PNT Section 1 – Am I Back in New Zealand?

A version of this post appears on The Trek, which you can read here

I grew up spending lots of time in the outdoors but I credit the two-plus years I lived in New Zealand for cultivating my love for backpacking.

Ever since moving back stateside I’ve been looking and longing for places that could match. The Pacific Northwest is the closest I’ve found in the Lower 48, a big part of the reason I chose to thru-hike the Pacific Northwest Trail.

I was expecting the NZ nostalgia to kick in during the Olympics, possibly the Cascades, but not right away in Glacier National Park. Steep mountains, wet misty weather and lush valleys took me back to the land of the long white cloud.

Getting to the start of the PNT at the Chief Mountain trailhead is a bit of an adventure in and of itself. There are many ways to get to Chief Mountain but they boil down to either hiring an expensive private shuttle or a series of free shuttles and hitches that can take the better part of a day. Then I got a lead on a former AT hiker, Turtle Man, giving rides to hikers in his turtle van for a very reasonable rate.

We crammed in four PNT hikers and one CDT hiker and set off on the two-hour journey. About halfway through on the Going-to-the-Sun road Turtle Man told us to slide open the door to “enjoy the epic views.” Epic indeed.

It was overcast when we set out, the best weather we’d have for the better part of the next week. Certainly the driest we’d be. I wish we had more of the views in Glacier but there is a special moody feeling to walking through mountains shrouded in mist and cloud (those NZ feels kicking in again).

The trail runs right through the town of Polebridge at mile 55. Consisting of a hostel, a bar, and a general store, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. The perfect place for hungry and wet hikers.

The second half of section one runs 80 miles through national forest, features more ridge walking, more up and down, and we are no longer permit limited so we can hike as far as we please each day.

The weather also improves; it still rains each day but for shorter and shorter amounts of time. The highlight of the four days to Eureka is the night we spent atop Stahl Peak in an old hut. The sunset was out of this world and the weather was perfect. The pictures do a better job describing it than I ever could.

Blogging for the Trek

Hi! This summer I’ll be blogging for the Trek. When I get back home I’ll add the posts here, but for now please follow along with my PNT adventures at: https://thetrek.co/author/justin-sprecher/

My Final Gear List for the Pacific Northwest Trail

A version of this post appears on The Trek, which you can read here

Let’s get down on some gear talk for a second. I love nerding out on my spreadsheets (believe me I do) but I also like my bank account to be larger than my base weight. 

As a backpacking couple I get a nice bonus to split weight on items and can also skirt needing to buy super light options. For example, our Silnylon Tarptent MoTrail is 38oz with stakes. You can definitely go lighter but split two ways it’s 19oz each and under $300. Not bad.

Being patient has rewarded me with a pretty good run with sales. I found my 850 fill down puffer jacket for $14 at a Kohl’s end of season blow out. I don’t have a fancy logo on it but it keeps me toasty, and at 9.9oz no complaints here.

Sometimes I’ve been downright lucky. My Gossamer Gear Pilgrim pack I found at a thrift store, in pristine condition, for $49.99. Whatever gods blessed me on that day I am forever in your debt.

Of course many times I’ve had to just bite the bullet and pay full price. However, I’ve had good luck buying quality items when I do buy new. I’ve had my Enlightened Equipment Accomplice sleeping quilt for 2.5 years now and it’s still going strong. The initial price tag of around $400 was not fun but certainly worth it in the long run, especially if it makes through this summer.

Tl;dr that’s a long winded intro to giving you a glimpse into my pack. Below is all the gear K and I are bringing on our thru hike this summer. It works out to a base weight of  11.1 lbs each. On our longest sections, 9 days and 8 nights, we’re starting off with a total carried weight of 29.85lbs including food and consumables. 

PNT Prep

Less than 3 weeks until we set off on the Pacific Northwest Trail and we’re in full prep mode. Food, maps, gear. Our apartment is a mess.

Mostly the mess is due to the food. We’re making all of our meals due to K’s gluten allergy (more info and a recipe here). It’s a lot of work to do ahead of time but it’s also pretty fun, put on some tunes and get a production line going.

Biggest change from previous backpacking trips is we’re going no cook. At least that’s the plan. Seems doable from the comfort of our home but time will tell how I feel after ~70 days of cold soaking (don’t worry my stove will be on hand to send via resupply in case this plan goes horribly south).

2 months of maps 😍

Maps! Maps are maybe my favorite thing. Not just for backpacking but maybe also in life. K can attest to how long it took me to sort these out (too long) because I kept stopping to look them over. So pretty. So nice. Can’t wait to start using them.

Sign up for blog updates!

The Pacific Northwest Trail

A version of this article appears on The Trek, which you can read here

I remember as a kid seeing a North Country Trail sign while hiking on Lake Superior. I asked my uncle where the trail went and when he said “New York to North Dakota” the idea of hiking that far both baffled and enticed me.

Since then thru-hiking a long trail has always been in the back of my mind as “something to do someday” but I never really had a plan (or time) on how to do it. Then 3 years ago when I was laid up with a broken ankle I stumbled across the book “Grizzly Bears and Razor Claims” by Chris Townsend. I devoured it. The Pacific Northwest Trail resonated with me: rugged, rough, remote. I became somewhat (ok, totally) obsessed with the idea of hiking it.

And just over a month from now I’ll be starting the PNT. Hell. Yes.

Why the PNT?

The PNT has all the things I love about backpacking: navigation challenges, undeveloped sections, bushwacking and solitude. The length is perfect for my 3 month timeframe, the trail typically takes 2-3 months. These are the reasons why I’m choosing the PNT over some of the more popular trails like the AT or PCT. Plus, I love the scenery and the vibe of the Pacific Northwest and am excited to spend the summer walking across it.  

Having a lot of experience backpacking I’m confident in my backcountry skills, but that’s not to sound naive. According the PNTA less than 300 people have completed the trail since its inception in 1977. It’s going to be tough. Really tough. It will test me. It might even break me. All part of the adventure. Let’s do this.

Sign up for blog updates!