The numbers given for Elevation/Loss in this video were from an older article published by the AMC which can be found below... According to other sources, this data might have changed. www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/total-elevation-gainloss-on-the-appalachian-trail Hike On, Darwin
According to Halmile Project: "The 2014 Halfmile Project estimates the total elevation gain/lost for a northbound thru-hiker is 489,418 feet of climbing and 488,411 feet descending with an overall change of 1,007 feet as they hike from Campo to Manning Park." www.pctmap.net/2014/03/elevation-gain-on-the-pacific-crest-trail/
The trail you should do first is the one that calls you. For me it was the PCT, I grew up in Oregon and Washington, it felt more like home to me. I thru-hiked the PCT in 2016 after retiring from the Army after 21 years. It was exactly what I needed.
It seems to me the AT has the East Coast "blue collar" vibe of hard work and then relax. PCT is more west coast vibe of soul searching and chillax. But I'm just generalizing from my home while not having done either. Lol
I would definitely agree with that. They both have the vide of the places they travel thru. Even on the AT, the Southern section of the trail have a totally different vibe than the Northern section! Hike On, Darwin
I absolutely love hiking on the PCT (I’ve only been on parts in California) and it’s amazing. The scenery changes day to day and the views are amazing. You can hike up San Jacinto and see everything all around you and think about all those people that haven’t done this yet. The PCT makes you feel small, it beats you down and then builds you up again. A big bonus of the PCT is how well maintained the trail is. On some SoCal trails it sucks and then you get out on the PCT and it’s smooth and nice and you can crush miles. I like the green tunnel but not forever. Some of it is nice but I think my favorite places to hike is when you get up in the sierras and there’s not a lot of trees and then you go through some thicker trees and then you hike out above tree line and it takes your breath away....
Another fabulous film Darwin. I love the attention to detail in all your videos. Got to be one of the best outdoor channels. Exactly what i aspire to achieve with the videos on my RU-vid channel. I'd love to hike something like the PCT one day. It's on my wishlist. Best wishes. Paul
Hiking Lang I watched Dixie's video on the CDT and it looked like a real slog. Parts of it seemed beautiful and a lot road walking. I think it would kick my ass mentally. Take care
I’ve never stepped foot on the AT but I did the PCT this year, I’d say PCT first if you possibly only have one chance at a long thru. I would be bored out of my mind in the green tunnel 🤷♂️
Adam Kelly If you ever get a chance hike the White Mt of NH, they are just great. I too plan on hiking the PCT 2022 for similar reasons and it will be not as brutal on my knees.
I did the AT this year. I was definitely bored in that tunnel at times, and horribly frustrated that we had to hit every peak. It's all about the people on the AT imo. I can't wait to do the PCT though! I have a feeling I will like it much more.
@@stillhuman On the PCT you may get frustrated at climbing 1000+ ft to within 100 or 200 ft of a mountain top before heading around and then back down. If the trail is going to take me all the way up there, I'd rather go the extra 100 ft to get to the top.
I plan on hiking the PCT in 2022 as I will be retiring then. I have hiked a lot of the AT and I have hiked a lot out west. To me the west has always been easier and this older body needs that. I also love the scenery more and the lack of rain. Either way I am sure the PCT will be all I can handle. I have a lot of experience in the outdoors and have spent a lot of time on the trail. Thanks for confirming my own thoughts.
I have watched a number of these comparison videos, this is typical neither video. When someone picks the AT it's because they really wanted to hang out with a bunch of cool people, more than anything else. The hikers that pick the PCT might pick it because its less claustrophobic but the number 1 reason and why its chosen increasingly more often than the AT is its easier for hikers to find there stride. The community around the PCT is growing yearly because like the Arizona trail, for a lot of hikers a smoother trail is a more enjoyable trail.
Hi Darwin, I had the pleasure of meeting you at trail days in Cascade Locks this year. I had just got there via the pct (my biggest day 37 miles) and I was on my way to Washington while you had finished the trail a week earlier at the time. I can't watch any of your videos anymore. Anytime I see footage from the pct.. I cry. It was such a wonderful and overwhelming (in a good way) experience. I am so happy I have done something unique like that. Happy trails brother.
