PSA: The Pacific Crest Trail is not a race, but people keep treating it like one

I hiked the PCT last year and I kept seeing hikers skip the Sierra Nevada section in June just to save time. They missed the best alpine lakes and wildflower blooms of the whole route. Everyone talks about doing 30 mile days and getting a fast time, but they forget the point is to see the mountains, not just cover miles. I stopped at a creek near Muir Pass for 20 minutes to watch a moose drink, and four people passed me without even glancing up from their feet. Why are we so focused on speed when the whole reason we go out there is the experience? Has anyone else noticed this rush ruining the trail culture?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_mitchell2617d ago

Man I feel this so hard. On my thru hike I made it a point to camp near a lake every chance I got even if it meant shorter days. That quiet time at sunset with no other hikers around was worth way more than any mileage record. The people who blew past me to hit 30 miles were usually the ones who burned out by Oregon or went home with stress fractures. Taking your time isnt being slow, its actually hiking smarter.

nancyn6917d ago

Totally agree @ellioth37, it's like they're checking boxes instead of actually being there. I saw the same thing on the AT last year, people buzzing past viewpoints just to tag another shelter. Saw a guy literally jogging downhill with trekking poles like he was in a triathlon, missed a whole bald eagle sitting on a branch right above him.

ellioth3718d ago

Are people really out there hiking 30 miles a day just to say they did it, or do they genuinely think they're experiencing the trail that way?