Switched from the AT to the PCT for my thru-hike after talking to three different hikers who all said the same thing

I originally planned the AT but changed to the PCT when every single person I met said the desert scenery and longer stretches of solitude were way more my speed, and after 800 miles I have to agree, has anyone else switched their dream trail mid-plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_rodriguez26d ago

...and here I thought I was the only one who completely changed course based on a few conversations. I actually did the opposite, I was dead set on the PCT for years, had the maps and everything, then talked to three different hikers at a gear shop who all said the same thing about the AT's community and how the trail just makes you work for every single view. I ended up switching to the AT and it was honestly the best decision I ever made for the social aspect alone. But now I've got a closet full of gear that's perfect for desert hiking and I'm stuck here in the humid east coast, so maybe I should have listened to your folks instead.

christopher_coleman1726d ago

Wait you actually had the maps and everything and still switched? That's wild to me. I can't imagine buying the maps for one trail and then just tossing them aside after talking to some strangers. But I get it, the AT community is something else. I hiked the AT back in 2017 and the social aspect is what kept me going through the rough days. The views are earned though, no doubt about that. You're basically climbing stairs for half the trail. But yeah, that desert gear situation would bug me too. Nothing worse than looking at a closet full of gear you can't really use.