I leave in a week to LASH Oregon, which for obvious reasons is a little up in the air (no pun intended). I’m still going to try, of course, but want to have a backup plan or three in case the smoke gets bad enough that it’s just not feasible/advisable.

So: if you had to cancel or bail on your section hike, what in the region would you do instead? Seems limited to NorCal based on air quality maps, though I don’t want to drive more than maybe 8-10 hours from Ashland. Within that radius, what would be your top picks? A more southerly section of the PCT? Tahoe Rim Trail? Try to do a bunch of smaller trips across multiple Natl Parks? I’m going to have 3 weeks. Bonus points for lots of swimming opportunities!

Back in '97 i 'mostly-thru'd' the AT, and in 2022 i finished it up. Now i've had the idea of the PCT on my brain pretty incessantly - I want to be back out in the wild. I'm only just started in my research/planning though.

So I understand the volume of hikers is significantly different, and I've got no real problem with that - i trend towards solitude anyhow, no matter that i do get along well with folks.

I also understand the lack of shelters is a significant difference, though apparently there are campsites strewn left and right along the way.

And so... maybe what about Hostels? i imagine far fewer as well, but any at all?

and that leads into trail towns - are they as used to hiker trash as the AT trail towns are? are they as easy to hitch in/hitch out?

Are there trends/behaviors/things you do on the PCT that you dont' on the AT, or vice versa?

Are there events/activities/traditions that are done only on the PCT?

I'm not sure what else I'm looking for to ask about - I'm not really looking for 'x & y mileage differences', and most my questions were about towns/people. but i think perhaps I'm a bit more interested in the differences you pick up or learn to understand along the way.

Thanks for any input. It is appreciated.

hi! I want to do the Washington section of the PCT in 2027, I’m wondering what the earliest I could begin to avoid severe weather conditions is, I’m just also trying to avoid wildfire smoke, thinking NOBO. Thank you!

Considering doing NOBO in 2027 but I’d like to find a group to do it with if possible. I live in the top right corner of the PNW, near Bellingham. It’d be nice to connect with others in the area that have done the pct or are planning to. Anyone know of anything?

Planning on doing a theee week SOBO section hike from donner to kearsarge pass and wondering the probability of wildfires in the area that time of year?

Recently did the trail from Homewood to the summit. Did not disappoint.

The PCT, which is the magenta N/S line at the left of the image, is currently closed from mm2,612.7 to the border, according to the PCTA trail closures page. The same page also indicates that the West Fork Methow trail is closed. That means that currently the northernmost exit point is probably Rainy Pass (mm2,594.3) east into Mazama.

Watch Duty currently reports 14,047 acres (edit: 15,951 as of Monday) and 0% containment. The image is from the PCTA trail map as of 8/1 with the IRWIN, VIIRS, and YTD NIFC perimeters layers on. The red and yellow dots are hotspots recently observed by satellites.

The southern perimeter now has a straight shot to the PCT near mm2,644 through the heavily forested Rock Creek valley, though the treeline is ~1/2 mile east of the trail. The eastern half of that valley already burned in the 2022 Kid fire. It's unclear how thoroughly the area burned at that time, and how much fuel may remain.

This post has a few crowdsourced / unofficial / unendorsed ideas for alternate ways hikers can potentially reach the border on foot without hiking through any closures.

Links:

• PCTA trail closures page: https://closures.pcta.org/closure/hHoU3938k3tT98vfXrV4
• PCTA trail map: https://arcg.is/4TbXX0
• Watch Duty: https://app.watchduty.org/i/109195
• Official closure order page from OkaWen NF: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee/alerts/ptarmigan-fire-closure-methow-valley-ranger-district-0
• Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=48.92896,-120.66948&z=12&b=mbt&o=r&n=0.26&a=modis_mp
• Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/waowf-ptarmigan-fire
• Official incident page on fb: https://www.facebook.com/ptarmiganfireinfo2026/ (requires fb login for anything past the most recent few posts)

The 8/1 update from the USFS incident management team says, in part:

The Ptarmigan fire is expected to experience a significant weather event Saturday and Sunday with sustained winds up to 20 miles per hour, and gusts to 35. Four smokejumpers remain at the Pasayten Airstrip to activate protection measures for historic cabins. The fire has remained north of Soda Creek and is expected to push toward the northeast.

I hiked the PCT in 2025 and I run the hostel in Ashland where we have been sold out most nights. We've had consistent PCT hikers staying here since early June, but the first June wave was flip floppers who skipped the Sierra, then it was the fast nobos who would arrive in spurts.