TBH, I pulled a half dozen ticks off my trail family members on the PCT. Though I would concur that the east coast has a higher percentage of the trail in tick territory.
@@madrejonimiller1658 I also live in SoCal. I've got a tick bite in the San Bernardino Mountains, got the bullseye rash, and was one of the first reported cases of Lyme disease in Southern California
The AT i think is 18% shorter so that 200k extra change makes the elevation change per mile double that of the PCT if I did the math right. Thats a pretty intimidating stat.
How about The Eastern Continental Trail , 5,400 miles. ( ECT ). A combination of 7 different trails , starting n the south. 1. Key West Everglades Trail ( KER ) 2. Florida National Scenic Trail. (FT) 3. Alabama Road Walk (ALR) 4. Pinhoti National Trail (PT) 5. Benton MacKaye Trail. (BMT) 6. Appalachian Trail (AT) 7. Sentier International Appalachian/international Appalachian Trail ( SIA/IAT). John Brinda as the 1st person to complete it in 1997
The scenery and climate draw me to the PCT. I hope to section hike it over the next several years. I really appreciate your take on things, great video!
Great description of the differences. As someone who grew up in the southern Appalachians who now lives in the Rockies this was great. Different but everything has its positives and negatives. I took water sources for granted back in northern Georgia and the Smokies, but now out west I always know where the next water source is located. You only make that mistake once!
It is amazing that you included a clip of Blood Mountain shelter when you talked about history. On my AT thru this year, I found a note from you in the shelter log wishing good luck to all us 2018ers!! Thanks for those words! I loved thinking about all the feet that came before me on my way to Katahdin!
I'd say if you are already a hiker, do the trail on your coast, if you are from the Midwest, I'd still say go AT. But if you are from the West, just do the PCT first, its your culture
If I have a time to do this, it would without any doubt be the PCT. AT is something that I can have in Europe, when I watch videos from AT I don't have any 'exotic' feeling. PCT definitely has it :) And also I don't like constant going up and down, I prefer climbing up and then walking on the higher elevation, traversing the mountains. :)
This year I did 2 hikes that most people do as day hikes. It's been over 20 years since I "hiked for Uncle Sam". In May I overnight hiked the Backbone Trail in Kisatchie, LA. and in July I overnight hiked to Williams lake from Toas ski valley. The Backbone trail was up down up down... steep hills from 250-350 ft . Where as the Williams lake hike was a slow steady climb from 9000ft to 11000ft. I couldn't tell you which was harder since they were vastly different experiences. Thank you for making these videos and sharing your experiences and wisdom.
Great video! Thanks! I've been planning my SOBO AT hike in 2020. It will be my "out of debt celebration!" So looking forward to being part of the thru hiker family.
Yey! A Darwin video! Also, press please bring Q and A videos again. Please please please please! I loved those videos and I'm sure others have so so so many new things to ask you about! Please Darwin! Lol.
Ehi Darwin! I just love all your video. I'm from Italy and this year I've done my first long-distance trail. I've done the GTA in Italy. I've seen that you are planning a trip to Europe. What trail are you planning to do? Have a look at "Via Alpina" in Italy. You have multiple choices and the trail is just amazing. Starting from the Dolomite in the east and finishing with the western Alps. Unfortunately here in Europe, there isn't such an amazing hiker community and trail angel or trail magic is something that we definitely don't have. Would be really nice to see the difference between Europe and US. I'm applying for the B2 Visa, hopefully, I will be doing the PCT next summer. Thanks for sharing. Elia
Great video Darwin! I think one thing to note about the AT and much of the surrounding area is to not miss the small beauty. The area is so full of little things that are so cool / beautiful on the micro level and they change rapidly. The fog rolling over a arching of old battered pines on a ridge on a cool morning with the weathered trail is just as breathtaking as long vistas of big mountains to me. But its that beauty that you see and then it changes for the next person. I feel like the Appalachian experience is unique to each person that hikes a trail. True the Appalachian mountains can feel like continual repeats of the same thing but upon a closer look can be magical and beautiful if you don't get hung up on the green tunnel and the allure of big vistas and enjoy what is close enough to touch. On a side note Darwin, have you ever looked at the Sheltowee Trace in KY? Has a lot of what the AT has in the feel. I really really enjoyed the northern section I did this year.
