Well, that is easy. The PCT is a trail that has a start and a finish and a whole bunch of hiking in-between. The start is right on the Mexican border near San Diego, California. More specifically, it is adjacent to the small town of Campo.
All of the photos I have ever seen of the start point show a monument which was recently revamped by a great bunch of volunteers. Right behind the monument is Mexico. Well, actually, right behind the monument is a butt ugly wall. But apparently Mexico is back behind the wall.
Now, when you think of big walls, it is natural to think of the Great Wall of China.
Let's call this one the Great Wall of America.
Can't you just see tourists flocking to see this mecca for generations to come to behold it's spender and beauty? And when you think of it, the construction of the two walls had something of an ironic inverse relationship. The Great Wall of China was build by a nation of cheap labour to keep the marauding armies out. The Great Wall of America was built by a nation of marauding armies to keep the cheap labour out.
The finish is kind of sort of two places. The first finish is at the Canadian border. But apparently, that is in the middle of nowhere. So, the second finish is a few kilometers (hey, we will be in Canada by then, so metric it will be) up the trail at Manning Park Lodge. And, given that I am from British Columbia, that means that I will be using the PCT to walk home. I do not believe there is a wall present at the Canadian border. But if a certain celebrity reality TV star is ever elected the Head of State of the USA, you can believe that many a Canadian will be petitioning our Prime Minister to get started on one.
But I digress.
As for all of the in-between bits, well that has yet to be written. I know there will be lots of walking. Lots and lots of walking. 2650 miles (notice the acknowledgement to our non-metric American neighbours) or so. Through deserts, over mountains, crossing three states, as high as about 14,000 feet and as low as just above sea level. Heat, cold, mosquitos, long stretches with no reliable water sources etc etc. I mean, why would everyone not want to hike this trail?
I also know that there will be visits to several small towns along the way. Which is pretty cool actually. Obviously the main attraction to the PCT is the trail, but I have always really enjoyed poking around in small towns. Far more that big metropolis's. I think of it as kind of a Jack Kerouac tour of the western states. But with lots of walking. Did I mention that?
So there you have it. The PCT is a very long trail that is comprised of a start, a finish and lots of hiking in-between. And it should be epic.
