Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California
Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California
The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2650 mile backpacking thru-hike from Canada to Mexico known as America’s Wilderness Trail. The route takes hikers through Washington, Oregon and California (Northern California, Sierra Nevadas and Southern California). We hiked the PCT southbound in 2023 after quitting our jobs back in the UK.
California comprises 1691 miles of the PCT and Northern California is where you cross the PCT halfway marker. The race is on to reach the Sierra Nevada Mountains before heavy snow.
The sign read: “This is private property, not the PCT!”. Fair enough, although it’s a sign that would have been more useful about one hour and 500m of treacherous descent and almost impossible (re)ascent ago. Our shortcut into town, which the map showed as a dirt track but was now essentially steep loose rock and thick bushes, was not going well. Add to this the midday sun, practically no food or water and more bear scat than you could shake a furry tail at. It was only a matter of time until we bumped into a bear, we were sure. As it turns out another couple had taken the same track shortly before us and seen at least one of the bears and scared it off. The signs grew more threatening with references to guns and dogs; turning back wasn’t really an option though, it would have been horrendous. The path on the GPS also now gave way to dense, dry forest. We could see some footsteps, others had tried this but to what avail? It wasn’t just bears we were worried about now but rattle snakes in the thick sun mottled undergrowth. We eventually took one of the dirt tracks down past the overtly aggressive signs. Sure enough we emerged into someones property, we could see a lady a short distance away. We didn’t want to be “spotted” trespassing and so with all of the associated cringe factor I put on my finest British accent and called the lady. What followed was what I will claim as a diplomatic triumph but was probably just catching someone on the right day at the right time. Once the apologies died down the kind lady showed us how to make the short walk to town and made us promise not to tell others how nice she had been. We made that promise, and kept it (until now…). We reached Sierra City, there were cold beers and a burrito so large it had become folklore on the trail.
Although small, Sierra City was a great stop, super hiker friendly and with some really interesting history as an early frontier town during the gold rush. As we hiked out along the clear flowing rivers we talked about what it must have been like for those prospecting for gold to explore these lands for the first time. No infrastructure, no satellite phone or GPS, no prospect of a weather forecast or where your next meal might be coming from. True wilderness. Unfortunately, the impact that those involved in the gold rush had upon native communities tells a familiar sad and brutal tale. We won’t tell that tale here, but it feels appropriate to highlight as whilst we reference the incredible journeys that the first Europeans must have had here, they also left a dark well documented but often untold legacy.
Northern California, what a milestone. Only one state left; one giant state. We weren’t even halfway, in fact we had 1700 miles still to walk. But mentally, completing two states was huge. Northern California is a bit of a mystery though. Passing a northbound hiker weeks earlier I’d asked what the terrain was like, adding that this c. 600 mile stretch wasn’t really on my radar. “It’s not on anyones radar” he replied. It’s true. Washington, Oregon, Central California (the Sierras) and Southern California (the desert) each have a reputation; you know what to expect - kind of. You certainly hear the stories. North Cal is an outlier, it just creeps up on you. Of course we’d done some research, if nothing else your resupply strategy forces you to. If you’ve read our Oregon post you’ll know we had been through a bit of a journey (mental and physical) during that state and had a reset moment of deciding to hike shorter days and enjoy life a little more. North Cal certainly wasn’t easy but we enjoyed it, our approach probably helped but also the scenery was great, we met some lovely people and there was a real sense of progress. We passed the halfway point - an inconspicuous concrete marker in amongst some burnt trees, oh well, halfway nonetheless! We also moved from the Cascade mountain range to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this felt equally as significant. When you talk about geological changes it just feels bigger.
As a result of forest fires we missed a section of northern California. Whilst we wanted to walk every mile it actually proved useful for us and our desire to reach the Sierras. We had discussed whether to skip a small section and this forced our hand. Some people later returned to this section to ensure they had walked every step; for us the idea of flying/ or spending ten hours on a bus or in a car just didn’t make sense. We were heading south and the PCT was about the journey not ticking every mile. Each to their own though, the people who did return seemed very happy to have done so.
As we move through northern California we edge closer to the high Sierras. We aim to live more in the moment now but it’s hard to ignore the feeling that unless there is an unexpected weather event (I.e. a lot of early snow) we’re going to make it. Getting to and through what to many is the pinnacle of the PCT has been driving us forward since we set off. We enjoy the California sun, hiking and wildlife and each step is a step closer to the fabled mountains that await.