I hadn't heard that description of the "vibe" difference between the trails, but now that you say it it makes so much sense!! The grandness and openness of hiking the Sierras can make you feel "small" and get you in touch with yourself. The green tunnel would make you feel connected and in touch with what's outside of you. Wow. Really wow.
I'm from the UK. I am desperate to hike the PCT, I dream about it, the mountains are calling and I must go. I would absolutely love to do the AT too, but the PCT would be like another world compared to the UK's rainy woodlands. The desert, the High Sierra, the forests of Washington, the wildlife, the weather... I'm also pretty introverted and am actively seeking time alone more as I get older, not that I want to do the whole thing without company but something about the self-reliance and self-discovery that PCT hikers experience really speaks to me. Unfortunately, I don't know if I would ever be allowed in. I have a very minor criminal record, but it was for a climate protest. I'm also a recovering drug addict (6 years clean.) I would need a waiver, which I will probably attempt in the next few years, but there's absolutely no guarantee. Weirdly it seems that recovering from addiction, an illness after all, is a larger impediment to a minor/nonviolent criminal record (not that I think either should be, but that's not for me to say.) In the meantime I will keep hiking in the UK and Europe, and dream of the PCT ❤️
As a hiker, especially your pace and daily mileage, very few can match you....you have thru-hiked many trails but there is just one teensy-weensy glitch in your thru-hiking history...the AT. To be considered a thru-hiker you must hike said trail within one calendar year such--- as you did on the PCT, AZT, etc., but the AT took you TWO different calendar years to complete so, technically, you havent "thru-hiked" it. What you are is a "2000-miler"........So....in 2020 you might consider stretching that 500-700 miles on the AT just a bit longer and actually become an AT thru-hiker. Now I know its nit-picking to some but in reality you should not claim to be a thru-hiker of the AT but a 2000-miler of it. My apologies.
No comparison. The PCT has giant mountains, giant vistas, giant desert, and the varied terrain never bores. Not to say AT is boring, it’s just spectacular without the giant crowds the AT has.
Thanks Darwin, well done with good insight to long distance trail. Should some thru hikers consider shorter distances before taking on the big boys ? Like the Colorado Trail, Arizona Trail , Pinhoti Trail ?
I want to do one of these, BUT, I absolutely do NOT like heights, lol, and being on snow on a mountainside, or on a very steep mountain top makes me say nooooo. . .so, which should I do????
Love all your content Darwin, thanks to you & your team for all the hard work. Do you think that the difference in mileage per day can be somewhat contributed to difference in walking pace between you & Snuggles, or is it more of an elevation thing on the AT? I ask because I hike quite a bit with my wife, but I know that I have to alter my pace to accommodate hers, and I go farther faster when solo.
next year i am doing my first thru, today is the first day of planning and prepping. my reason is to reconnect with myself and find peace with who i am. i think PCT is the one calling out. anyone have any experiences or thoughts related to this they want to share?
You haven't Hiked the Cotswolds way Buddy ! Every real Hiker know's one is not considered a real Hiker until they have completed the 100 miles of the Cotswolds way ! Cotswolds way Buddy, Cotswolds way..
