#guthook

This list of the Top Ten topics and posts of 2019 is arranged in no particular order.  I have divided them into two posts of five each.  The next installment will be revealed two days from now.

Compiled by Rees Hughes

10. Late finishes are almost always interesting. This photo was taken by Peter Miles Bergman north of Snoqualmie Pass on October 1st.  The remaining 250 miles was a battle against the elements.  His takeaway was, “Don’t hike across Washington in the Fall kids - just don’t do it…“

This photo does indeed say a thousand words.

9.Changing demographics on the PCT.  Not only are the numbers of hikers increasing exponentially, but who is hiking the PCT is also evolving.  An August 29th post covers the change in some detail:

https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/187285130254/the-changing-demographics-of-the-pct

From my own experience, just being on the trail over the past 38 years has been evidence enough with nothing  more apparent that the number of women on the trail.

8. The conclusion of two long quests to complete the PCT.  New York Times columnist and Oregon native Nicholas Kristof and his daughter, Caroline, completed the PCT this year.  We adapted an article for an August 28th post that summarizes their experience in a delightful interchange between the father and daughter.

https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/187331488612/growing-up-on-the-pct

And, August also saw my friend, hiking partner, and co-editor, Howard Shapiro, finish his 38-year long trip on the PCT.  He and I authored a ‘Best of . . .” series drawn from nearly four decades of time on the PCT that posted between November 9 - 26.

7. How are apps like Guthook altering the PCT experience and is it good or bad?  We posted an excerpt from Taylor Gee’s article from The Guardian in July that generated a fire storm of conversation.  Has Guthook taken too much of the challenge and mystery out of the PCT experience?  We shared some of the dialogue between hikers for several days after the initial article posted.

https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/186425321756/how-an-app-made-hiking-easier-perhaps-too-easy

6. New Rules attempt to Manage Numbers on the PCT.  I remember being shocked years ago when I returned to Yellowstone only to encounter a cloverleaf that had been constructed in the highway leading to Old Faithful. It was the Park Service solution to the high volume of traffic that was clogging this roadways near this popular attraction.  The increasing popularity of the PCT and the preference to NOBO has resulted in a variety of interventions designed to spread out or limit the number of hikers.  Over the past several years, the PCTA has worked to create a voluntary permit system much like that used along the JMT.  Oregon is entering the fray in 2020 with a new set of rules (see the October 1st and October 29th posts).  Expect more changes to come in the future.

Devoted trail angels that handled unbelievable volumes of hikers are also making changes or closing.  The Saufleys are making major changes (see the December 30th post), Terrie and Joe Anderson are closing Casa de Luna after 21 years, and it has been reported that this will be Scout and Frodo’s final year of hosting hikers and shuttling them to the Southern Terminus from San Diego.

By Rees Hughes

As the decade comes to an end, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the most dramatic and enduring changes to the PCT experience that those ten years have produced.  There may be others you would add to the conversation. Please send me your additions or comments ([email protected]).

1) The Rise of the Technology on the Trail.  Until this decade, most hikers relied on the Wilderness Press PCT guides (or other guides) or hard copies of Halfmile’s maps to navigate the PCT.  The GPS revolution, combined with the evolution of smart phones, provided the foundation for apps like Guthook. The ability of smart phones to double as camera/compass/watch/music and book repository/communication device has altered what many hikers carry in their packs.  The quality of portable solar panels has allowed for phones to be recharged along the way.  Technology also has touched everything from water purification (e.g., the use of ultraviolet light to treat water) to headlamps (the LED light) to clothing.

I am not passing judgment on these changes here.  You can check out the July 20, 2019 post (and subsequent comments) for a critique:

https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/186425321756/how-an-app-made-hiking-easier-perhaps-too-easy

I am surprised by the number of hikers who listen to music or audiobooks while walking . . . it is definitely a growing number (see below).

Photo credit: Alice Lemieux, alicehikes.com

2) The Dramatic Increase in the Popularity of the PCT and Efforts to Manage Usage.  Although the success of Cheryl Strayed’s book, “Wild” and the subsequent movie certainly dramatically elevated both the domestic and international profile of the PCT, the increase in popularity of the trail was only accelerated by “Wild”. Indicative of the growth in overall numbers is the quantity of finishers (see below).

Of course, this has also resulted in a number of additional impacts and efforts to manage the quantity of hikers.  The permit system (even as voluntary as it is) designed to spread out NOBO hikers, more aggressive quotas in particularly sensitive areas (e.g., Jefferson Park), and discontinuation of the ADZPCTKO serve as worthy examples.

