solo female hiker on the pct, How I Hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in Under 100 Days: Tips from My 93-Day Thru-Hike of the PCT, how to hike pct fast

I solo thru-hiked the 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Mexico to Canada in 93 days from May 5th, 2022 to August 5th, 2022, averaging 28.5 miles per day.

My goal was always to try to hike the PCT fast and in under 100 days.

Why? Well, usually I just say it’s because I’m crazy. But the truth is, I love challenging myself, especially when I’m out alone in nature. I was a Division I college athlete – pushing myself physically and mentally every day during training became a core part of who I am. On top of that, I did not want to be away from home for too long from my partner and dog. My dog is getting older, so time with him is precious. Another reason is that I quit my job in January 2022 and I wanted to try to spend less money. Hiking faster helps with that since fewer days on the trail means fewer expenses – less food to buy and fewer “zero days,” which translates to less money spent on hotels or hostels.

To hike 2,650 miles in 100 days or less means you need to average at least 26.5 miles per day over the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail (including days off). That’s a marathon a day for 100 days in a row, which is a huge challenge. I wanted to give you some tips and what I learned from my experience of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 93 days.

Are you attempting to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail fast or have a goal to hike it in under 100 days? Whether it’s the only time-window you have or you love the challenge, this blog post outlines some tips to help you achieve that!

Make sure to also check out all of my Pacific Crest Trail Resources:

How I Trained for my Sub-100 Day Thru-Hike of the PCT
My Gear When I Started the PCT: Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (lightweight, 11.6 lbs)
My Gear When I Finished the PCT: Pacific Crest Trail 2022 Final Gear List (almost ultralight, 10.97 lbs)
Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Guide
All the Food I Ate and Put in My Resupply Boxes on my Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike
The Camera Gear I Brought on the Pacific Crest Trail

Disclaimer: This blog is purely for informational purposes and based on my experiences from my thru-hike. What follows is simply what worked for me and my sub-100-day PCT thru-hike. What worked for me might not work for someone else and this does not guarantee that you will hike the PCT quickly. Always prioritize safety, proper gear, and thorough planning. Each hiker’s experience is different, and conditions on the trail can vary. Don’t push yourself too hard and always know your limits. Before attempting any long-distance hike, consult a medical professional to ensure you're physically prepared for the demands of the thru-hike.

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22 Tips on How to Thru-Hike the Pacific Crest Trail in Under 100 Days:

1. Train for Your PCT Thru-Hike

I can't emphasize enough how important training is. It sets you up for success and helps prevent injury. Check out my blog post on How I Trained for my Sub-100 Day Thru-Hike of the PCT for more details about how I trained!

2. Start Fast, But Not Too Fast

When I started the PCT, I ramped up my mileage gradually. I started off with low 20-mile days and worked my way up to 30-mile days by day 11. Pace yourself, and remember, you’ve got time to build up your endurance and increase your pace overtime. Gradually ramping up to 30+ mile days is also a good way to help prevent injury.

Also by “fast”, I don’t mean miles per hour, I mean miles per day. I’m not a speedy hiker in terms of miles per hour (I average a solid 3 mph).

3. Keep Your Base Weight Low

The lighter your backpack, the easier it is to maintain a fast pace and long hiking days. Base weight is the weight of all your gear not including your worn weight, e.g. clothes you wear and shoes, or consumables like food, water, and fuel Keeping your base weight low helps you to hike longer distances using less energy. I tried to keep my base weight just around 10-11 pounds, which includes my roughly 2.5 lbs of camera gear.

Check out my gear lists from the Pacific Crest Trail:

My Gear When I Started the PCT: Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (lightweight, 11.6 lbs)
My Gear When I Finished the PCT: Pacific Crest Trail 2022 Final Gear List (almost ultralight, 10.97 lbs)

4. Choose Your Start Date Appropriately

Your start date can significantly impact your thru-hike. I started my PCT thru-hike on May 5th, 2022, which is a bit early for most thru-hikers aiming to finish in under 100 days. However, 2022 was a very low snow year in the Sierra, so by the time I reached that section on June 1st, the snow over the major mountain passes was manageable and river crossings weren’t a concern. In an average or high snow year, starting that early might pose significant challenges and dangers. I think usually mid-to-late-May is a popular time to start if you are trying to hike the entire PCT in under 100 days.

Disclaimer: Trail conditions vary year to year, so don’t choose May 5th just because it worked for me. Research the conditions for your PCT thru-hike year and choose a start date that aligns with your goals, your capabilities, and the expected trail conditions. For most sub-100-day PCT thru-hikers, a mid-May start date usually has a good balance between timing and trail accessibility.

PCT Permits: You need a PCT long-distance permit to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail, which you get through the PCTA. Otherwise, you’ll need to acquire all of the local permits for the entire trail. PCT long-distance permit applications open in late fall and early winter. Permits are issued for specific start dates. Popular dates can fill up quickly, so make sure to plan ahead to secure a permit with a start date that aligns with your goals.

