Picked the Pacific Crest Trail over the Appalachian Trail for my 6 month hike last spring

Everyone told me the AT is better for beginners with all the shelters and water sources, but I went PCT anyway and honestly the dry stretches taught me more about planning than any guidebook could. Has anyone else gone against the crowd on a major route choice?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_hall22d ago

Oh come on, "the dry stretches taught me more than any guidebook" is SUCH a pretentious take. The AT is popular for a REASON - it's actually designed for people who want to enjoy the hike instead of turning it into a survival course. You could have LEARNED planning skills on the AT too without risking dehydration.

jessicaw5422d ago

You make a fair point. It's easy to romanticize hardship after the fact, but a lot of those stretches were probably more stressful than enlightening at the time. Seems like there's a middle ground between a survival course and a guided tour, and the AT does a pretty good job of being a solid trail for most folks.