The phrase "Hike Your Own Hike" is thrown around regularly by hikers as a reflexive catchphrase meant to suggest that everyone's hike is their own and despite any differences we may have between our approaches to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, my way does not affect you and your way does not affect me. Not so subtly, it is also used by hikers to disregard the opinions and approaches of others. Sort of a low key "fuck you" when there is a strong disagreement but a desire to avoid conflict.

While I would not consider myself a PCT purist, where detours are not allowed and every single mile of the the trail must be covered by my footsteps, I am troubled by people who are calling themselves thru-hikers when they are most assuredly not by any definition I can accept.

The reason this is on my mind so much (and worth a blog entry) is because during the second week, multiple hikers skipped straight from Paradise Cafe to Idylwild. One of my favorite sections of the early trail and they skipped all 28 miles of it. Not because they were injured but simply because they heard it was difficult and/or were behind schedule because of a slow start. And yet, they still referred to themselves as thru-hikers.

And this has continued for the entirety of the trail. People skipped all the way from Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows (50+ miles) because they were exhausted from the desert and wanted a long, comfortable break before entering the Sierras. I understand that exhaustion, believe me I do, but once you start skipping huge sections like that you are no longer a thru-hiker in my book. Being a thru-hiker to me means experiencing every bit of the Pacific Crest Trail: the highs, the lows, the joys, the challenges, the crummy weather, the gorgeous views. All of it. Saying you thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail means something very significant to me.

Slack packing. I am still on the fence about this. This is when a hiker gets dropped off at a road with a super light pack, usually only containing food and water, and they quickly hike to another road where they are picked up again. Typically, they then go back to a town or campsite for the night. So, they are not really backpacking so much as day hiking sections of the trail. People have been doing this from the beginning and while they are technically hiking the trail, it still makes me a bit uneasy. I suspect this is no so much a foul of thru-hiking as me having a belief that the trail should always be "backpacked" and not just "hiked". Personal preference, especially when you consider all the ways of resupplying, going ultralight, and having friends/family support you.

Which leads me to my own definition of thru-hiking and how I, myself, intend to hike the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail. Quite simply, all of my footsteps have to connect from the Southern Terminus to the Northern Terminus of the PCT. I can be picked up by a vehicle but I have to be dropped off at the same spot when I return to the trail. My backpack will always be with me too. If thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is my entire life than it should be along for the entire time. The one exception I will allow is for official detours (fire, poodle dog). Safety, sanity, and responsible behavior take priority.