The Pacific Crest Trail
A Photo Blog of the PCT
I hiked 2,600 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2024 with my partner Waddle. I go by Bait on trail. A name I acquired on Te Araroa after being bitten by a long fin eel in the first week. I carried a full frame camera for the length of the trail and the photos below are a selection of my favourite.
Prelude
This might be a bit extreme, but in my mind the hiking community is divided into those who have hiked the PCT and those who want to. It is a two-foot wide, 2,650 mile long trail along the west of the USA and is widely regarded as the world’s premier long distance hiking trail.
Like many PCT hopefuls, my partner and I had been hoping and planning to hike this trail for many years. We had permits for 2020, had quit our jobs, moved out, booked flights etc. We had put our lives on hold. But of course a week before we were due to fly out, the borders went up and the planes stayed down. We also had permits for 2023 but Waddle had a foot injury. We hiked around Australia and hiked Te Araroa in New Zealand instead. But we were never not going to do the PCT.
In 2024 we got permits a third time and were kind of surprised that we found ourselves at Campo without incident. I don’t think it really hit me that we were on the PCT until we reached Canada some 4 1/2 months later. In many ways it felt just like any other trail. But slowly, quietly, and surely this trail seeps into your skin and bones. A walk becomes a lifestyle, the wilderness becomes your home, your friends become your family, civilization an unfortunate necessity.
We had massively high expectations, I knew I had romanticised the trail from hearing past thru-hikers talk about it and watching trail videos. It blew our expectations out of the water, there is nothing that comes close to experiencing it for yourself.
To PCT hopefuls, these snippets will not spoil your experience. And to past thru-hikers, enjoy the nostalgia and relive those unfaded memories.
Just show me the photos:
Southern California
The last year of Scout and Frodo hosting. Thanks for everything!!
Where it all starts
You didn't have to say it like that...
This California Sister finally chilled out and spread its wings long enough for me take a photo
It was crazy to be walking where cacti are native and abundant. They all started flowering as we neared Julian.
Back and side-lit cacti are amazing. This Strawberry Hedgehog is just starting to flower.
Climbing out of Scissors Crossing was the best cacti display on trail. We waited for late afternoon to avoid the heat. But this section was so beautiful in the evening, my camera slowed us down a lot.
Cacti grove lit up at sunset.
Proud cacti collecting the suns lasts rays. The evening is by far the most enjoyable and beautiful time to hike in the desert.
Snow at San Jacinto! A novelty for us Australians
Heading down San Jacinto. The first alpine section was so magical. It was snowy, cold, there was water, pine trees, chipmunks and alpine flowers. The opposite of the trail thus far. A taste of things to come but it was back down to the desert floor for now (2,600 m down).
I wondered why past hikers said they enjoyed Southern California so much. It’s the desert? The whole “desert section” was full of life, variety and colour. In itself an amazing trail.
Looking down to Mesa Wind Farm. Heading into Mission Creek. A section that had many hikers skipping ahead already due to a Norovirus outbreak and a bit of trail damage.
Saying goodbye to San Jacinto. The geology of this section was fascinating.
A Western Fence Lizard basks in the sun. After many failures I finally found one willing to let me get close enough to capture its brilliant blue neck.
Again a stark change in geology around Cajon Pass where sandstone formations jut abruptly out of the desert floor.
A memorial to John Hachey, a long time maintainer of the trail. Trains like the one in the background apparently have to blast their horn at every crossing. We didn’t leave enough time to hike further away and between the trains and very close coyotes we didn’t get much sleep.
Only a couple of days after the heat of Cajon Pass the altitude and snow travel up Baden Powell.
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