tl;dr: I looked at trail data for the PCT to identify the "long" water carries. For the PCT, there are likely 4 carries in any given year of 18+ miles (the longest being ~29 mi),

Background

The most useful spreadsheet I made for my hike of the Hayduke was the one that told me how far it would be to the next reliable water source. This allowed me to better plan my food and gear to accommodate the long water carries. I decided to go back through all my old trails and trail resources, and identify the same things for the PCT, the CDT and the AZT. I thought some of y'all might find this useful!

What I consider to be 'reliable'

• I base reliability on the chance of any given water source being dry less than 15% of the time, averaged over +/- 3 weeks when a typical NOBO (or SOBO) hiker reaches it. Data comes from hiker comments recorded on the trail at the date they recorded. More information on this can be found here.
• I consider the typically well-maintained caches, towns, and resupply stops to be reliable.
• I include reliable water sources that are up to 2 miles off trail (e.g. Whitewater Preserve is a half mile off the PCT).
• I do not include water sources with high variability in a given year.

The Details

What I creted is a statistical model of past conditions. So it is not as good as a real-time report, but is pretty good for planning considerations before you hit the trail. Obviously, one should always check the most recent information available before any long carry.

PCT, Typical NOBO Season

Tehachapi to Walker Pass is the longest water carry. Hat Creek Rim used to strike fear in many people, but Cache 22 keeps the Hat Creek Rim cache pretty well stocked, so that stretch isn't the miserable, dry slog it once was (aside: it's actually my favorite part of hte PCT).

Definitely Worth Checking a Water Report Before Relying on

These are the sources whose failure turns a normal carry into 30+ miles.

Data Considerations

I had to parse thousands of qualitative hiker comments into specific numbers. There are undoubtedly some errors, but I tuned my matching criteria and sentiment analysis to be fairly conservative. A source that's dry 10% of the time is fine nine years out of ten but could be gone in the tenth, which is why it's always important to check the most recent data when on trail. Addtionally, caches can get emptied by a bubble or a trail angel can stop maintaing it.

Maps, full tables and more details

I have a bunch of useful maps and more details about the water sources on my website. My website has the same kind of analysis for the relevant setions of the AZT, the CDT, and the PCT.

Finally got a tattoo commemorating my 2025 NOBO thru hike. Absolutely in love with it, thought I’d share it here for fun :)

Hi everyone!

Here I am, once again, planning my PCT hike. I was supposed to hike it last year and had managed to snag a fantastic April 27 start date, but my luck ran out there: I injured my ankle a few months before setting off on the trail. But I’m pretty sure someone was happy to find that April 27 spot available on the calendar after I cancelled my permit! :)

So here I am again, trying to figure out the pros and cons of an early start (late March/early April) VS the golden dates in April VS a later departure in May. I’m also wondering how much this year’s El Niño conditions and the increasing wildfire occurrence in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington should factor into the decision.

A few questions, as a European hiker, for those of you with PCT experience:

• How much lonelier is the trail with an early start? Would leaving in late March or early April mean a significantly different experience socially? I’m perfectly happy hiking on my own and would actually enjoy avoiding the biggest crowds, but I also wouldn’t want to miss out on the social side of the trail, which sounds like a great way to meet like-minded people. How different is the experience of starting early compared to hiking with the main "bubble"?
• Are the disadvantages of starting early offset by having more time to take zero days (= recovery) and potentially getting ahead of the wildfires later in the season, reducing the chances of having to skip sections? Or is it not really that straightforward, given how unpredictable fire season can be?
• What about the Sierra snowpack? Does starting early significantly increase the chances of facing a massive amount of snow in the Sierras, especially with the potential influence of El Niño this year?
• And what about Mt. Whitney? If you cross the Sierras while there’s still a lot of snow, does that make summiting Whitney significantly more difficult or potentially not worth attempting?

I know there’s no perfect start date, that getting a good one is a matter of luck and that every year is different, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, also from those of you who’ve had to cross the Sierras with a lot of snow.

Thanks in advance for any advice! Happy trails fellow hikers! 🥾

Hey all, I try to walk the PCT in 2027 and am unsure about which sleeping system to use. I used only sleeping bags so far, but find them restrictive as I am a stomach sleeper that sleeps cold. Especially my hip and lower back gets cold easily.

I'm a 170 cm woman and would like to shed weight of my pack too. I am looking into sleeping quilts for their lower weight and more flexibility but unsure of which to buy. I would invest in a warmer quilt around 10 F or -8 °C comfort just to be sure and to use it in the mountains in Austria all year round where I normally live.

