#pct midpoint

On February 13th, on a flight from Denver to Arcata, California we flew over Lassen Peak which provided an excellent view of the route of the PCT between the Feather River and Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Most striking to me was the very low snow coverage of an area that should normally be almost entirely snow-covered in mid-February.

This stretch of the PCT includes such notable landmarks as the PCT mid-point, the crossing of Hwy 36, Drakesbad, and the old Noble Wagon/Emmigrant Trail.

[Double-click on the photos to get a larger view.]

It looks authoritative and permanent, but the reality is that the PCT midpoint, currently located at mile 1320.7 not far south of the PCT’s crossing of Highway 36 in Northern California, is a temporary and somewhat arbitrary spot.  As re-routes occur anywhere along the length of the trail, the midpoint moves south or north. And there are disagreements about the total length of the trail. Halfmile’s GPS calculations would place the midpoint at mile marker 1,325.1. The Data Book places it as 1326.9. Does the trail in Manning Park north of the border count?

Years ago, PCTA decided to settle on a number. “We can’t re-print t-shirts and remake trail signs every season as the tread moves,” they observed. “The Pacific Crest Trail is around 2,650 miles and that’s accurate to within 10 or so miles.”  That would put their midpoint at 1,325 miles.