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Photo Essay: The Pacific Crest Trail

By Mac 41 Comments

I took a lot of pictures on the Pacific Crest Trail, but if I could do it over again (when I do it over again) I would make sure to take more pictures of the people I spent time with on the trail (so listen up, would be hikers).

The following collection is by no means a comprehensive portrayal of life on the PCT, and by no measure does it accurately capture all aspects of thru-hiking (for example, there are no photos of me weeping like a child, violently throwing up, using “backcountry skills“, or pondering what the hell I am doing on the PCT in the first place).

Such tales are reserved for a more intimate setting.

WARNING: the following contains photos that are likely to cause intense nostalgia in former thru-hikers, please proceed at your own risk.

Also note that these photos are not in strict chronological/geographical order, but for the most part, they are.

Southern Terminus PCT Monument
The PCT’s southern terminus – the beginning of the end.
Southern Terminus PCT Monument Self
Day 1 – what the hell am I doing?
1 PCT First Sign
A sign of good fortune.
Ants on Candy
I saw some ants on candy, want to talk about that?
Lizard Closeup
Lizards everywhere.
Heavy Backpack
Biggest lesson? This is way too heavy.
Desert Caterpillar
Making friends in the desert.
Desert Hiker Self Tired
Drained of all energy at this point – this is harder than expected.
Desert Hiker Self Overview
First big view of all the desert to come.
PCT Food - Cheese Tortilla
Adjusting to life on the road.
Tent In Desert
Tenting near the Sunrise Trailhead.
PCT Third Gate Water Cache
A glorious cache of water.
PCT 100 Miles
1/26 of the way there.
Lint Hiking Desert
Heading to Warner Springs.
Self Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock, a worthy detour.
PCT Foot Wrap
Nothing works. My feet are destroyed.
PCT Desert Sunset
I attempt to enjoy the beauty as darkness and irrational fear take hold.
Desert Landscape
The desert can be beautiful too.
Eating Pizza Idyllwild
Taking a much-needed break in Idyllwild.
PCT Meals - Mac and Cheese
No milk or butter required.
Lake Silverwood
Lake Silverwood.
Joshua Tree
Joshua trees – your friends in the desert.
1 Sink Socks Gaiters Water
What dirty socks and gaiters do to water.
2 Rattle Snake
Saw more rattlesnakes than I can count.
3 Deep Creek View
Deep Creek – not very deep.
4 Desert Train View
Signs of civilization.
5 Wrightwood Resupply
So many calories.
6 Fire Station Shelter
Half shade? I’ll take it.
7 Above Desert Clouds
Above the clouds with poodle dog bush.
California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
Wind Turbines
Wind Turbines
PCT Desert Register
A register for stalking other hikers.
Kennedy Meadows
An otherwise terrible place to visit.
1 Bearcat Bear Canister
Packing the bear canister – essential Kennedy Meadows activity.
34 Appa On Trail
If only every day was this clear.
33 Trail Food Cooking
Trail cooking level 7.
32 Trail Switchbacks
Switchbacks > straight uphill.
31 Campfire
Fire to defeat the bugs (and cook).
30 Fresh Fish Dinner
Freshly caught dinner.
29 Yosemite Waterfall
Had to swim here – no choice.
28 Sierra Lake and Mountains
Swimming – so tempting.
27 Self Sierra Pass
Making friends on every pass.
Devils Postpile
Devil’s Postpile
25 Sierra Pass View
Another beautiful day in the Sierra.
Sierra Selfie 1
Distracting myself from the impending storm.
Sierra Selfie 1
Smiling the pain away.
24 Lush Sierra Stream
The grass is always greener.
22 Muir Pass Hut
Muir Pass Hut
21 Marmot Closeup
Dinner, perhaps?
