
- Pacific Crest Trail Survey: The Gear Guide
- Pacific Crest Trail Survey: The Resupply Guide
- Pacific Crest Trail Survey: Hiker Breakdown
- Pacific Crest Trail Survey: Horror & Heartbreak
- Pacific Crest Trail Survey: Advice For The Future
- All PCT Hiker Survey Posts
If you have any questions about the data, have suggestions for next year's survey or would like more information then please leave a comment below.
Hiking the PCT Next Year?
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Did you collect any data on pairs of shoes?
I did not collect any data on shoes, but that’s a great idea for next time! Noted.
I think the Hat Creek Rim Trail would be awesome in the spring or the fall. Unfortunately it’s too hot when we go through. I liked being able to see both Mt Lassen and Mt. Shasta. It was so hot that the rattlesnakes were all holed up, during the day, and all becoming active during the evening. We kicked up two in under a mile, and it was beginning to feel like playing Russian Roulette.
Thanks for sharing your findings. It would be awesome to get the raw data as well, so maybe other people can dig out other interesting information.
And for next year’s survey (If you are up for it) – I’d be really interesting to know about different gear brands on the trail. Backpack/Tent/Sleeping Bag/Sleeping Mat/whatever.
Good idea, Noam! I hesitate putting too many questions/depth on what I ask of hikers because I don’t want to turn everyone off from completing the survey (it took close to twenty minutes with just this information – an eternity in terms of how long things on the internet take). However, perhaps I finagle a way to solicit this information from PCT hikers.
Do it with beer. That opens them thru-hikers up as Im sure you already know.
I hope you don’t mind my asking… but how is it that the “top five” responses to the favorite and least favorite trail sections only have 4 sections each? (I am curious to know if the infamous Fuller Ridge made it onto the least favorite list again. Yes, I have read pretty much all of your PCT posts (even though I am only a lowly and inept day hiker) – they are awesome. Thank you so much for putting so many humorous (but also thought-provoking) stories, useful information, and beautiful pictures on the Web.)
The “top five” header was copied from last year’s post and I missed it when updating the information. Good catch.
I will update with another section instead of changing it to “top four”: favorite #5 was Glacier Peak and least favorite #5 was Southern Oregon.
Surprisingly there were no direct mentions of Fuller Ridge.
Thank you!
How many people responded to your survey?
I had a total of 106 completed surveys (all by hikers who (supposedly) completed the trail), and all but a few provided me with usable data (you know who you are person with 300+ zero days).
Will update the post with this information – thanks!
What about us southbounders?
I suppose I was just trying to minimize variables in the responses, and given that there are historically far more NOBO than SOBO hikers, I went with the herd.
Next year(s?) I will include a SOBO option and sort/categorize the data appropriately. Sorry to leave you out 🙁
I think there were only 20-30 of us this year, obviously a much smaller pool. Great stats, nonetheless, and thanks for putting it together. One of my favorite sections was Hat Creek… Surely due to the temperature difference of heading South.
This is great–thanks for surveying!
You’re welcome, happy to help.
This blog presents information I haven’t seen anywhere else, at least not in such useable form.
Thanks! I’ve done my best to answer all the questions I had before my own Pacific Crest Trail adventure.
Do you have data on what the average daily distance covered was? Or your own experience? And how many consecutive walking days before a rest day? And the average number of days taken to complete the hike?
I did not collect data on daily distance covered, but I will include this next year! I have the information about my own thru-hike (including daily distance and daily distance per section) here: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/the-final-stats-of-the-pacific-crest-trail/
Consecutive walking days before a rest is usually limited by the time between towns and/or resupplies. Number of days to complete the hike I do not know, but again, next year’s class will be asked.
Thank you for this. What drove me here was the section from last year’s survey about Why people did not complete the trail.
Yeah, I have a new plan for this year’s survey. Hopefully it reflects everything I’ve learned from these past two years.
stats and graphs rock! Loved this page
Thanks! This years survey is coming soon.