Seeley-Swan High School graduate Kyle Peltier opts in for the adventure of a lifetime as he prepares to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail, which spans the vertical length of the U.S., attracts hikers from across the U.S. and requires participants to acquire a permit before making the trek. Peltier said the process to even get the permit is competitive.
Kyle Peltier's gear that he will be taking on his 2,653-mile hiking trip along the western U.S. He expects to face a variety of weather conditions as he goes along his journey.
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School graduate Kyle Peltier plans to do the hike of a lifetime as he prepares for his trek that starts April 11 along the Pacific Crest Trail.
The trail is 2,653 miles and goes from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. Hikers pass through multiple terrains along their journey including desert, rain forest and mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) estimates that the hike will take 133 days if the participant travels an average of 20 miles a day. Peltier said he has a "feeling" he will complete the backpacking journey sooner than that because he is a "fast walker."
Peltier found out about the trail about a year ago on the social media app TikTok. After doing additional research he watched a documentary made by Elina Osborne on YouTube called "It Is The People" in which Osbourne documents both the good and bad moments of her hiking adventure.
Peltier intends to document his experiences in a similar way through the form of vlogs he will share on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. His Instagram username is harrison_smiles and his TikTok username is harrison_smiles406. He also applied and got accepted to become an official 2021 vlogger for The Trek which is an online space where PCT and other major trail hikers can post videos of their experiences.
He has done overnight hikes in the past but has never been "thru-hiking" which can last months. He said he was motivated to try the trail because he wanted to do something "big and crazy" before he turned 21.
"I had nothing else planned, we're still in the middle of a pandemic and it's socially distanced [so] I thought that [it was] a good idea," he said.
He will hike by himself for the most part but he has met others who are beginning their hikes the same day as him so he plans to occasionally meet up with them along the trail.
According to Peltier, PCT is one of three major trails in the U.S. and attracts so many interested hikers every year that they have to issue permits to individuals in order for them to hike it. Hikers also pass through several national parks and forests so it is easier for PCTA to consolidate the multiple permits into one to simplify the process and make it more financially viable for participants.
Normally permits are given out in August but, because of COVID-19 and the wildfires from last summer, PCTA held off distributing them until January. While permits are typically available to international hikers, due to the pandemic only U.S. residents could apply.
On Jan. 19, Peltier waited for nearly six hours online before he could see if he was able to apply for the starting date he wanted. According to him trying to get a permit is a very competitive process. In addition to the permit, PCTA also gave him a packet of reading materials advising him on how to navigate the trail.
He expects to maintain a fairly consistent schedule of eating, sleeping and hiking every day of the trip. He will be expected to know how to cook food on a backpack stove, administer basic wilderness first aid, deal with blisters, conserve water and build a fire although that may be restricted to only campgrounds depending on fire conditions especially in California.
Peltier expects the trail as a whole to be challenging.
"I'm out there for several months in just a backpack and some hiking boots," he said. "The Sierras [are] a big part that's physically draining. ... Just being out there is going to be a lot because you're out there for so long and you have to be able to make sure that you can keep your cool, that you don't get in your head, but you also have to make sure that your body is also okay."
He continued saying that several accidents could happen to him while he is out on the trail.
"Depending on where you're at there could be trail closures due to wildfire," he said. "Anything could really happen out there. I could get bit by a rattlesnake, I could fall off a cliff. So [it is important] to keep my cool while out there and still have a good time and not just be paranoid about everything."
According to Peltier, the conditions can vary drastically every year depending on snowfall, heat waves and forest fires. From what he has heard because Southern California had a surprisingly "big snowfall," people are expecting conditions in that area to be anywhere from mild to extreme in the Sierras, which is the biggest mountain range he will pass through. The highest elevation he will reach is atop Mount Whitney which is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet.
According to him, there are several towns that run along the trail where many of the residents, called "trail angels" will donate resources like food and water to hikers or will allow them to camp on their property for free, use a shower or do laundry. Many of the local stores will also supply gear. PCTA does not have assigned staff to provide resources along the trail.
Despite these challenges, however, he is still looking forward to the adventure as this is his first time visiting the California area.
"Honestly, I'm just excited to be out there and see a different part of the country," he said. "I'm ... excited to ... deal with all these backcountry things [and meet] new people, even if they can't be from another country, but people who are from across America."
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