"Congrats on planning a Trip along the Pacific Crest Trail"

[jackiemarie90]

"Its magical and LIFE AFFIRMING" 😅

That's what it literally says on a successfully processed application for a permit. Apparently it was a really competitive since Covid lessen the amount of people years prior and the US is opening up to international guests. There were 3200 spots on select dates for people to sign up at 10:30, no queue, just random places given at the time for who could sign up for a spot. I had a friend use their laptop in addition to mine and had our phones open for a higher chance to have a smaller number in wait times. I was able to apply in an one hour wait while they sold out of spots by 12:20. My starting spot: the Mexican border ending at the Canadian border. Starting this spring. Do I have the permit? Not yet, I was just lucky enough to get an application, will find out within 3 weeks though. 

Um, I want my life affirmed, people were talking about how this hike helps process things effecting their lives. I really hope it makes me a stronger person at the end of my walk. I get to see some of the most beautiful national/state parks and hike up the tallest mountains in North America. This is an amazing opportunity that I hope will pull me out of my depression. 

[Seight]

...that sounds like a lot of walking

[Le Guignon]

Lmk if you do end up doing it, it'd be cool to get lunch or something.  

[jackiemarie90]

4 hours ago, Seight said:

...that sounds like a lot of walking

2,653 miles to be exact, don't know if I'll complete it all, just happy to be gone for a couple of months

[jackiemarie90]

2 hours ago, Le Guignon said:

Lmk if you do end up doing it, it'd be cool to get lunch or something.  

Chances are likely but won't leave till spring

[Vamped]

Are they going to feed you along the way?

 

[scoobdog]

Where are you starting?  Canada or Mexico?

[jackiemarie90]

9 hours ago, Vamped said:

Are they going to feed you along the way?

 

So I got to bring my own food and purchase food in trail towns along the way. The trip can cost anywhere from $2000 and up. I'm slowly saving some powdered peanut butter, and I have my own camp stove. Top ramen, pasta, and oatmeal are favorites to cook. I have this stove in particular.

[jackiemarie90]

6 hours ago, scoobdog said:

Where are you starting?  Canada or Mexico?

Mexico ^__^

Edited November 13, 2021 by jackiemarie90

[scoobdog]

Good choice.

[crackymckrackin]

I'm confused, you have to get a permit to go on a hike?

[scoobdog]

1 hour ago, crackymckrackin said:

I'm confused, you have to get a permit to go on a hike?

I was wondering about that too. Given that it transits several National Parks, you would need permits for some sections, but the rest would be in public lands that would not require them.  This appears to be some kind of service that might help with other logistical concerns.

[Vamped]

1 minute ago, scoobdog said:

I was wondering about that too. Given that it transits several National Parks, you would need permits for some sections, but the rest would be in public lands that would not require them.  This appears to be some kind of service that might help with other logistical concerns.

For 2000 bucks, it better be more than a map

[scoobdog]

55 minutes ago, Vamped said:

For 2000 bucks, it better be more than a map

From what I’m reading, you need $6,000 on average for supplies and others expenses to do the trip.  Could be she’s paying for logistics and maybe some food supplies,

[jackiemarie90]

On 11/14/2021 at 9:59 AM, Vamped said:

For 2000 bucks, it better be more than a map

 

On 11/14/2021 at 10:56 AM, scoobdog said:

From what I’m reading, you need $6,000 on average for supplies and others expenses to do the trip.  Could be she’s paying for logistics and maybe some food supplies,

So one needs to have a gear supply before embarking on a trip, that can easily cost $1000 by itself. $300 dollars for a tent, $200 for a sleeping bag, $200 for a backpack, etc. I was lucky enough to live in a co-op with 60 students with some growing up doing boyscouts where they teach all of these wilderness skills. These people also already had the gear, so a few different friends gave me a tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and our house also has a free pile where people donate items and people can claim them for no additional costs. I've found hiking boots, trekking poles in our house free pile easily. So the only gear I have purchased for myself is a new Backpack, a cooking pot, and a water filter. Easily all under $300.

So once someone has the expensive gear, they just have to fund getting the permits, (which is free in this case), fund transportation to get to whichever trail they embark on, and nearly have enough food for the journey. Since I'm planning a 5 months backpacking trip, I'm gonna need to supply myself with food for 5 months. So people send themselves food to specific trail towns along the way to save money. I'm currently coordinating that with friends, but I do plan on having at least $2000 in my account to buy food along the way, and also replace any gear that might break down on me along this journey. 

Some people do end up easily spending $5000 on this particular hike, usually on food costs like eating at a restaurant at every town as a reward, you will hit a trail town every 5 to 10 days depending on your speed. Then spending money at the laundry mat to wash their filthy clothes, and they splurge on a hotel/hostel for the night at a trail town. Other than taking a break from the outdoors, this provides an opportunity to shower and charge all electronics.

