2021 Pacific Crest Trail - Post-Thru Hike Review

[@jeffandsuefisker2190]

Outstanding prep = outstanding result. Great job. Pine

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you so much, Pine!

[@TheAdventureGeek]

Absolutely brilliant! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Happy Hiking 🥾- Julia from the UK 🇬🇧

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you so much, Julia! I'm glad you found it useful. Also...seeing that you're from the UK brought me back to an AWESOME hiking experience I had in Scotland, when I was over there working with the RAF Regiment. The "Rock Apes" brought us on a hike up to Bidean Nam Bian. It was amazing! All my best. Jay

[@TheAdventureGeek]

@@JayFAdventures I walked the West Highland Way in Scotland last year and it's a fabulous country. I'm all set for walking the PCT in April 2023, so currently working my way through your videos :-)

[@HilltopPacks]

Didn't realize we weren't subscribed! We are now

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much! And thanks again to you and your team for making awesome gear!

[@vickihess7883]

Congratulations on your commitment to continue the PCT TRAIL. Thanks for sharing. Glad you're home safe for the holidays. Sweet feet grandmother

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you so much, Vicki! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. All my best to Sweet Feet!

[@Viajando6301]

Are you going to do other through hikes? I just found your channel and I'm loving it.

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you so much, Erika! I'm glad you are enjoying my videos. I plan on hiking the Colorado Trail late this summer...and will be vlogging that adventure here as well!

[@reddmage]

Hope your recovery from the PCT went well and the transition back to regular life went smoothly. Great information and very well displayed. Reddmage ps i cold soak :p

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks Reddmage! Man...I need to give that cold soaking action a try!

[@mtadams2009]

Thanks Jay for making this video and posting the link to the PCT how to book. I will get my copy as soon as they become available. I have a lot of backpacking experience, but mostly in the Whit Mountains of NH. I have watched a few channels on hiking the PCT but for some reason your videos really showed the beauty of the trail but also how long and grinding the PCT can be. It's made me consider doing it in three to four sections. Take care and again thanks

[@JayFAdventures]

You’re very welcome, Scott and thank you so much for the kind words. I hope to do some hiking up in the sites someday, too. I wish you all the best on your PCT adventures!

[@Fish-fam5]

Thank you. I have really enjoyed your video and very Informative. By far the best, I have seen(many).

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much, MG. I’m glad you enjoyed the videos and I appreciate the compliment!

[@alpinelakespilot2000]

Hi Jay- Thanks so much for documenting your trip as a 50+--not many of those, but I think important for those of us for whom a 25-yr old's reflections may not be entirely relevant. I don't recall you indicating your start date. From what I can gather it appears to have been relatively late in the PCT NOBO start season. Any thoughts regarding your start date and, in retrospect, how that might have impacted your journey? You didn't seem to have any significant snow issues at all, but was that the result of starting late and (perhaps?) paying for it in a hotter-than-normal desert section? Again, thanks for a great series. Steve

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks for the kind words, Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. I started on April 18th. I think that was a perfect time to stat given 2021 was a low snow year. I didn't have any trouble with snow at all.....despite a few spots where I had to slow down a bit ant time (early) my passing through those areas. Thanks again!

[@journeywithoutend]

Congratulations on your hike Jay! Would have been great to catch up with you on the trail! ~ Journey '21

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, Journey! Indeed it would have been great to catch up with each other on trail......I believe you and I crossed paths in the early 2000s...

[@journeywithoutend]

@@JayFAdventures We definitely walked the same paths in the early 2000's! I watched your gear video, we had very similar approaches for equipment selection. Did you have a favorite memory or section from the PCT? Any plans for CDT or other long distance hikes?

[@JayFAdventures]

@@journeywithoutend Small world...and what are the chances?! I enjoyed Washington more than any other section....and my best memory was going through the Goat Rocks/Knife's Edge area. How about you? I plan on hiking the Colorado Trail late summer this year. No plans right now for the AT or CDT. Have any plans for other long trails?

[@journeywithoutend]

@@JayFAdventures Small world indeed! Washington was my favorite as well, the North Cascades is where my heart belongs. I'm mostly cycling this summer (racing for the first time), but am looking hard at the CDT for my next long walk. I also want to ride from Alaska to Argentina or paddle from Alaska to Tacoma, something like that. This world is full of adventures, let the dark days be over and these heavy hearts filled with joy!

[@JayFAdventures]

@@journeywithoutend That all sounds amazing and I wish you the best on your journeys…hearts willed with joy indeed!

[@snnjd9g6]

First CONGRATS! And THANK YOU for your awesome videos. You are a rockstar!!! …So. What’s next hiking-wise?? Whatever. Take care, be safe and rock on!!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much, Linda! I’m glad you liked the videos. I’m hitting the Colorado Trail in about a month. Can’t wait to get back out there…and to share my journey. Take care!

[@blindtomsadventures2067]

Congratulations I watch all your videos very informative I was on the Pct in 2019 I didn’t end up finishing due to some other problems but it was nice to see lots of it on your videos

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Blind Tom!!!

