{"id":36452,"date":"2018-07-30T08:53:12","date_gmt":"2018-07-30T15:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=36452"},"modified":"2022-07-27T10:06:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T17:06:25","slug":"meet-7-of-the-2018-southbound-pct-thru-hikers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/meet-7-of-the-2018-southbound-pct-thru-hikers","title":{"rendered":"Meet 8 Southbound PCT Thru-Hikers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a huge endeavor. It\u2019s a physical feat, a wilderness challenge and an unparalleled life experience. Most people, to the tune of <\/span>50 hikers starting each day<\/span><\/a> in peak season (April), begin from the Mexican border and hike north. But every year, a few brave souls decide to hike southbound, or SOBO, from the Canadian border.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSOBOing the PCT is not for the faint of heart,\u201d said Jack \u201cFound\u201d Haskel, trail information manager for the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA). \u201cIt\u2019s appropriate for people who have significant wilderness experience and are physically fit. You need knowledge, equipment. You need risk tolerance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The SOBO experience presents more challenges because it begins in Washington, which has a lot of elevation gain and is usually quite snowy at the beginning of the hiking season, in June or July. It\u2019s also tougher with timing\u2014thru-hikers must get through the Sierra before they are snowed in, which can be very early in the season. That\u2019s why so few people begin a SOBO hike each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Haskel in 2013, the PCTA issued 53 SOBO permits. In 2014 they issued 430. This year, they\u2019re expecting several hundred SOBO thru-hikers. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for solitude and a more deep encounter with the wilderness, and the timing works out for you, it might be a good option,\u201d Haskel said.<\/span><\/p>\n

So who are these rare hikers? We hit the trail to find out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: Heather<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 37
\nFrom: Suburbs of Chicago<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. That\u2019s a big ask. I\u2019ve struggled with a lot of depression. I\u2019m always happy when I\u2019m out here. I keep looking for something else to make me feel better. Finally, I had this good job and I\u2019m making money, and it\u2019s not like that exciting and great. I\u2019m trying to figure out if there is something else I can do that would make me happier. Or maybe I enjoy the comfort of a 401(k) and vacation and a steady paycheck and I will be happy living that lifestyle. … I\u2019m also hoping to be more comfortable with a strong body and not be so concerned about what I look like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: FOG (F\u2019in Old Guy)<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 63
\nFrom: Missoula, Montana<\/p>\n

\u201cI started to train for the hike last year, applied for my date. I got diagnosed with [throat] cancer in October of last year. It was bad enough that they rushed me into treatment. I went through 35 radiation treatments and seven weeks of chemo, a month and a half in the hospital. I got out of the hospital in February. My first date was April 13<\/span>, which is Friday the 13<\/span>. What\u2019s funny is that this Friday [July 13<\/span>], is Friday the 13<\/span>th<\/span>, and I\u2019m hoping to be tagging the [Canadian] border the day before. \u2026 Last Friday I was at the hospital, and the week before they had found something in my throat. I got the biopsy back on Friday and I was good to go. I didn\u2019t even know I was coming until Friday. \u2026 I\u2019m cancer free. I feel great!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Names: Ram and Mrit<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ages: 36 & 37
\nFrom: India<\/p>\n

Mrit: \u201cIt\u2019s something of a challenge for us. \u2026 It\u2019s a journey, and we thought we\u2019d give it a try.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ram: \u201cFor us, it\u2019s a great way to travel. You move slower. Instead of taking flights and buses and cabs and rush through. You just move nice and easy and slow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrit: \u201cWe both quit our jobs. We are both lawyers, working for 11 years. We both decided to quit. It was something we thought that we needed to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ram: \u201cGet out of our comfort zone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrit: \u201cAs a couple, it has its ups and downs. I\u2019m a different person and he\u2019s a different person. There is an inherent reaction I would react to in a certain way that he would react to in a different way. You get to know each other better. \u2026 The best thing is that he snores a lot, and I can sleep through it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: Doobie<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 48
\nFrom: Longmont, Colorado<\/p>\n

\u201cI get relaxation and slowing down from trail. I\u2019m a high-strung person, so I get a little bit more slow time. Plus, I get time to think. I\u2019m not worried about having a nice house and keeping [stuff] looking good like I usually do. When I\u2019m on trail I think about what I\u2019m going to do today and tonight, that\u2019s about it. Usually, it seems we\u2019re thinking about way too far away. Retirement, at my age. Should I not be spending this money? Mainly I think about money a lot when I\u2019m at home, which I don\u2019t actually think about out here at all. It\u2019s kind of cool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: Grizel<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 27
\nFrom: Nashville, Tennessee<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is really challenging already. That\u2019s what I wanted from this\u2014to be strong, find myself and be content with what\u2019s necessary. \u2026 I struggle with depression really bad, so I just really want to face that. I hope to get a better grip on my anxiety and depression with this. \u2026 I also think that in the real world, you\u2019re always putting a mask on. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s genuine. So out here, you become more yourself. And that\u2019s the most beautiful part of people\u2014when they love themselves. And I want to love myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: Jason<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 37
\nFrom: Suburbs of Chicago<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that if I make it the whole way, I won\u2019t be the same person I was when I started. I don\u2019t know what it will be or how or when. My part is to take the chance, get out here and do it, and something will change. \u2026 What\u2019s changing now is this faith in if you take a chance on something you want to do, you\u2019ll be taken care of, you don\u2019t have to be afraid. There\u2019s always a million reasons why I can\u2019t quit the job, rather than just taking the leap and doing something. The trail is a metaphor, a vehicle for some kind of a change or transformation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Name: Eva<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Age: 27
\nFrom: Seattle, by way of Michigan<\/p>\n

\u201cI made my own backpack. I really hope it doesn\u2019t fall apart. I wanted something that would be unique and mine on the trail. We buy a lot of goods from companies that have their logo on them. The conflation between brand identity and personal identity is getting super close and I\u2019m not into that. I wanted to create something of my own making for me. I feel very empowered and proud and scared. Because if it breaks, that\u2019s all on me. I can\u2019t write anyone a nasty email about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a huge endeavor. It\u2019s a physical feat, a wilderness challenge and an unparalleled life experience. Most people, to the tune of 50 hikers starting each day in peak season (April), begin from the Mexican border and hike north. But every year, a few brave souls decide to hike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":36463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387],"tags":[588,707,727,470,650],"internal-tag":[1677,1678,1587],"class_list":["post-36452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","tag-camping","tag-hiking","tag-latest-posts","tag-pacific-crest-trail","tag-thru-hiking","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camping","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hiking","internal-tag-scenic-trails-features"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/meet-7-of-the-2018-southbound-pct-thru-hikers","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Meet 8 Southbound PCT Thru-Hikers","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/meet-7-of-the-2018-southbound-pct-thru-hikers","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/meet-7-of-the-2018-southbound-pct-thru-hikers"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/TVBN6775.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/07\/TVBN6775.jpg?fit=1616%2C821"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["camping","hiking","latest posts","pacific crest trail","thru-hiking"],"dateCreated":"2018-07-30T15:53:12Z","datePublished":"2018-07-30T15:53:12Z","dateModified":"2022-07-27T17:06:25Z"},"rendered":"