I am a broke bitch and plan on doing things on the cheaper side. Not eating at restaurants, not staying at hotels and camping on campgrounds with showers. I also plan on bringing a collapsible bucket to give myself sponge baths, and do laundry in as well. i might "splurge" by eating at a fast food restaurant once in awhile. XD

[jackiemarie90]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:25 AM, crackymckrackin said:

I'm confused, you have to get a permit to go on a hike?

You need a permit to visit the highly protected, and beautiful national/state parks. It can be a logistical nightmare to get a permit through every park you end up walking thru, the pct long distance permit really simplifies the process where you can easily pass through without trouble from park rangers. Local trail towns also give you discounts if you show them your permit, in some cases, a free beer. XD

[scoobdog]

Just so long as you don't underfund.  Getting the expensive gear is important, but it's more of the contingency that you probably need to worry about.  All it takes is one night where you're stranded in a town where your budget gets blown the fuck up.

[scoobdog]

Also, none of this explains why you said there was a limited amount of people allowed to hike.  Is that because of NP permit restrictions?

[Vamped]

Enjoy it! I don't like outside. The only way I go camping is to go camping like Pete in the Goofy Movie lol 

[jackiemarie90]

4 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

Just so long as you don't underfund.  Getting the expensive gear is important, but it's more of the contingency that you probably need to worry about.  All it takes is one night where you're stranded in a town where your budget gets blown the fuck up.

Luckily, my sister still talks to me, and if I were to hit a real emergency, and think she would send me the funds to get out. 

4 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

Also, none of this explains why you said there was a limited amount of people allowed to hike.  Is that because of NP permit restrictions?

Well there was a movie made about this trail in 2017, Wild with Reese Witherspoon. Since then this trail has only grown in popularity immensely. Many people want to hike, but they limit the amount to protect the land. There have been several articles how the growing population disrespect and trash the trails each year. Many young people in their 20's and 30s do this as a life changing event but younger people also treat it like a partying scene much like backpackers in Europe. Articles about beer cans and toilet paper strew across ancient mountains really puts a bad taste in people's mouths. The permits are filled with rules for people to follow.

[scoobdog]

Permits into the NPs or NFs?  As far as I can tell, NF Rec permits aren't restricted the same way an NP permit often is.  In fact, I think you can buy an annual pass to all the NFs in the entire US.

Edit:  Should specify, those NF permit fees are for recreational use, and its more for areas that have bathrooms and other day use things.  I don't believe you need a permit to hike in a National Forest, but you do need a permit for some things, like using a campground or importantly starting a fire.

Edited November 15, 2021 by scoobdog

[crackymckrackin]

27 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

Permits into the NPs or NFs?  As far as I can tell, NF Rec permits aren't restricted the same way an NP permit often is.  In fact, I think you can buy an annual pass to all the NFs in the entire US.

Edit:  Should specify, those NF permit fees are for recreational use, and its more for areas that have bathrooms and other day use things.  I don't believe you need a permit to hike in a National Forest, but you do need a permit for some things, like using a campground or importantly starting a fire.

I can only guess but I assume it's a California thing. Most national parks charge a fee for entrance but forests don't. None of the national forests here charge for hikes or entrance. None of our state parks charge. If you want to rent a camping space they charge but don't care about fires.

[scoobdog]

31 minutes ago, crackymckrackin said:

I can only guess but I assume it's a California thing. Most national parks charge a fee for entrance but forests don't. None of the national forests here charge for hikes or entrance. None of our state parks charge. If you want to rent a camping space they charge but don't care about fires.

No. it's a national thing.  Thanks to having several coastal ranges in addition to our very long coast on one side and the Sierra Nevadas on the other, we have access to more federal public use land than most states.  You don't need a permit to go into a NF or NRA, you just need a permit to use its services.  The fire permit is also a national thing, mostly because the prevalence of wildfires mean that the place you can start a campfire fewer and the times you can have a fires in those spaces is increasingly restricted.  In most cases you probably can't even get a fire permit,

[Distortedreasoning]

 

[molarbear]

On 11/11/2021 at 3:33 PM, jackiemarie90 said:

"Its magical and LIFE AFFIRMING" 😅

That's what it literally says on a successfully processed application for a permit. Apparently it was a really competitive since Covid lessen the amount of people years prior and the US is opening up to international guests. There were 3200 spots on select dates for people to sign up at 10:30, no queue, just random places given at the time for who could sign up for a spot. I had a friend use their laptop in addition to mine and had our phones open for a higher chance to have a smaller number in wait times. I was able to apply in an one hour wait while they sold out of spots by 12:20. My starting spot: the Mexican border ending at the Canadian border. Starting this spring. Do I have the permit? Not yet, I was just lucky enough to get an application, will find out within 3 weeks though. 

Um, I want my life affirmed, people were talking about how this hike helps process things effecting their lives. I really hope it makes me a stronger person at the end of my walk. I get to see some of the most beautiful national/state parks and hike up the tallest mountains in North America. This is an amazing opportunity that I hope will pull me out of my depression. 

I always think something like this would be cool and then I remember Bears exist

They use to have a Grizzly at the Zoo here and he didn't look nearly as friendly as Yogi