There's A Reason This West Coast Trail Is Considered Deadly
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long and takes around 5 months to complete. It leads hikers through deserts, forests, and mountain peaks, and sadly, some never make it home.
The journey is dangerous due to extreme weather conditions, wildfires, altitude sickness, stream crossings, wrong turns, sheer drops, animals, suspicious people, and tech failures.
The majority of hikers survive, but 15 people have been confirmed dead on PCT and others have disappeared into the wilderness, leaving nothing but last messages and backpacks.
We may never know what happened, but the confirmed deaths give clues. Some hikers suffered deadly falls, while others drowned or succumbed to heat stroke and altitude sickness.