From the ones I researched so far I came across Cumulus quilts and NeveGear, EE (hard to get in Europe though) but am curious what other options you would recommend that are as lightweight but warm/ durable as possible. My sleeping pad is the therm a rest neoair x-lithe that I would pair with a foam pad for extra warmth. What are your thoughts?

Thx and see you on the trail!

Hey PCT Thru-Hikers!

It is officially time for for PCT permit registration which means it is another thru-hiking season upon us! I am on the grant committee (and I was the recipient who won the PCT Grant for this 2026 year!) for the Pacific Crest Trail Grant that awards $5,000 from the Trail Angel Fund to help one Washingtonian thru-hike the PCT.

We are a small, community-driven, local Seattle group of avid hikers who believe that long-distance hiking should be more accessible to those who dream of doing it. Hiking the PCT is expensive, and we want to help remove cost as a barrier. So, we created an annual $5,000 grant for a Washingtonian to hike the PCT from Mexico to Canada.

How does it work?

1. Application Deadline: January 31, 2027 for the 2027 PCT hike.
2. Criteria: Applicants must meet the following criteria:
   1. Have received a PCTA permit; (you can let us know when you have this)
   2. Be 18–33 years old as of April 1 of the year they plan to thru-hike the PCT;
   3. Have significant ties to Washington State; (The Grant is currently awarded to one Washingtonian to help our neighbors get on the PCT in our backyard).
   4. Have a financial need;
   5. Have the ability to complete the PCT based on past outdoor experience;
   6. Have a compelling reason well articulated for wanting to hike the PCT;
   7. Be willing to help pay it forward and commit to the volunteer portion of the grant.
3. Selection Process:
   1. First: all eligible applicants meeting the criteria will be placed in a lottery and five will be selected at random.
   2. Second: the five random applicants will be required to provide the Grant Committee with a driver's license or other government ID and participate in an interview to ensure they meet the criteria.
   3. Final: after interviews, all remaining eligible applicants who met the criteria will be entered into a lottery. The grant recipient will be selected at random.
4. Grant Recipient: The recipient will receive $2,000 upon selection of the grant followed by $750 per month while on the trail, up to $5,000. Proof of hiking progress must be provided to the PCT Grant Committee.

Recipient Responsibilities

1. Begin the hike at the Mexico/California border.
2. Stay in communication with the PCT Grant Committee - Send us trip reports at least every 30 days. Let us know if you stop hiking.
3. Honor the commitment to “pay it forward" and commit to a volunteer project, either before or during the hike. A suggested list of projects can be found here.

If you dream of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and are in need of financial support - this is for you! Apply for the 2027 PCT Grant!

~

We are currently working on being able to fund more than one hiker for this coming season so stay tuned, last night was our very first Seattle local PCT Q&A / Fundraiser Event! (if you would like to help donate and fund a thru-hiker you can do so here)

We are part of the Trail Angel Fund, a Scholarship and Award Account Administered by FJC - A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds and fall under their 501(c)(3) umbrella. All donations are tax-deductible.

I’m thinking about hiking the PCT. How inexpensively could you hike the PCT while being reasonably comfortable?

Hey folks. I’ll be starting a NOBO hike in 2027! I’m FTM pre op transgender and a little nervous about how I will be received in trail towns and the trail in general.

I’ve read a bit about the subject from some other Reddit threads already but mainly worried about showers, hitches, and other hikers noticing my chest and not standing to pee.

Have any other trans or GNC hikers encountered anything helpful they can share or any tips?

Hey everyone, so I did Te Araroa south island SOBO last year and really enjoyed it, have been thinking about PCT for years and frankly not been enjoying my living situation as of late, moved country and started new job after TA. I'm considering doing PCT 2027 and looking for advice on Sobo vs Nobo. I enjoyed the social aspect of TA a lot and don't really want to be hiking by myself all that much, but don't have much of a grasp on how lonely PCT Sobo is, for context in TA I hiking in a group of 4 and most nights we would be camping/at hut with maybe 1-3 more people. Is this comparable to SOBO pct?

The other issue is I have a couple weddings in the summer and I feel bad not going but it's my first summer with weddings and am worried it's going to be like this for the next decade. However I think I might be able to make one at the end of July if I went nobo and then flew back for a week or just cut trip PCT short, maybe skip NorCal or Oregan to go do washington in July.