Ashland (Castella) - Chester: 170 miles
Mile 1152-1323
Wilderness Areas: Lassen Volcanic
Skipping fire closures meant that we travelled from Ashland to a popular resupply stop called Castella with a trail angel who regailed stories of when he was younger and spent time in Antarctica and New Zealand. The car was electric, so our carbon footprint was still very low which made us happy. A couple of hours in the car had resulted in remarkably different scenery, soon after we set off we encountered dense forests and then sandy areas of scrub land. Claire was lucky enough to spot a mountain lion as we ascended up to an incredible section of the trail that followed a cliff edge (not as dangerous as it sounds - lion or cliff). Camping just a few hours from this location and close to the trail that was clearly well used by an assortment of animals led us to fall asleep wondering what would pass us during the night. Often we wondered and continue to wonder how many bears, lions etc passed us during the night whilst on the trail. On a regular basis we would hear strange noises close to the tent. Perhaps it’s best we don’t know :)
Mt Shasta was often present during this section, an incredible backdrop. The sight of snow capped mountains never really grew old throughout the trail. There’s always a magisterial feel to them and any sunrise or sunset feels even more special. We passed by a couple of local attractions during this section: Burney falls and a cave system created by lava many moons ago. It felt a little strange to arrive and leave such places on foot, when they are clearly quite remote. The feeling of walking around such areas with tourists made us feel a little out of place. One local ranger at Burney Falls commented on how quickly we’d finished the walk down to the falls and back, leaving the tourists in our wake; we explained that we were PCT thru-hikers and he nodded and smiled “well that explains that then”.
The town of Chester (a very hiker friendly spot with some fantastic cafes!) marks the almost halfway point - when we walked out we would hit the mark on our first day. We had seen some rain on the forecast for the day before and in true PCT style, that is to say never do things by halves, the rain turned out to be torrential and last for hours. During this time we hiked through quite an extreme burn zone, the cloud and rain created a strange and eerie feeling in this already strange landscape. We somehow managed to pitch the tent in a break from rain, shrouded in cloud and feeling extremely damp. For one of the few times on trail we cooked breakfast in the porch of the tent the next morning as the rain continued to fall. We managed to pack up and had found a short-cut into town down a concrete road which provided locals an access point to the “outdoors”. Halfway down the 9 mile road a local couple stopped and asked if we wanted a ride (we had unsuccessfully been trying to hitch and had practically given up). They kindly drove us straight into town and to their favourite cafe which was a great result. We stayed in Chester for a couple of days at an airbnb, proper rest and proper food in preparation for the second half of the PCT.
Chester - Sierra City: 137 miles
Mile 1323-1460
Wilderness Areas: Bucks Lake
Feeling fresh we set out from Chester. In keeping with our new ethos we took a little wine and some hotdogs to cook on our first night. Both went down an absolute treat. Day one, the fifth of September, we passed the halfway mark. Day two, the sixth of September, we left the Cascade mountain range and entered the Sierra Nevada mountains within which we would now hike until the end, two and a half months and 1300 miles away.
This section we were lucky to find some incredible spots for some sunsets and following sunrises. We spent some of these alone and others with a nice group of hikers that we saw on an almost daily basis over the period of a month or so. We were spoilt on this trip and indeed throughout the trail for camping spots, yes there were a few shockers next to dirt roads but the overwhelming majority were incredible. Claire did an incredible job of planning ahead and finding what looked like promising spots to aim for each night, more than often we weren’t disappointed. Unsurprisingly those hiking the trail have, over the years, looked for spots that tick all or most of the boxes: stunning setting, flat ground, access to water, shelter form the wind. You don’t always get them all, but you often get most and it makes a huge difference at the end of a long day to pitch your tent somewhere incredible and reflect on why you’re actually doing this mad walk!
Our entrance to Sierra City was an experience, but one that we’ve already talked about above and so won’t mention again.
Sierra City - South Lake Tahoe: 103 miles
Mile 1460-1563
Wilderness Areas: Granite Chief/ Desolation
Our exit from Sierra City was, thankfully, less dramatic than our entrance. We hiked out and into thick forest and wild country streams and rivers. Soon we were up in the mountains and walking along ridge lines with seemingly never ending views. After a few days we caught our glimpse of the huge Lake Tahoe. A couple of nights before entering town we were lucky to find an incredible spot to camp overlooking the lake. We watched the sun going down and then rise knowing that we were now in touching distance of completing the Northern California section of the trail. After South Lake Tahoe we would be entering the Sierra section finally. We had one more wilderness area to pass through: Desolation Wilderness. A Wilderness Area famous for it’s beauty and in part due to its accessibility - it’s a popular one. We slept by a lake our final night, we had heard that bears could be an issue here, probably due to the number of other campers and there being food and rubbish left behind, not that we saw any. Luckily there were no bear encounters although we were woken up during the night when a local pack of coyotes bumped into a dog from another camper on the other side of the lake. A barking and howling match ensued that must have lasted an hour - much fund was had by all! The exit to Desolation was a busy hike but we didn’t mind, hot food and two nights in a hotel awaited us. Once again we were lucky to have a trail angel waiting for us, a local lady who had broken both her legs in a skiing accident the year before. She was barely walking but still happy to shuttle hikers to and from town which was hugely appreciated!
