We heard an edited version of how Hiker Heaven came into existence in Episode 3. Here’s the full story, as told to assembled hikers, by Donna and Jeff Saufley on Sunday 19th May 2002. Sadly Donna passed away in October 2023. She will be remembered fondly by thousands of people.New episodes daily - and PCTpodcast.com you can buy a download of our trail journal and see photos from the series. There are no adverts, but it costs money to produce, host and distribute. So if you enjoy it, and could help contribute towards the ongoing hosting costs, please buy me a virtual coffee - just a small payment that helps.Thanks to TarpTent.com for their support during our hike and with this series.
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9. Road Rash & Scrub Jay in 2022
Also known as Fleur and Robin they completed their thru-hike twenty years after us. We hear the social side of PCT hiking, how different groups form and change on the route, and we compare and contrast our experiences, twenty years apart, practical and personal. Oh and the alarming story Fleur's trail-name.New episodes daily - and PCTpodcast.com you can buy a download of our trail journal and see photos from the series. There are no adverts, but it costs money to produce, host and distribute. So if you enjoy it, and could help contribute towards the ongoing hosting costs, please buy me a virtual coffee - just a small payment that helps.Thanks to TarpTent.com for their support during our hike and with this series.
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8. Ultralight Pioneer
Twenty years on we speak to a pioneer of ultralight hiking, Henry Shires. His revolutionary combination of homemade Tarp and Tent was tested during his own 1999 hike, then grew into his business.  Henry has been a Board Member of the PCTA and back in Episode 4, he’d shared his assessment of the threats to the future of the trail. We discuss how accurate were those predictions and how home-sewn shelters have grown into an international business.New episodes daily - and PCTpodcast.com you can buy a download of our trail journal and see photos from the series. There are no adverts, but it costs money to produce, host and distribute. So if you enjoy it, and could help contribute towards the ongoing hosting costs, please buy me a virtual coffee - just a small payment that helps.Thanks to TarpTent.com for their support during our hike and with this series.
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7. PCT Hiker survey
We come up to date for the rest of the series. Who now hikes the PCT ? How do they tackle resupply? How many finish? The answers come from the PCT Hiker Survey compiled by Mac (trail name). You can find all the data and sign-up sheet at HalfWayAnywhere.com Mac's Instagram  New episodes daily - and PCTpodcast.com you can buy a download of our trail journal and see photos from the series. There are no adverts, but it costs money to produce, host and distribute. So if you enjoy it, and could help contribute towards the ongoing hosting costs, please buy me a virtual coffee - just a small payment that helps.Thanks to TarpTent.com for their support during our hike and with this series.
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6. Oregon & Washington
Together again, we power through Oregon, racing against the arrival of winter. Snow comes early and our flimsy running shoes struggle to cope. Speaking to other hikers, we find a range of attitudes towards the imminent end of the long trail. We take time to chat with the owner of the legendary Stehekin bakery before we head to the border and cross into Canada.New episodes daily - and PCTpodcast.com you can buy a download of our trail journal and see photos from the series. There are no adverts, but it costs money to produce, host and distribute. So if you enjoy it, and could help contribute towards the ongoing hosting costs, please buy me a virtual coffee - just a small payment that helps.Thanks to TarpTent.com for their support during our hike and with this series.
What's it like to spend six months walking the length of the United States, from Mexico to Canada, following a wilderness trail? Liz and Simon Willis tackled the Pacific Crest Trail in 2002 at a time many people now consider to be a 'classic era' on the PCT. They recorded conversations with hikers, trail angels and townsfolk and, eventually, assembled them into this audio time capsule of a life-changing endurance walk. Things are brought up to date in fresh interviews with people who know the trail well, including a couple who hiked the PCT exactly twenty years later.
South Africa