[@quigleyoutside]

Jay....this episode is a treasure chest ! You planned so very well !! Again, sincere appreciation for the honest and complete share !!! Best....dale

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, Dale. I hope people find this useful. One last video is loading right now that will answer a few more questions about my gear!

[@Milemarker123]

Jay, Just came across your videos. Great narration and shots…up to #6!!! Thanks for posting!!!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much, David! I’m glad you are enjoying the series!

[@Milemarker123]

@@JayFAdventures Finished the series!!! All I had to do was watch....you did all the work. Took me a while to figure out what branch of the military you served in...last year I watched Old Man on the PCT - retired Army, he took a bit of a different approach, I like the way you remained flexible. It seemed like you were by yourself most of the time, but just did not film your neighbors. Also, you made it look easy!!! Keep on hiking!!! v/r Dave

[@JayFAdventures]

@@Milemarker123 Thanks, Dave. I watched Old Man on the PCT’s videos as well….very helpful as I prepared for my trip. I was by myself most of the time but enjoyed seeing and talking with other hikers as well. I had such a blast…and the smiles were after getting through the hardest parts. All my best to you and yours! Jay

[@Bealio]

Chief, can you explain the logistics of sending gear ahead for different sections of the hikes? Do you have family or friends send you gear so you don’t exceed the post office hold times? For your dehydrated food, can you just order it from a website or did you buy that in person and send it to yourself? I’m really considering the PCT for my terminal leave. Thank you!

[@JayFAdventures]

Absolutely. On the gear piece...I wanted to challenge myself in different ways on the different sections, primarily with lightening the weight and going farther distances. My wife and kids were my "home team" and sent the stuff I needed when I requested it. I had that gear prepared back at home and we discussed everything before I left. I purchased my dehydrated meals from stores (mostly REI)....either picking it up at the stores in towns along the way and sending it forward or doing online orders and having them delivered to towns I was heading to. I wish you the best on you PCT journey. You won't regret it!

[@karenkinkler9421]

I found your channel this weekend and watched all of your videos! Your no-nonsense approach is what interested me the most. Thank you for taking us along! I learned a lot!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you so much, Karen. It was a pleasure to share my journey with you and I'm glad you found the videos helpful!

[@LordQuiche]

Good vid thanks. Plenty to think about for this year 🖖

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, LordQuiche!

[@jamessorenson2272]

Glad you posted this video, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, James! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well!

[@jeffwilliams7054]

Absolutely Wonderful! Thank you Jay!!

[@JayFAdventures]

You're very welcome, Josh....and thank you for the kind words!

[@krisjohnson6545]

Jay, if doing again, would you start out in shorts vs. pants. Thanks!

[@JayFAdventures]

Kris, I would stick with pants for the desert and Sierra sections due to the dense brush in the desert and exposure, wind, rocks, and bugs in the Sierra.

[@billirey9459]

Jay, I am late to this awesome, very informative video. Thank you so much for it and your description of your gear and thoughts and opinions of them. ISO enjoyed following all of your journey. I feel the videos were such a great accounting of your hike. I will come back to this again to refine my gear as at 86 I still do some short hikes. It has been a real pleasure to watch your videos and to meet you via KZbin 🤝. My very best to you always, Bill

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks for the kind words, Bill....and thanks for following along with me on the journey! I wish you the best on your hikes as well! Jay

[@andywebb7351]

Great video. Congratulations on completing your thru. In what part of the Prairie state do you reside ?

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Andy! I’m just across the border from St. Louis near O’Fallon.

[@andywebb7351]

A Scott Guy! Just north of you in Edwardsville. Enjoyed your series

[@christophrehse]

How did you wash your Stove after meals?

[@JayFAdventures]

Hello, Christopher. I only boiled water in my pot for meals...didn't actually cook in the pot. I ate freeze dried meals or meals I would add hot water to and prepare in a ziplock bag. I would make coffee in my pot in the morning, though...and just pour fresh water into it, rinse, and drink it.

[@christophrehse]

@@JayFAdventures Hey there Jay. Thanks for your reply. You are very generous with your insights. Last question: Did you really use the EQ sidekick booties all that much? Would you take them again? Why?

[@JayFAdventures]

@@christophrehse You're very welcome, Christoph. I only used the sidekicks a handful of times....some in the Sierra and some in Washington. They were nice, but certainly not necessary. I am a hot sleeper, though, so it takes a lot for me to get cold. I would only bring them again if I knew the temperatures would be consistently at or below freezing. Take care. Jay

[@christianbehrens7449]

I watched and loved your videos in 2021. But I cannot find at which date you exactly started and ended the PCT - asking because I will go for it in 2025. Sabbatical is alredy in place 🙂

[@JayFAdventures]

Congratulations, Christian! That's awesome news and I wish you the best. I started on April 18th and finished on September 10th. Enjoy your journey!

[@davidphillipich]

So useful - thanks for this, congrats on a completed journey!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Dave. I’m glad you found the information useful!

