When Maggie and I returned home after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, our friends and family naturally had lots of questions about our journey. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:
What were your trail names?
Russell: Fanny Snacks
After the 100 mile mark and a few beers at the Montezuma Valley Market, we were getting ready to set off hiking again. A trail angel had given us Snickers bars to go, which I put in my fanny pack. I proudly announced to a few hikers nearby that “I have my fanny snacks and I’m ready to hit the trail.” This prompted a few giggles and for someone else to say, “That sounds like a trail name to me…” Now, I only said this as a sort of pun or portmanteau, but if you find some innuendo in the trail name, you’re probably from the U.K. or just have naughty imagination.
Maggie: Hummingbird
This was trail name #3 for Maggie. On the Appalachian Trail, she went by Beanie Weenie (or just Beanie) after eating beans on a hotdog bun. On the Colorado Trail, she went by Twinkle Toes for the frequent stumbles and unplanned dance moves she pulls off. Maggie started the PCT as Twinkle Toes, but we found out on Day 3 that another hiker was going by the same trail name! Maggie graciously deferred to avoid confusion. Maggie wouldn’t receive a new trail name until we left Tehachapi with the Austrians, Lime-A-Rita and Stardust. Stardust had a hummingbird pin and insisted that Maggie take it, both as a momento and a trail name. It was fitting, since Maggie loves birds. Also, her new purple hat had attracted a couple hummingbirds!
What was your favorite place?
Russell: My single favorite location was Pallisades Valley in the Sierra Nevada (37.05168, -118.47116). On top of having absolutely stunning scenery, the circumstances of being there at 5 pm on May 25th made it all the more epic. After what was probably a bad decision, we had just crossed over a snow covered Mather Pass in the afternoon. Steep slopes and soft snow made the hiking quite slow, but we got over without any issues. It was exhilarating! Then, as the golden hour was approaching, we descended into this picturesque valley that looks like the cover of a fantasy novel. The icy lake, the jagged horizon, steep walls, and raging waterfalls combined to create an unreal backdrop. We were the only ones in the valley, and the solitude was the cherry on top!
Maggie: My single favorite location was the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington (46.48297, -121.43431). It was simply exciting to hike up here since we hadn’t been in such craggy and rugged mountains since the Sierra Nevada. The wildflowers, waterfalls, and columnar basalt were enchanting. Our campsite on the flanks of Old Snowy Mountain was spectacular, perhaps the best on the trail. The anticipation of climbing the mountain the next day made Goat Rocks very memorable.
What was your least favorite place?
Russell: Lassen National Park. It was almost entirely burn scar and the day was filled with blazing sun. It was drab and the heat made it physically challenging. We did, at least, get to swim in a lake to cool off, but otherwise, I do not look back on this place fondly. Otherwise, there were some stretches in the desert that were pretty dull, but we hiked through early enough in the season that the heat wasn’t punishing.
Maggie: The 5,800 foot descent into Seiad Valley, CA. The trail passed through blowdown and forced us to bushwack for a few miles. As we descended, the temperature and humidity started to become oppressive. The final miles dragged on as my ankle and shin ached from flattened shoes.
What did you eat?
Our meals were typically one of the items listed
Breakfast was usually fast and convenient, rarely satisfying…
Instant coffee (Maggie)/tea (Russell) with – Instant oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts – Lenny’s and Larry’s complete cookies with peanut butter and jelly – Bobo bar with almond butter – ProBar and trail mix – Instant mashed potatoes
Lunch was almost exclusively wraps… so. many. wraps. Tortillas are the obvious choice for pack-ability on the trail.
Tuna wrap with carrots and sriracha – Peanut butter and jelly/nutella wrap – Sandwich packed out from town
Snacks were essential. We consistently got hungry every 2-3 hours.
Cliff bars – Kind bars – Nature’s bakery fruit bars – Bobo bars – dried fruit – nuts – ProBars – Cliff Builder Bars – Snickers – Gummy worms
Dinner was always hot and mostly satisfying at the end of a long hike.
Ramen – Knorr rice/pasta side (cheddar broccoli, spanish rice, etc.) – Instant mashed potatoes – Freeze dried “backpacker meal” (Good2Go’s were our favorites) – Sandwich packed out of town
The hardest part was working in variety. We both got sick of various foods along the way, and some we still avoid to this day (looking at you Cliff Bar).
How much did your pack weigh?
We both had a base weight (essential gear you carry all the time) in the neighborhood of 10-15 pounds, which was pretty comfortable. It’s food and water that tips the scales. The heaviest my pack got, which I weighed on a scale, was 48 pounds. That was leaving Tehachapi with 5 days of food and 5 liters of water… woof. It was perhaps heavier leaving Mammoth lakes with 7 days of food and ice axes, but we didn’t need to carry much water.
What was your favorite piece of gear?
Russell: My Feathered Friends Swallow UL 20 was an impeccable sleeping bag. This was my first down sleeping bag, and the warmth to weight ratio is unbelievable.
Maggie: The Mountain Hardwear Airmesh Hoodie was an awesome mid-layer. It was light, compact and plenty warm when worn with a sunshirt underneath.
We both loved our Cotopaxi 3L fanny packs! They held the phone, snacks, and were great for walking around town with a few items. Overall, the fanny packs were much more versatile than built-in hip belt pockets on backpacks (which mine didn’t have anyways).
Did you see much wildlife?
Highlights of wildlife sightings include a coyote hunting rabbits by Agua Dulce, a bobcat just before Tahoe, pee-licking deer in the Trinity Alps, and a section hiking mountain goat by Snoqualmie Pass. We didn’t see a single bear, but we did see a lot of scat. There were plenty of cool birds and no shortage of small lizards. I expected to see much more wildlife overall…
How was hitchhiking?
I had never hitchhiked before the PCT. Maggie was more acquainted with her previous thru hiking experiences. We got incredibly lucky with our first hitch into Julian – first car! Turned out the driver was a trail angel which was pure luck, but we generally had pretty good luck hitching. Our longest wait to hitch was into South Lake Tahoe, about 30 minutes standing in the rain… Not surprising since the summer traffic into Tahoe is almost exclusively tourists who have no interest in picking up dirty back pack people. Our weirdest hitch was probably coming out of Julian with a man who admitted to drinking 19 beers the night before while watching “Behind Enemy Lines”. He was late to a job and it didn’t seem like his attention was on the road. Thankfully, he was nice and it was a short ride.
Did you have any strange encounters?
With the number of small towns and quirky people that thru hiking attracts, we met a handful of oddballs. However, we never had an interaction with someone that made us personally uncomfortable. There was a guy who went by Penguin, who we thought was a thru hiker. He showed up in Kennedy Meadows on a motorcycle and ended up working at Grumpy Bear’s Resort. He was being unreasonable rude to several female hikers, but his misogyny was never directed at Maggie. It’s safe to say that most everyone we met was overwhelmingly happy, positive, and generous!
Distance Over Time 