5. Have an Efficient Resupply Strategy

Food resupplies in town are where you can lose time most easily. It’s easy to get “vortexed” in town and sometimes getting to and from town takes longer than expected. This is why I tried to plan an efficient resupply strategy that considered how far towns were from town, how easy towns were to access, distance between resupply stops, etc. I also chose to do a lot of “in-and-out” resupply days to minimize time in town (more on that below). Having an efficient resupply strategy will help you keep your daily mileage consistent without spending too much time in town.

Check out my Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Guide, which I share my personal resupply strategy that I used to achieve my sub-100-day thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

6. Minimize Zero Days: Opt for Neros Instead

Zero days (days where you hike zero miles, usually spent in resupply towns) slow you down, so take “neros” (a day with fewer miles but more than zero miles hiked: near + zero = nero) when you can. Neros allow you to rest while still making getting a few miles in, which helps keep you on track for your mileage goal.

I only took one zero day on my entire Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. I always told myself I would take a zero day if I felt like I needed one and I didn’t get that feeling until I was at Snoqualmie Pass in Washington State, which I lived only an hour from at the time, so I took a zero day at home because I was limping so badly from plantar fasciitis.

However, I did have several “nero” days, which is basically when you hike very few miles in a day - everyone has a different definition of Nero. For example, for me, let’s say a “nero” was anything under 18 miles – there were 10 days I hiked under 18 miles (not including my zero day). My shortest day of hiking was 5 miles.

7. Limit Nights in Towns

Try to avoid staying the night in town whenever possible. The longer you stay, the harder it is to get back into hiking mode. My goal was to try to stay on the trail and avoid sleeping in town. During my 93-day PCT thru-hike, I spent only four nights in a bed under a roof: Tehachapi, Bishop, South Lake Tahoe, and Snoqualmie Pass (Seattle).

8. Try for “In-and-Out” Resupply Days

To keep my momentum going, I tried to do “in-and-out” resupply days. I would often hike into town, resupply, and then head back out to trail that same evening. Once I got into the groove of my thru-hike, my goal was to get at least 20 miles in on resupply days. I tried to either hike a full 20-mile day before reaching my resupply stop or split the mileage (15 miles before stop, resupply, and then 5 miles on trail before gong to bed for the night). This way, you don’t have to completely sacrifice your daily mileage when resupplying.

9. Start Early, Stop Late, and Hike Long Hours

To make the most of every day, I would wake up before sunrise and often didn’t stop hiking until after sunset. This meant 4:30 am wake-ups in the desert and hiking past 9:30 pm at night. Yes, the days were long, but it helped me hike 30+ miles consistently. I probably averaged 14+ hours of hiking every day to try to hit my mileage goals. I’m not a “speedy” hiker in terms of miles per hour (I probably average 3mph – I definitely don’t run), but using every hour of daylight helped me get more miles in. The long summer days also helped with this.

10. Stay Consistent

Consistency is key. Don't let one bad day or tough section derail your progress. A shorter day here or there doesn’t mean your goal is unachievable. For example, I slowed down in the Sierra due to the challenging terrain and consistently high elevation (over 10,000 ft), so my mileage dropped a bit there. However, I stayed consistent overall and was able to pick up my pace north of Kennedy Meadows North and start consistently hiking 30+ mile days again.

11. Don’t Take Long Breaks During the Day

I personally don’t take long breaks during the day. While many PCT thru-hikers like to stop for long lunches or breakfasts, I kept my breaks short (15 minutes max) and focused on moving forward. Of course, if you really need a break for any reason, take it.

12. Eat Enough Calories

Make sure you're eating enough! I remember on my first 27-mile day, I was starving because I didn't realize how much more food I needed to eat if I wanted to hike 30+ miles in a day. Eating enough calories will help you maintain your energy levels and keep up your pace.

I tried to eat at least 4,000 calories a day (I’m 5’4”). Calculate what number of calories makes sense for your height and weight. I probably still didn’t eat enough, because I was looking pretty bony by the end of the hike and was honestly pretty wrecked by the end.

Check out my blog post on what I ate here: All the Food I Ate and Put in My Resupply Boxes on my Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike.

13. Eat While Hiking

I personally don’t like waiting for breaks to eat, so I often eat while I hike which both saves time (by skipping breaks) and keeps me fueled while hiking. I made sure to snack constantly to keep my energy up throughout the day. I tried to eat a snack at least once an hour (if not more). I didn’t take formal lunch breaks and would just snack all day. This both helps you stay energized and time efficient.

14. Purify Your Water Instead of Filtering, if possible

If the water source is flowing and clear, I choose to purify my water with Aquamira rather than taking the time to stop and filter it.

I love Aquamira for its convenience – it doesn't require stopping to filter my water, allowing me to keep hiking while it purifies. For fast-paced hikes, it’s perfect. However, it does require a bit of planning, as it takes about 5 minutes for the chemicals to mix and at least 15 minutes to purify the water. I always make sure to have a little extra water on hand.

If the water has "floaties" in it (dead bugs, dirt, etc.), I’ll use my water filter; otherwise, I just use Aquamira, which allows me to hike while the water is being purified.