[@oliviermenager9702]

Thanks Jay for your feedback and your video. Don't you use pants at the camp site against mosquitoes or against sun in the desert while walking? Do you think that it would be useful?

[@JayFAdventures]

You're very welcome, Oliver. I wore pants from Campo to South Lake Tahoe....primarily for sun and wind protection in the desert and the Sierra. They were helpful against mosquitoes in the Sierra, too. I treated all of my clothes with permethrin, too, whipped helped a lot for mosquitoes. After Tahoe I wore only shorts.

[@stuartsharp6468]

Good stuff Jay, thanks!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Stuart!

[@GregThurstonRealtor]

Fantastic job!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Greg.

[@thruguru]

hi Jay, thanks for your in depth review & great tips. I'm also curious about your experience of hops, skips & jumps hikers take along the trail & what constitutes a 'thru hike'. How many 'thru hikers' on the PCT last year actually complete a continuous footpath in your estimation? How many different stretches/miles did you skip? 2021 was also bad year for fires along the PCT. For fire closures you came across was road walking possible? Did many hikers you know of make an effort to get to the beginning and end of closed sections, or was it too-hard-basket material?

[@JayFAdventures]

You’re very welcome Thru Guru. Hard to say how many hikers did every available mile of the PCT last year with so many fire closures (pre-existing and new/2021). I’m a hike your own hike guy and it doesn’t matter at all to me what others do. There were some closures where a road walk was an option, and others it was not. For example…coming out of Wrightwood, CA…a bus-sized rock fell on the road the day before I was going to take the road walk to go around the fire closure. The road was closed by the state, so a few of us had to get a hitch around the closure, then it was reopened a few days later and didn’t affect any other hikers. All part of the experience each year. I was one of the lucky ones and only had about 120 miles of trails unavailable due to fire closures and was able to hit the beginning and end (with some out-and-back/repeated miles). Some I know had to skip several hundred miles, especially later in the season when all of California was “closed”.

[@jonahcar812]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this review together. Fantastic

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, Johan!

[@IanPryor]

Cool channel Jay! Awesome job finishing the PCT! It is such an amazing trail!!!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, Ian! It certainly is an amazing trail!

[@mikedebbiecannon5960]

Thank you. I followed your entire trip and appreciate your strategy. I will be hiking the trail in 2022.Thank you again.

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, MDC! I wish you all the best on your PCT journey!

[@ronniea.4830]

Your hike was exciting, thank you for sharing, and your commitment to film edit and post. Bravo 👏👏👏👏

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much, Ronnie! I’m glad I was able to share the journey.

[@landb1873]

Super video--well put together and valuable information. Thank you!

[@JayFAdventures]

Thank you, L and B!

[@daveparsons4257]

Enjoyed watching your journey Jay. Well done. Hope to hear from you again. Great info by the way.

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, Dave. I’ll certainly be back on here to post videos I make of future hikes!

[@mikedebbiecannon5960]

What was your largest amount water you had to carry? How much weight did you lose?

[@JayFAdventures]

8 liters once in the desert section. I lost 43 pounds.

[@Mark_Jacobson81]

Jay, what were some expected and unexpected things about yourself that you found on the trail? Thanks so much for this video. Very in depth and a lot to consider.

[@JayFAdventures]

You're very welcome, Mark! One of the expected things I found was the enjoyment I get in doing very hard physical and mentally challenging endeavors. I didn't do those things as much near the end of the career that I retired from just before starting the trail. One of the things I didn't expect were thoughts and experiences from very far back in the past...primarily military deployment-related things that I hadn't thought about for some time.

[@Mark_Jacobson81]

@@JayFAdventures yes I imagine so, as you have hundreds of hours to ponder anything and everything. Thanks for sharing, and I’ll definitely be looking up this video again if I get to hike the pct (either a section hike next year or the full hike in 2023) i hope 🤞

[@DovieRuthAuthor]

Thanks for all the great info. Glad you made it home safe and sound.

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks so much, Dovie. I’m so glad I was able to share!

[@michaelspalding8179]

Thanks for your videos. I watched them all. Congratulations! It was inspiring to see someone near my age succeeding and with great style. I’m doing a section in SoCal in the spring. Where was that big 8 liter water carry? Thanks again

[@JayFAdventures]

Thanks, Michael! I appreciate you sharing the journey with me! Best of luck next spring. SoCal was great. My big water carries were there, very early on when my water intake wasn’t dialed in yet and I wasn’t taking any risks with water…so I carried a lot, even in some places where I didn’t need to.

[@michaelspalding8179]

@@JayFAdventures I thought of one other question, hope you don't mind. How often did you actually need the little tripod for your phone when taking videos? Was it worth carrying? Thanks very much. Mike

[@JayFAdventures]

@@michaelspalding8179 Hello, Mike! It was worth carrying for me. I found that it was harder to find a place to lean my phone on in some sections. If I could find a rock, stump, limb, etc. to lean my phone on rather than pull out my tripod every time; I would. Some areas....in the desert, where there is snow, or the trail is steep...I used the tripod because it helped me get a better angle on the shot.