I camped with a wonderful local family, who reminded me a bit of the Waltons both in terms of size (they numbered about 15) and hospitality. The entire time I was thinking two things: 1. That rancher needs to get out more, and 2. If this really is “God’s country”, then atheism is beginning to look pretty good. Just before making my way up to the Clackamas Mountain area, I chatted with an old rancher who informed me that I was about to enter “God’s country.” During the next few hours I passed by countless abandoned cars, polluted springs, reams of horse shit and every kind of “no trespassing” sign imaginable. The combination of the two hikes runs anywhere between 18 miles in length, depending on your route choices. Travelling north along the Canadian Rockies, the GDT is a classic from start to finish.
So the next time you visit the Pacific Northwest Trail in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, imagine what it might be like to continue making your way along the trail. In the Puget Sound, the Skagit Whatcom Island Trail Maintenance Organization (SWITMO), has been instrumental in the maintenance and construction of the PNT in places like Deception Pass State Park, Blanchard Mountain and many other popular trail segments. PNTA also works with local youth and a variety of organizations in the maintenance and construction of the trail such as the Washington Trails Association and the Back Country Horsemen of America.
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Today, ten years after the PNT was designated a National Scenic Trail, the PNTA continues our work to enhance the trail system and to protect the resource by providing free up-to-date maps and trip planning information. After spending weeks in remote wilderness with scant provisions, PNT thru-hikers welcome the amenities found in the Puget Sound, including clean sheets on soft beds, fresh local food and new environments with hundreds of miles of shoreline to explore. To reach trails in the ACFL, westbound thru-hikers will have spent six weeks walking from the Rocky Mountains- ample time to develop awkward tan lines, rarefied tales, and some huge appetites. Strickland smiled, pulled down he top of his gym sock, and said, “By their bad tans and easy smiles.”
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As the story goes, during his historic 1983 thru-hike, Ron Strickland was asked how to spot a thru-hiker. Less than 400 people have walked the trail from end-to-end so far.ĭuring the prime hiking season, residents of Anacortes may notice thru-hikers around the city resupplying and resting up for the next leg of their trips. Although long distance hiking has become more popular on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails over the last 50 years, the PNT sees relatively light use among thru-hikers. Today most folks enjoy the PNT one trip at a time with some ambitious backpackers attempting to take in all of its natural beauty in a single go. Ron Strickland, the trail’s founder, was inspired to create a route from the Crown of the Continent to the Pacific Coast during a backpacking trip with guidebook author, Harvey Manning, in the 1970s. The PNT also traverses three National Parks, seven National Forests and six Washington State Parks.įor over 40 years, hikers, equestrians and others have found adventure along the Pacific Northwest Trail.
In the Puget Sound, the PNT follows six miles of beautiful tread within the ACFL between Fidalgo Bay and Deception Pass. While many of our favorite trails are located within one single park, National Scenic Trails, like the PNT, can span multiple states and jurisdictional boundaries.
Much like the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, the PNT is an example of how local citizens can work together to create outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and safeguard natural resources to improve the quality of life in their communities. Across Washington, Idaho, and Montana, dozens of gateway communities act as local stewards of the trail by helping to ensure it remains open and safe for everyone to enjoy.
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