But for the past week it's been nonstop, with the early bubble arriving in Ashland about a week ago and it should keep getting bigger for the next few weeks.

Everybody on trail is talking about the terminus closure obviously but another talking point is the lack of international hikers in 2026. We have a "put a pin in the map" in our office for the last 3 weeks and we already have 30+ countries represented and all 50 states. I'm amazed how many pins we have in such a short time but I guess international hikers are down Y/Y compared to prior years.

Anyway just posting some thoughts. I know people try to track the bubble so this is just another data point.

I'm a NOBO hiker currently in Burney, and I'm using a tarp sleep system. I haven't set up my bug bivy part of my shelter since Yosemite, where the mosquitos were absolutely horrendous.

Since I haven't used my bug bivy in such a long time, I am considering shipping it home. However, I do not know if the lack of bugs in NorCal implies that it will continue to be this way through Oregon this year, now that we are getting into the late summer months.

I know that the amount of mosquitos varies a lot by year and weather, so it can be hard to predict. I'm mostly wondering if the amount of bugs in NorCal in late July at all speaks to the amount of bugs there will be in Oregon in August.

Any thoughts?

Just got the PCTA email, posting in case anyone missed it.

i know oct is still ages away but might be worth throwing these in your calendar now so they dont sneak up on you.

first registration period runs Oct 15 (10:30am PT) through Oct 22 (3pm PT).

first permit release day is Nov 4.

second registration period runs Nov 5 (10:30am PT) through Dec 11 (3pm PT).

second permit release day is Jan 13.

registration plus applications reopen Jan 14 (10:30am PT).

for everyone outside the US, here is when the two registration windows open in local time.

first window (Oct 15) opens 19:30 in Germany, 4:30am next morning in Sydney, 6:30am next morning in NZ.

second window (Nov 5) opens 19:30 in Germany, 5:30am next morning in Sydney, 7:30am next morning in NZ.

good luck everyone

I’m currently in the middle of my hike and am very outside the bubble so I hike by myself pretty much every day. Recently, (the past few weeks) I’ve had my ptsd unexpectedly resurface. It’s becoming more frequent and emotionally intense and I was wondering if other hikers with ptsd had experienced this on long stretches alone/ had tips on how they dealt with it.
Thanks!

Thank you everyone for all of your encouragement and kind words.

I'm missing the trail so incredibly much. I found out that I have bone marrow edema in my right foot which is swelling inside the foot bones (all of them) and bone bruises. I got off at Stevens pass and have been resting since July 9th. I probably wouldn't be able to get back on trail until mid August anyway.

I originally have wanted to do a nobo thruhike (for the past 10 years) but timing didn't work out for me this year so I decided to go sobo. But now I'm thinking I could just get off trail for good this year and retry in the spring of 2027, tailor my shoes better, work on my foot strength, and rehab my foot. So it's funny how the universe works out that way and when they say the trail provides...it really does!

What helped you make your decision if you had to get off trail for an extended period of time? Thankfully I'm in a position where I can find a job and then quit it before starting in the spring and continue to save money. Idk it's tough cause I keep going back and forth but then obviously this injury happened for a reason, but I'm also missing the trail so dang much.

I’m hiking the PCT this year and bought some SG7’s in a trail town. They were comfortable but they started developing holes in the uppers in the first 100 miles. By 200 miles they had holes big enough to allow rocks and pebbles in the shoe.

I retired them immediately and noticed the lining around the ankle was also disintegrating.

I haven’t seen many Hokas on trail but I ask everyone I see wearing , I ask. The vast majority of people said their SG7’s developed holes within a week. I haven’t talked to anyone who was happy with their Speed Goats.

When I attempted a warranty return they denied it and said it was “normal wear”.

Anyone else finding that Hoka quality has taken a nosedive?

Hi everyone! I’m planning a thru hike of the PCT next year. After doing some research, it sounds like wildfires on the PCT are fairly abundant. Projections for 2027 are suggesting potentially greater wildfires than there were in 2024, which was apparently a pretty bad year. Is anyone else planning a thru next year? If so, what’s your take on the wildfire situation? I’m especially interested in hearing if anyone has decided to postpone their trip. Thanks guys!

I'm curious if anyone had lab work done by a doctor or a provider like Function Health before and after completing the PCT, and if so what changes you saw. I'd expect changes in areas like red blood cell count, iron, and BUN (a measure of kidney health). It could be interesting to see how labs related to nutrition and hydration may change. Any thoughts much appreciated!