20 Sierra River Mountains
So thankful for all the water.
19 Sierra View Mountains
A long ways to go…
18 Sierra Lake and Mountains
Still a little snow left.
17 Sierra Water Slide
The water slide.
16 Mile 800 Bridge Sierra
Mile 800!
15 Self Sitting Bug Net
Sometimes the bugs win.
14 Sierra Lake
So many lakes, all of them beautiful.
Banjo And Achillies
Banjo and Achillies
12 Kings Canyon National Park
Favorite photo of the trail?
11 Mustachio Forester Pass
Mustachio made it too.
10 Top of Forester Pass Self
The top of Forester Pass. Highest point on the PCT.
8 Forester Pass Approach
Approaching Forester Pass in the Sierra.
7 West Side Mount Whitney
Western side of Mount Whitney.
6 Coming Down Mount Whitney
The barren landscape of 14,000 feet.
5 Self Top of Mount Whitney
Proving I have been up there. Another worthy detour.
4 Top of Mount Whitney
Top of Mount Whitney.
3 Self Climbing Whitney
Hiking selfies.
2 Self Chicken Spring Lake
Chicken Spring Lake in the Sierra.
1 Lake In Sierra
Reflections are always cool.
2 Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley chair lift.
Tea Wagon Trail Magic
Tea Wagon trail magic.
4 View Up Of Trees
Taking a break.
5 Candy Bag Closeup
Essential for energy and morale.
4 PCT Midpoint Sign
Halfway there.
Chester Mexican Restaurant
A well deserved break in Chester, CA.
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
6 Snake Eating Mouse
Poor little mouse. The circle of life.
7 Burney Falls Hiker Trash
A high point on the trail.
Burney Falls
Burney Falls State Park
9 Inside Of Tent
Precarious camping.
10 Canopy of Trees
I like these shots.
11 Fog Settles In Trail
Northern California got a bit wet.
12 Seiad Valley Pancakes
5+ pounds of pancakes. Uneatable.
Oregon California Border Sign
Oregon California Border.
1 Crater Lake Oregon
Crater Lake, Oregon
9 Olallie Lake Oregon
From the Olallie Lake Store.
8 Mount Jefferson Oregon
Leaving Mount Jefferson
7 Laundry In Oregon
Doing laundry – what’s the use?
6 Mushrooms Oregon
I think these kill you?
5 Mac Lake Oregon
Mac Lake – where I was born.
Canadian Border Sign
Getting there.
4 Burn Section Oregon
The burn sections don’t end in the desert.
3 Rosary Lakes Oregon
Rosary Lakes – possibly the best campsite of the trail.
Oregon Washington High Point Sign
Oregon/Washington high point.
Diamond Lake Oregon
Diamond Lake on the Oregon Skyline Trail alternate.
Tunnel Falls
Tunnel Falls – worth the detour.
Bridge Of The Gods
Bridge Of The Gods
1 Washington Morning
Early start in Washington.
Old and new PCT trail markers
Old and new PCT trail markers.
Mount Adams
Mount Adams sunset.
3 Washington Mushrooms
Washington has mushrooms too.
4 Washington Clouds
Into the clouds.
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Appa And Safari
Safari and Appa The Sky Bison.
7 A Barred Owl
A barred owl!
Dutch Miller Gap
Dutch Miller Gap
Old PCT marker
Old PCT marker.
Deception Lake
Deception Lake fog.
10 Washington Sunbeams
Rays of hope.
11 Washington Trail
The trails of Washington.
12 Stehekin
Stehekin – a place where nothing happens.
13 Washington Fording
Just accept that you are getting wet.
14 Washington Hitching
PLEASE?! Pick me up?
15 Harts Pass Snow
This is not good.
16 Harts Pass Appa Mac
Yup, way too much snow.
17 Harts Pass In Snow
You win, trail.
Washington Selfie
At the end of it all.
18 PCT Northern Terminus
PCT Northern Terminus monument.

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Pacific Crest Trail,  Photo Gallery PCT Desert,  PCT Life,  PCT NorCal,  PCT Oregon,  PCT Sierra,  PCT Washington,  Photography,  Sierra Nevada

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