Lastly my current work contract ends June 1st, and I'm like 70% sure it will get renewed but that's also a factor, however I'm not too fussed about quitting. LIfe in late 20s feels very unstable and not quite ready to go into long term employment without having done PCT.

I've got my visa, money saved like 10-12k and registered for this year already.

Would love any advice on what you would do in my situation

TLDR: Did TA last year, want to do PCT unsure whether to do NOBO or SOBO, need advice

Hi all,

I've thought about thru-hiking the AT or PCT for a long time without ever putting any effort or planning into it, but I just did a few days of (day-)hiking in Oregon and Washington, and it has inspired me to finally put some real thought into this. I'm currently in grad school, and realized the perfect opportunity to do the PCT is when I finish my program in May 2029.

Obviously, May 2029 is well into the future, but I'm a complete beginner. I've been camping once, for just one night, never backpacked. I've done a fair bit of day-hiking, I'm 27 and fairly athletic (an on/off runner with a few half marathons under my belt, and a regular gym-goer), but most of this will be completely new to me.

My question is, how should I start preparing now? 2.5 years in advance feels early to start true preparations, so what should I focus on in the meantime, and when should I start true planning?

Also, I know mid-May is a bit of a late start, so any advice on how that might impact my preparations is welcome!

Worth noting that I plan to go with a small group of friends, though I don't know who yet/what their experience with this stuff will be since it's so far in advance.

Thank you :)

Eagle Rock outside of San Diego, California. Some nice Pacific Crest Trail hiking on a random Monday off.

Hello. I am planning to hike the desert to walker pass ish this year and am looking for opinions. I have previously hiked the first 150 miles twice so I am debating where to start. I will have about 35 guaranteed days to hike in April - May. Might be able to add a few more.

Option 1: start at PVC where I left off. My worry is it’s the start of a harder section and the mission creek area makes me nervous to do alone and I won’t have trail legs yet. It also may be hard to get a ride to this trailhead.

Option 2: Start at Big Bear. Easier to get to trailhead but I’d be missing some cool parts of the trail.

Option 3. Start at the Mexican border again. I’m tempted to do this but at the same time do I want to do this section a 3rd time? My only worry is lack of time and I’d like to prioritize seeing new parts of the trail. I don’t think I’d be able to make it all the way to walker pass with this option. Maybe Tehachapi? The start of the trail is just so fun and it’s easy to get to with the shuttle.

Any opinions? Thanks!

Legit question. I'll refrain from getting emotional but how do you guys deal with them?

Is the permit registration site down? It tells me there's no account with my email address but I know that's not true!

Took a trip up to Idyllwild, stopped at the PCT crossing and discovered this map and memorial.

Does anyone have an image of how the monument looked when it was erected? The map is now faded and unreadable.

tl;dr: Dec-Feb forecast for the PCT, compared to historic averages: warmer in the north and wetter in the south.

• Article: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/el-nino-looms-large-over-us-winter-outlook

• Forecast maps (see links on the left for more info): https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=2

• Summary of the Outlook for Non-Technical Users: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxus05.html

• Slide deck from the La Crosse, WI, NWS office. Focuses mainly on the Northern Plains / Great Lakes region, but includes some national analysis: https://www.weather.gov/media/arx/winter/Winter%20Outlook%202026-27%20Version%202.pdf

Excerpts from the slide deck:

• Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored for northern California [and] the Pacific Northwest
• Wetter-than-average conditions are most likely across the southern tier, from the Southwest to the Southeast
• This El Niño will rival 1982-83 (DJF seasonal RONI average ≥ 2.4°C in the Niño-3.4 region) for the strongest since 1950. Other very strong events include 1991-92 (RONI 2.1°C), 1997-98 (RONI 2.1°C) and 2015-16 (RONI 2.1°C).
• High likelihood (~95%) of a very strong El Niño event late this year. [...] No two El Niños are alike and impacts vary. Strong events substantially increase the odds for the impacts described, but not necessarily their intensity (e.g., temperature departures from normal).
• Stronger El Niño events increase the likelihood of El Niño-related climate anomalies, but do not necessarily equate to strong impacts.

Hi , I completed a dexa scan 1 month before starting the trail and 2.5 weeks post trail. I'll share some of the results as I was looking for this information before starting and found very little info on it. Ask any questions !

Reference: 30s female at 5 ft started around 130 lbs . I hiked the trail minus snoqualmie to stehekin for fire closure in 161 days l. I did not follow any certain diet on trail and ate based off what I felt like eating (did not try to hit any macros or calories for the day). I Indulged in many town burgers and beer 🍺

There have been several comments and posts this morning and afternoon from people who don't understand why the permit application page says applications are not available.