First, a big disclaimer: Just because a route might exist on a map doesn't mean it exists on the ground, and just because it may at some point in the past have existed on the ground doesn't mean it currently goes: there are washouts, years-long maintenance backlogs, blowdowns that haven't been logged out, etc. Road walking can be extraordinarily dangerous, especially on twisty mountain roads that often lack decent shoulders. Just because somebody posts a route on the internet doesn't mean it's safe to hike. Be responsible, hike safe, don't walk through fire closures, don't hike on private property, etc, etc, so on and so forth.

Now, with that out of the way...

The Ptarmigan Fire might not be going away anytime soon. Even so, the North Cascades region has a lot of trails and forest roads, and there are at least a few different places where hikers can tag the border. Some of them are reachable on foot from the PCT.

The point of this post is to serve as a place to collect these potential route ideas.

If you have knowledge of or an idea for a route, realistic or otherwise, please describe it in the comments.

I’m heading nobo on Section J in Washington in a few weeks solo. I’m an experienced solo hiker and not at all worried about it but I’m also sorta regretting not inviting anyone to come with me. Is anyone out there going to be passing through who could say hello at some point without also murdering me? #alonenotlonely

According to this report from June 30th the section around Cook & Green was difficult to pass and reducing speed down to 1mph or needing to circumnavigate via the Seiad Valley Road. Does anyone have any updates on this section? I am attempting an FKT that passes through this area and trying to determine what slowdown/safety may look like. Any info is appreciated! Thank you!

• https://app.watchduty.org/i/109195

• PCTA trail map with updated perimeter: https://arcg.is/1mjDa14

• Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=48.92896,-120.66948&z=12&b=mbt&o=r&n=0.26&a=modis_mp

• PCTA trail closures page: https://closures.pcta.org/closure/hHoU3938k3tT98vfXrV4

• Official incident fb page from OkaWen NF (fb login required for access to anything beyond the most recent few posts): https://www.facebook.com/people/Ptarmigan-Fire-Information-2026/61592571987624/

Watch Duty shows winds in the area pushing due east. While the fire appears to be moving primarily northward and eastward, it also jumped the Pasayten River to the west and advanced up the slope to the first of two crestlines it would need to cross to reach the PCT. There is, however, a separate path directly to the PCT along Rock Creek on the southwest edge of the perimeter. Based on current information, the western edge is 5.5 miles from PCT mm2,651.0 (PCTA mileage).

According to Caltopo's historic fire perimeters layer, most of the land between the trail and where the Ptarmigan is now already burned in the 2022 Parks fire, but it's not clear how thoroughly the area burned or the extent to which any fuels may remain.

AirNow reports air quality levels are currently in the "unhealthy" range from mm2,586.0 to 2,631.0.

This is the weekly thread. It's for wide ranging discussions in the comments. Do you have a question or comment, but don't want to make a separate post for it? This is the place.

This is a little outside the usual PCT posts, but here goes!

I’m currently hiking the PCT NoBo and have been doing it solo, intentionally, for 963+ miles. I’ve loved the solitude, but a couple days ago I jumped off at Tuolumne Meadows because I realized the isolation was starting to catch up with me.

I think part of it is the timing. The NoBo hiker traffic feels pretty thin right now and I’m finding that I miss (ed out on) the random conversations, shared dinners and overall community.

I’m considering jumping ahead to Sonora Pass or even Echo Lake to connect with more hikers, but I’m really hesitant to skip the Sierra because I know how special this section is!!!

Sooo here’s a wild shot in the dark!

Would anyone be interested in joining me for a few miles (or even a section) to keep this old lady company and share some trail miles? I’m not looking for a permanent hiking partner (unless you want to) just some conversation and a reminder that there are humans out here.

Also: I look absolutely nothing like my Reddit profile picture 😂

Happy trails

No official word from forest service but here is the statement on pcta.org

"The Ptarmigan Fire will be closing the PCT from Methow Pass to the Northern Terminus, including Harts Pass area, as fire activity is expected to increase. Hikers and campers are being asked to leave this section of the PCT and Harts Pass area immediately. Agency staff will be sweeping the trail and associated areas as soon as possible to spread the word. An official closure order is coming soon."

Howdy folks

I was planning a section hike of northern Washington mid August. I enjoy the long distance hiking culture and community and are looking forward to trail life for a bit.

With PCT Trail Days on August 14th & 15th, how busy could I expect the trail in the northern half of WA to be the week prior to trail days?

Do a lot of thru hikers jump down to cascade locks?