3) The Increase in the Number of Fires and the Far-Reaching Impact of Climate Change.  Climate change has impacted the PCT in a big way as weather extremes have characterized the past decade. 

For example, of the past twelve years, California has experienced eight years with significantly low snowpacks including five desperately dry years from 2012 - 2018.  Most significant along the southern half of the PCT is the impact of the drought; drought that has resulted in increasingly unhealthy forests and the incursion of pine bark beetle and other infestations.  It also has resulted in unusually large fires and a greatly expanded fire season (in that starts earlier and lasts later).  Sadly, some of the forest loss, especially in Southern California, will return as chaparral instead of forest (e.g., much of the area burned by the Station Fire).  Seven of the ten most destructive fires in California have occurred in the past four years.  A study, published last July in the journal Earth’s Future, concluded that since 1972, California’s annual burned area has increased more than fivefold.

It is worth noting that when the snowpack exceeds the mean, it has done so dramatically.  2011, 2017, and 2019 represent some of the biggest snowpacks in decades. Global warming reveals itself in more climatic extremes.

These changes not only impact flora but also fauna.  See the post about the disappearing pika (https://pcttrailsidereader.com/post/187944768578/the-disappearing-pika) as an example.

4) The Growing Awareness of and Support for the PCT.  The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) has played the primary oversight role coordinating the efforts of local, state, and federal entities in addition to working with private landowners.  The PCTA has worked diligently to protect the trail corridor and insure the trail is maintained through volunteer and paid efforts.  The growth of the PCTA is a useful indicator of the growth in awareness and support of the PCT.

From a little over 10,000 members in 2010, the number of members has grown by a third.  Contributions have grown from $855,337 in 2010 to $2.7 million in 2018.

Social media has helped in the growth of awareness of the PCT.  The Pacific Crest Trail Facebook Group has 33,000 members, the Class of 2019 has over 13,000 members, and the PCTA has some 163,000 followers.

It is difficult to determine the carrying capacity of the often fragile natural environment crossed by our beloved PCT.  Just how many hikers can the PCT absorb?  I found myself thinking about this question when I saw the photo of the line of climbers waiting for their moment to summit Everest. 

Of course, the impact of even thousands of hikers on a 2,650 mile long trail is very different than scores on a thin ridge at more than five miles high.  On Mt. Everest the issue has become one of safety, quality of the experience, the quantity of human waste/trash generated by these climbers and their support teams, and their effect on the flora and fauna of the region.  On the PCT, as the numbers of PCT hikers continues to swell, drawing walkers from across the globe, the issues are . . . well . . . the same.

I can’t pretend to know when we reach the tipping point on the PCT, but I do believe that there would be value in creating a team of trail users, ecologists, and recreation professionals charged with recommending measures that could be implemented to extend the vitality and health of the PCT, the PCT experience, and the lands it crosses.  The PCTA has worked to institute a soft quota system and to educate hikers about the philosophy of Leave No Trace. There are periodically crews charged with dismantling fire rings and rehabbing overused campsites. But there may well be more good ideas out there.  Are there more effective ways to educate hikers about minimizing their impact?  Is diffused camping better than concentrating camping in fewer spots?  Are their ways that Guthook and similar apps could be involved in reducing hiker impact?  How can the bolus of hikers we know as the herd be spread out?  Are there certain parts of the trail suffering more than others and should more aggressively be protected?  Are practices in place around the globe that could be applied to the PCT?

There is much to be said for being out in front of this issue.  There is every indication that growth in the numbers walking the PCT will continue. What do you think? Are there suggestions you have?  Send us any thoughts to [email protected]

Rees Hughes

Some comments from Facebook:

Rees to NOBO hiker somewhere near Summit Lake north of Sierra Buttes: “Does the new PCT re-route go around the east or the west side of Sierra Buttes?”

NOBO hiker: “Where are the Sierra Buttes? I only look at elevations [on my phone].”

As a follow-up to the article posted July 20 (and subsequent comments . . . posted July 22) about the legacy of ‘Guthook’ and similar apps, I was dumbfounded by this interchange.  While it is certainly possible that the hiker was in a rush and did not wish to engage with a trio of sexagenarian section hikers, it seemed impossible that the hiker had not begun to see the distinctive peak of Sierra Buttes for much of Section L, had made the long climb up its south face, and had noticed the dominant peak behind him as he continued north.  Is it possible that when pushing fast toward Canada you stop noticing the significant way points along the trail?  I hope not.