[pct-l] Finish thru-hike in mid-August?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

It is certainly in the realm of possibility to finish your hike in  
August. However, you must have discipline and not take lots of zero  
days and keep up a pretty good pace.

I completed my long section hike on August 31. I took lots of zero  
days which allowed the front of the year's thru-hikers to overtake  
me. Only a small handful of them did, however. Anywhere I went only a  
few thru-hikers had signed any trail registers. Of those I met in  
person, they were the kind of people who strove for 30-40 mile days  
and regularly achieved them.

Way out ahead like that is a different experience than being in the  
middle of the pack. It's a more solitary experience. You hang out  
with section hikers if you hang out with anyone at all and therefore  
meet a very diverse cross-section of hikers, and rarely the same  
people over and over again. There is more snow and it appeared to me  
that in places where they have to regularly clear fallen trees from  
the trail, you are well ahead of their volunteer schedule and  
therefore have to climb over the trees.

I felt fortunate to have been in Oregon and Washington at the peak of  
wildflower season. It was so beautiful. If this is the kind of  
experience you want to have, then you will have a wonderful time.

Diane

On Sep 29, 2009, at 8:54 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> Hi all!
>
> I'm new to the forum but it looks like an excellent source of   
> information.
> I've been casually planning a thru-hike of the PCT for the summer  
> of 2010 -
> leaving as early as the snows allow in April.  I'm just beginning  
> to get
> serious about the plan -- I have to restart school at the very end  
> of August
> so a thru-hike is only possible if I can finish in early to mid- 
> August.  Is
> this an unrealistic goal?  I have lots of section hiking experience  
> on the
> AT but its hard for me to transfer mileages - from hikers I've  
> talked to and
> journals I've read it seems like folks are able to average more  
> distance per
> day on the PCT.  Am I crazy to hope to finish early?
>
> Thanks for any opinions!
> RO-del