Wanna be a Trail Angel on the PCT?

The notion of attempting the PCT’s 2,600+ miles and relying significantly on the random acts of generosity of others is incomprehensible to me. It seems that once you are into the Sierra, service points are rare.

In a normal year, there’s a lot of attrition “down south”.  Many can’t take the desert heat, water carries, and rattlesnake encounters, including “snaps” and other close calls (though actual bites are very rare).  There’s ample public transport options especially if with still ample savings. Then there’s injuries and finally for many of the remaining, money runs out in the Sierra.  Kearsarge pass being the most beautiful, that and a Mt Whitney summit while still having some plane fare is the finale. 




Most is not pure wilderness actually but it’s pretty remote. Actual TA’s typically leave a cold cooler by a road intersection or put up a picnic again near a road. I don’t recall any with music as most are out there for several hours, wanting to hear hiking tales.

Trying to find the “bubble” (largest # of hikers) and then appropriate food that keeps us challenging enough.

ADD: There’s actually a rave town right on the PCT that irritates many thru/hikers tbh.

I was responding to the specific event described by Nic, which listed a DJ among the amenities they were providing.

Coolers left by the road are of course a big problem in many places as they are bear bait.

In June, I was talked into putting my name on the Shuttler List for the Colorado Trail, as all other locations on or near the trail had a few to several names, and Gunnison had none. I figured that since Gunnison is about 45 miles from the closest point on the trail that there would be few requests. I have been overwhelmed with requests for a pickup into town from the trail or a ride back out. When I did that trail, I never even considered Gunnison due to the distance, and have felt almost taken advantage of. I planned my resupply points to places closer to the trail, and then hitch-hiked to get there and back. As a teacher, it has been almost impossible to drive hikers. Marching band ramped up in early August, and school at the end of August, and most hikers were not able to go with my schedule, making me feel guilty. But, 3 times when I was planning a pickup after school, hikers caught a hitch-hike and let me know in time. But, one got a "quicker" ride and left me standing for awhile looking for her.

The worst, though, are the section hikers that want a lateral shuttle from one trailhead to another. That trail in this area does not lend itself to that, as the roads do not parallel the trail. Just last week, a guy wanted me to drive him and his friend and dog from Spring Creek Pass to highway 114 near Cochetopa Pass. He was meeting a friend there, were planning to hike to Spring Creek and wanted a ride back to their 2 cars. I said that since they had 2 cars, why didn't they meet at the stopping point, and then take 1 car back to the starting place. He said that it was a 6-hour round trip (which I knew), and he didn't want to make his friend do that. But, he was perfectly willing to ask a stranger to do that. Especially on a teacher's schedule.

Several years ago, I maintained a soda cooler near that highway 114 crossing and stocked it every 2 weeks. I had a trail log there that I asked hikers to sign in to, and a couple of black trash bags so that they could leave their extra weight behind. I stopped doing that 5 years or so ago. Hikers were trashing that area, and then not double-bagging the trail log in the zip-loc bags I provided during rainy season. In another forum that was used quite a bit back then with that trail I explained why I yanked the coolers. Instead of apologies, hikers jumped on me saying that I should just be a trail angel for the joy of it, regardless how they left that place.