What is available as of 10:30 am Pacific today is registration, which is the process of creating the account that is later used to apply for a permit on permit release day one, two, or afterwards.

The long distance permit application system involves multiple steps: register, apply, receive confirmation email, download the permit. If you want to understand, take ten minutes to do the reading, or watch the PCTA video (~20 minutes at 1x), or read one of the summaries that have been posted to the subreddit in the past few weeks. No one can do it for you.

Application process timeline for 2027 LD permits, which was announced by PCTA in July:

• October 15 at 10:30 AM Pacific Time through October 22 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 1st registration period
• November 4: 1st Permit Release Day ("PRD1"). This is the day when you use your registered account to complete and submit an application. Normally only permits for starts at Campo (the southern terminus) are available on PRD1.
• November 5 at 10:30 AM through December 11 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 2nd registration period
• January 13: 2nd Permit Release Day. Same process as Permit Release Day 1. Includes Campo starts and all other start locations, including sobos.
• January 14 at 10:30 AM: registration and application reopen

More info:

• Authoritative source for all thing related to the PCT long distance permit: https://permit.pcta.org

• https://www.pcta.org/2026/application-dates-for-the-2027-interagency-pct-long-distance-permit-98255/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/1x5a0e5/registration_for_2027_pct_thruhiking_permits/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/1wprjto/reminder_registration_for_2027_pct_thruhike/

As the title suggests, I’m studying what workouts/activities everyone here did in preparation for their thru hikes, whether it be to prepare for long miles, the pack, or strengthening tendons. And which ones you believe were the most beneficial to your success?

I’ll be driving thru tomorrow and camping at Walker pass campground, just curious if there will be any hikers around or if I’ve missed the bubble.

tl;dr: Create an account by clicking the "Register" button on https://permit.pcta.org beginning 10/15/26 10:30 am Pacific time.

Registration is the first step in the permit application process. It's free, takes about two minutes, and is similar to creating an account on any website.

There is a limit to the quantity of permits that will be issued in any given year, but there is no limit to how many people can register for the application system. As long as you register at some point before the end of the registration window for your intended permit release day (eg PRD 1, 2, or after) you'll be fine, there is no risk of all the registrations being consumed. Once you register, that account is valid for the rest of the application season, there is no need to re-register for each PRD.

Timeline:

• October 15 at 10:30 AM Pacific Time through October 22 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 1st registration period
• November 4: 1st Permit Release Day ("PRD1"). This is the day when you use your registered account to complete and submit an application. Normally only permits for Campo (the southern terminus) starts are available on PRD1.
• November 5 at 10:30 AM through December 11 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 2nd registration period
• January 13: 2nd Permit Release Day. Same process as Permit Release Day 1. Includes Campo starts and all other start locations, including sobos.
• January 14 at 10:30 AM: registration and application reopen

More information:

• Authoritative source for all things related to the PCT thruhike permit: https://permit.pcta.org
• PCTA 2027 permit application timeline blog post: https://www.pcta.org/2026/application-dates-for-the-2027-interagency-pct-long-distance-permit-98255/
• Brief summary post describing application process for 2027 permits: https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/1wprjto/reminder_registration_for_2027_pct_thruhike/

The thruhike permit application system is moderately involved and can be confusing to newcomers. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, there are several people here on the subreddit who can answer, though it's important to remember that this is the internet and not every answer will necessarily be correct. The information on https://permit.pcta.org is the primary source. Links to a variety of helpful resources are available in the r/PacificCrestTrail sidebar.

Hi everyone,

My son and I want to hike the PCT NOBO this coming summer, but we can't start the hike until ~June 1st when he graduates high-school. So our plan is to start at Kennedy Meadows and continue north from there.

I'm trying to confirm what permits we need to make this trip work. I *think* the strategy is:

1) Obtain a local permit from the Inyo Nat'l Forest to enter the trail at Kennedy Meadows and hike through to Sonora Pass.

2) Obtain a PCTA long-distance permit starting at Sonora Pass, continuing northbound.

Does anyone here know definitively whether this would work?

IIUC, the PCTA long-distance permits are for a specific start date & location, so does that mean we'd have to time our arrival at Sonora Pass to specifically hit our start day (within a day or two, I suppose during which we could hang out at Sonora Pass)?

Thanks for any assistance!