15. Choose Campsites Strategically

I tried to pick campsites that fit into my daily mileage and made sense for my plan. You don’t always need a fancy campsite that’s marked on FarOut – sometimes a simple campsite is all you need. Also, don’t be afraid to dry camp (camping without a water source nearby). While it’s nice to stop early and camp near a water source, it’s not always necessary and may result in you hiking fewer miles than planned. I typically carry enough water at the end of the day for dinner and the next morning, so I can stop to camp without worrying if there is a water source nearby or not. I found that being comfortable with dry camping gave me more flexibility in choosing campsites that fit my overall plan.

16. Endure the Tough Days & Embrace Type 2 Fun

Hiking this way is hard. There will be tough days when nothing goes as planned or you're not hiking the miles you want. There will be moments when you don't want to hike. That’s okay. Throw on a podcast or audiobook, treat yourself to an extra Snickers bar, and keep going. It will get better.

17. Keep a Spreadsheet of Your Daily Mileage

I kept a spreadsheet of my daily mileage on my phone, calculating both my average for the entire hike and my weekly rolling average, so I could have a more “recent” average. I also calculated how many miles a day I would need to average for the remainder of my thru-hike to finish the PCT in under 100 days. This helped me track my progress and stay on target for my 100-day goal.

18. Build in a Mileage Buffer

While the average to finish the Pacific Crest Trail in under 100 days is 26.5 miles per day, I tried to hike more than that whenever possible. I hiked 30+ miles on more than half of my 93 days and had four days where I hiked 40+ miles. Building a mileage buffer helps you have flexibility for unexpected challenges or delays, like bad weather or zero days. For example, I was okay with taking a zero near the end because I had several days of buffer to finish the PCT in under 100 days. Having a buffer also helps you stay on track and reduces stress as you get closer to the end of the PCT.

19. Have a Defined "Why" and Stick to It

Have a defined “why” and remember it, especially on the hard days because some days you might question why you’re doing it. That is when being a fan of Type 2 fun comes into play.

A lot of people might ask you why you want to hike that fast, tell you that you’re hiking the PCT the “wrong way”, and say that you can’t possibly enjoy the PCT if you hike it fast (they’re wrong – everyone enjoys things in different ways). Don’t let their opinions distract you. I usually didn’t mention my goal to other thru-hikers, but if they found out and asked, I usually just said because I was crazy lol.

My “why”? There’s a lot to it and it’s always hard for me to explain. But I’ll try: In addition to what I said at the beginning of this post, it’s because I love the challenge and I love being out alone in the mountains hiking. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, that I was capable of hiking that many miles per day for 3 months in a row. I wanted to push myself to my breaking point and see what I was capable of. I’m no FKT’er, but I told myself I was going for the “EFT” - the Erin Fastest Time. Nature doesn’t care about your plan – she’ll throw you curveballs and it’s up to you to decide how you’ll respond and adapt, a challenge that was even more intense with my goal.

20. Stay Disciplined

Sticking to your plan of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in under 100 days is essential for reaching your goal. When you arrive in town, charge your electronics, do your laundry, buy groceries, shower, and then get back on the trail. Other hikers might try to convince you to stay the night in town or take a longer break than you had planned, but you have to stay focused and stick to your plan if you want to achieve your goal. Yes, there were days I was tempted to stay in town longer, but I knew that if I did, I would probably be anxious about losing time on trail. Every minute you spend off trail is one less minute to make progress toward your goal. Staying disciplined helps prevent distractions and keeps you moving forward.

21. Know Your Breaking Point

Listen to both your mind and your body. Physically, if you need to slow down because of whatever reason, then slow down. Mentally, I told myself I’d keep going for my sub-100-day goal unless I truly wasn’t enjoying the hike anymore. If I wasn’t having fun anymore, then I would slow down. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I didn’t want to be miserable. Yes, there were challenging days, but not a single day on my thru-hike did I go to sleep or wake up not wanting to reach my goal of hiking the 2,650 miles in under 100 days. Every single day I had fun (even if it was Type 2 fun) and I was so fulfilled. I loved the way I was hiking the PCT to my core, so I kept going. But I always knew that it was okay to slow down or change my goals if I wanted to.

22. Give Yourself Some Grace & Have Fun

Yes, thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this way is hard, but it’s also an adventure – and adventures should be fun! Don’t be so focused on your goal that you forget to enjoy the journey. Celebrate the little wins (like every 100 miles hiked or reaching a new state), laugh at the funny moments (one time I thought I “lost” my sun glove, but somehow it was in my hat?? that was a good laugh…), and take a moment to appreciate where you are and what you are doing. If you need to stay in a town for a couple extra hours to eat some ice cream, go for it. Want to treat yourself to a particular beautiful campsite? Do it. Is there super good trail magic that may delay you a few hours? Enjoy it. You’re allowed to have fun, even while chasing a big goal. It’s all about balance. The Pacific Crest Trail is tough, but it’s also an incredible experience you’ll never forget. Achieving a sub-100-day thru-hike is amazing, but so is the beauty of the trail itself. Don’t forget to soak it all in.

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How I Hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in Under 100 Days: Tips from My 93-Day Thru-Hike of the PCT