YES finally an accurate answer. I've done both the AT + PCT and the AT is physically leaps and bounds harder than the PCT, but is also the easiest to finish. On the AT, you can do literally do 10mi/day and STILL finish, it is very much a 'safety blanket' trail in that you could be in a town at the end of almost every day if you wanted to. You pay the price for this though, as you'll be crossing, on average 4 roads a day and won't get many 'real' views without houses, roads, etc. until mile 1800 or so. On the PCT, if you've done the AT, the trail is a PIECE OF CAKE and you get crazy views on a daily basis. But, you pay the price for this as towns are around 3-5 days apart so food and water carries become extra fun. Both are COMPLETELY different trails and I didn't fully understand that until I had done both. The best I can recommend for a first thru is that you'll have the most fun if you do the trail closest to you as you'll be better accustomed to the weather, culture, etc. Mid-westerners flip a coin haha Darwin, see you on the CDT next year? ;)
We met at the very end of me doing some trail magic on the PCT at Stampede pass 18 miles from Snoqualmie Pass. It was good to chat. (Why you don't drink soda's by the end of a Thru-hike still boggles me. haha ) My Tramily from the AT came out a few weeks ago to do section J (Snoqualmie to Steven's Pass) and we were pretty much in complete agreement with what you said. The PCT was easier than what we remembered from the AT. Even doing a section that some people say is hard on the PCT, and even without having "Trail legs". A few days just out of Snoqualmie we said it felt like PA and the Whites. Beautiful, but rocky, But seriously, it was only a few hours at a time. The PCT from the small section we hiked seemed like a lot of payoff for not a lot of effort, which is often different from the AT. But what we decided was that the AT being a harder trail, with less payoff when it came to views, would make for a better Hiker. And by that I mean, not one who does a full Thru-Hike, but one who after completion, wants to do more. We felt like, if you completed the PCT with all the amazing views and comparatively easier terrain, you might be underwhelmed by the AT. I could see someone who hiked the PCT doing the AT and quitting. But I can't imagine someone doing the AT and then the PCT, quitting the trail. The AT, if it's your first time is fresh and new. And what my friends who completed the trail had in common was a love of the little things. New mushrooms every 10 feet, cool looking rocks, strange tree monsters, new plants and ways the light hit the mist in the mornings. The little things. And that is what the AT is all about. If I was going to only do one trail, I probably would choose the PCT. But if I were going to hike for the rest of my life? Yeah, the AT is where I would want to start. - Too Clean
As a follow-up question: might it be better in some ways to first thru-hike a shorter trail like the Arizona Trail or the Colorado Trail or some such trail? Or--just throwing out an idea--you could do a video specifically about some of the shorter long-distance trails, just to give them some love.
I'm sorry to hear you got Lyme disease on the AT, Darwin. Were you able to treat it or did you develop syndrome? I really want to do the PCT, but I have this irrational fear of Lyme disease. I know I'm probably more likely to get injured in a car accident or something like that, but it still seems to bother me. I think I need to just keep on reminding myself that the experience is worth the very unlikely event that I'll get some disease from a tick.
Whenever I see images of the AT is seems crowded, which would be a negative for me, miserable in terms of the weather (at least consistently so), and kind of blah in terms of scenery. The PCT almost makes me want to thru hike, it’s so beautiful. Though I don’t have interest really in thru hiking for half a year.
I'm doing the PCT first because I live in San Diego, so it's convenient. I may never do the AT because ticks gross me out and I don't do well with high humidity.
I did the AT first. I agree with your points. One thing to consider about the C D T and when to do it is the volume of blowdown trees as a result of the beatle kill. In my opinion the CDT won't be hikeable in 10 years. Sad to say but true. Frost ( tripple crowner). PS really enjoy your videos
I live in the Appalachians and Hike the at a lot... but I go out west never have hiked PCT.. but have been on parts of Continental Divide Trail in Montana.... and I know what you're talking about when you say the mountains and all the big open space... both places are great.
The only hiking I've ever really done was to Carlton Peak in Minnesota 3 times (one for a school field trip, 1 with my sister and her ex and the last with just me and my other sister) and they were just small day hikes. I would love to do longer hikes and maybe eventually the AT or PCT, but I really do not want to hitchhike ever.
Darwin, I was going to skip this video, because I'm really not interested in debates about best/worst trail. However, you had really good insights that went beyond best/worst. Thx.
My .02, I've noticed in vlogs over the years the AT is really a wallet magnet, on the PCT there is just not many places to spend money, so that could be a concern for many. On the AT I see many walk right past a free campground to a $30 hostel, you won't have that choice on the PCT. Great video and topic.
