Multi-Year Through-Hike the Pacific Crest Trail

Hi, my trail name is “Double Zero.” As a self-described “MYTH hiker”, I have now hiked the entire PCT twice over the past 27 years. The first time took me 17 years (1997-2013) and the second time took me 10 years (2014-2023). Depending on my employment situation, some years I only hiked 100-200 miles, while other years I hiked more, up to 500 miles one year.

Over the years I have fallen in love with the trail and see no reason to hike anywhere else! It feels like home to me. In 2024, I will start to hike the entire trail all over again for the third time!

This website has been created for current or potential MYTH hikers, entirely for non-commercial purposes to foster use and enjoyment of the trail, and to share our experiences. While many people hike the entire trail in one calendar year as a “through-hiker”, the intention here is to highlight considerations in hiking the entire trail over multiple years that make it different compared to hiking it all-at-once in a single year. (See also note on meaning of “through-hiker.”)

On the individual topic pages I outline my experiences with being a MYTH hiker and also how I think a MYTH hike is different from a normal (single-year) through-hike. There are comments available at the bottom of each page for others to provide feedback or additional info. (All from guest users with no sign-in needed). This website could evolve, but just starting now from my own experiences of the past 27 years!

This site is not a substitute for but rather a small compliment to the many PCT websites and resources geared to hiking the trail. These resources, reflecting the lore, wisdom, technology, practices, and community knowledge that have evolved over the past four decades since the PCT has existed, are an incredibly deep and multi-faceted base of knowledge.

Hiking the PCT is quite a feat — terrain and weather conditions vary widely, sometimes several days of supplies must be carried at a time, in places water sources can be 15-20 miles apart, and altitudes typically bottom at 5,000 to 6,000 ft and rise to as high as 13,000 ft. Winter and spring snow cover is a significant issue for almost the entire trail. Many “trail indignities” exist. And the total elevation gain of the entire 2,650-mile trail — the amount of uphill climbing one must cover — is about 320,000 feet! That is more than 25 times the elevation gain climbing from Mt Everest Base Camp to the summit!

And just about the same number of people have hiked entire Pacific Crest Trail as have summited Mt Everest — on the order of 10,000 for each as of 2022-2023. The Pacific Crest Trail Association maintains a “2600-miler list” of people who have finished the entire trail. As a MYTH hiker, you can be added to the list as well once you have completed the entire trail.

Why hike the trail over multiple years instead of all-at-once in a single year? Many through-hikers take a consecutive 4-6 months to hike the entire trail. (And the ultra-endurance unsupported record is just 60 days.) Common situations for all-at-once could be the time opportunity — taking an extended sabbatical from work, or in between employment, or right after college, or just taking a pause in life. Or, of course, just for the sheer physical feat alone. However, for those who are working and can’t take off large blocks of time, the entire trail can still be hiked during shorter vacations. Also, each section potentially can be hiked during the time of year best suited for it, reducing difficulty and increasing enjoyment. Health-wise, hiking the trail every year can provide long-lasting well-being and an incentive to stay in good shape.

And… while I have the greatest admiration and respect for through-hikers — who are absolutely a breed apart in terms of physical and mental toughness, fitness, and perseverance — my experience of some through-hikers on the trail, particularly towards the later parts of their hike, is seeing them with some degree of “head-down, counting the miles, fixated only on meeting their daily distance.” Or they are just pushing themselves very hard, perhaps too hard.

Not to invalidate anyone’s choice of how to hike the trail. The oft-cited PCT motto “hike your own hike” (HYOH) is one I very much subscribe to, and means that all ways of hiking the trail are valid and rewarding in their own way. It means you can and should hike in whatever way works for you. But I also have experienced such enjoyment of different parts of the trail by not having to rush, not remaining in constant motion, and not having to meet mileage goals. Various forms of trail breaks — taking days off, camping spontaneously in a nice spot, reading kindle books along the way, taking regular afternoon siestas on the trail in beautiful surroundings — define my PCT experience just as much as the actual hiking.

By the way, what is one of my favorite aspects to hiking the trail? The fact that you can camp anywhere along the trail. So in evening as the sun is setting or whenever I get too tired, I can just stop right there and camp. Don’t have to worry about or plan where I will camp that night. On almost all parts of the trail I can usually find a nice spot within 10-30 minutes, although sometimes requiring improvisation or creativity. Even in steep terrain there is usually a small flat spot somewhere fit for one person to sleep on, if not comfortable at least serviceable. And I also like sleeping on ridge tops and other high points as “dry camping” away from bugs and animals even if it means carrying water up large ascents to use for the evening and the next day. Judging from my interactions, many if not most PCT hikers it seems do aim to camp at loosely-designated “campsites” that offer some flat spots for multiple parties (as designated on guidebook maps or online trail apps). Much collective camping occurs right next to water sources. This is more practical for multiple people together or for socializing with others. But there is no requirement for such.

Comments and further suggestions are welcome, below on this page for the general “MYTH hiker” idea and on individual topic pages for specific topics.

Happy trails!

— Eric “Double Zero” Martinot

(By the way, a “zero” is a rest day on the trail of zero miles. Many through-hikers take zeros rather sparingly. I enjoyed resting in trail towns (i.e., small towns located close to where the trail crosses highways) or on-trail resupply points (i.e., lodges, stores, cafes, or lake resorts, often operated as concessions within public lands along the trail). So for me, “one zero is never enough.” Thus my trail name.)