Local Voices: Back on the Pacific Crest Trail, June 9

A report from Emily Quinn

The Lansing Journal is following the adventures of Lansing resident Emily Quinn and her brother Michael Carrick as they hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Text and photos below are shared from Emily’s Facebook posts.

June 9

We’re back on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), where the lows are low and the highs are also low. I’m kidding, kind of. [Note: Emily and Michael had to get off the trail for several weeks to wait for snow to melt. They spent that time hiking in Hawaii and then returned to the PCT around mile 1269 and continued hiking north. Conditions forced them to skip 500 miles of the Sierras, a section they plan to complete in August.]

But what a way to restart the trail: swarmed by flies everyday, snow navigation, constant wet feet, three thunderstorms with hail. The trail was either covered in snow, flooded, or had fallen branches hiding it. I think I fell every day. The best was when I “glissaded” and took off a layer of skin on my leg and then fell on that same spot the next day. And Michael’s been walking on his tiptoes for 4 days because of the massive blisters on his heels.

But with all this being said, the trail really wasn’t that bad. The snow was firm and easy to walk across for the most part. There really wasn’t as much snow as I expected. It’s nice being in the pine trees and not the desert, and we got to see the beginning of the Cascade Mountain Range!

We’ll continue sharing Emily and Michael’s PCT journey as they continue providing updates. Stay tuned!

About the Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. It is 2,653 mi long and ranges in elevation from roughly 110 feet above sea level near the Bridge of the Gods on the Oregon–Washington border to 13,153 feet at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. Its midpoint is near Chester, California (near Mt. Lassen), where the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges meet. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Crest_Trail, cited April 22, 2023)