Hi Darwin, do you have a video or information on protecting yourself from Lyme Disease on the AT? I am an avid hiker and would love to do a long distance trail some day, but I contracted Lyme in 2012 and it took 4 years to recover. I don't want this to stop me from pursuing my dreams so would love some advice on this one. Thanks!
I really don't know ditty wad about thru hiking, just from documentaries such as yours. This video helps a lot (as so many of yours do!) I felt like the AT was almost an obvious choice for a first time Thru Hike. Hopefully in the next 5 years I can do it. Thank you so much for your amazing inspiration!
Many thanks Darwin for this video ... just what I needed ... I have not hike either. Thanks for pointing out the differences of both. I am leaning toward the PCT because I am into huge mountain and water views. The fact their is less climbing on the PCT is another plus because I will be 66 in Feb.
I realize this video is two years old but i agree about the AT being the best starting trail. It has far more resources, theres more people which means more help if you need it, more trail towns, less planning and it crosses a lot of roads which are helpful if you need to bail. Also, the AT goes through Shenandoah which is a great starting point for anyone whos nervous because of all the park rangers and waysides
My only experience is hiking sections of the PCT, and you nailed it when you said the PCT makes you feel small and makes you look inside yourself. This can be tough mentally but also cathartic. The views are just so big and open and you are so small. The PCT certainly seems more wild, which you also touch upon, but that is changing (for the worse in my opinion), as a larger trail community develops and more and more people attempt to hike the PCT. Oh well, I'm sure I'll still be able to find places of solitude 15 years from now, I may just need to travel up to Idaho.
I think it would be awesome if you shaved your beard and got a really short haircut. Would freak everyone out and you would be unrecognizable. And then you could grow it all out again.
I’m working hard to be able to give up work and do the PCT as a transition.....then the AT to be a more on/off trail .....more social and more things to see and do off trail along the way.
I haven't thru-hiked it, but I spend so much time hiking on AT I absolutely feel like it's "home". As soon as I see the white blaze I just get this sense that I'm where I belong. I think you nailed that description! Thanks for all that you do, you've certainly inspired me to put "thru-hike" on my bucket list.
Super insightful video. Particularly in relation to the AT. For whatever reason, it seems like I see a lot more hiking content on YT centering around the PCT, than I do the AT. So this was rather refreshing to see(not that there is anything wrong with the PCT content!) Fantastic job describing the differences between the two. Well done, dude. Thanks!
We all hike our own hikes,and for our own reasons. I wanted to do the PCT first before watching your video on it. Now after watching is till want to do it first. Love your videos you have taught me a lot. Thanks.
I’ve also lived on the west coast my whole life, Los Angeles is where I was born and Portland is where I live now, so the PCT has a familiarity to me, even the mountain lions that can be spotted in backyards.
I grew up in Monson hanging out with little Keith at Shaws and hiking parts of the 100 miles of wilderness with my Dad. I have always wanted to through hike the AT but joined the Navy instead. 22 years later I am almost ready to retire and going to start with a large AT section hike in 2020. How did long did it take you to hlan your first large hike?
The AT sections that I have hiked on tend to be all rocks and roots, plus the green tunnel. I am not a fan of beating the hell out of my knees, ankles, and feet due to poor trail quality. I found the trail quality out west far superior, and the views more majestic. That being said, there are plenty of great hikes with ok trails and great views on the east coast, but many times they are not on the AT and may not be for backpacking.
Thank you! I know that the pct is my backyard, yet I keep fantasizing about the ap. I call it that. I trust you and your videos number 1! So thank you!
I really like your statement about history and community on the AT. The AT is the trail of America. where our roots are. Those are the biggest reasons I am thru hiking that first.
Thanks for posting about your experiences. I never knew much about the trail community except for this one Band B in the eastern sierras that caters to through hikers. I would sit in the breakfast room and listen to their trail stories and wish I could do that. Physically I could never do a full PCT or even the JMT but watching your videos I’ve come to appreciate that world better. I still hike but much shorter and easier hikes. But when I meet up with through hikers I know better how to talk to them and do trail angel type things. I love being able to be a part of encouraging people to enjoy this gorgeous planet that has been entrusted to us. Thanks again for posting.
