Hiking 2,650 miles on Pacific Crest Trail too easy? Try it in winter

The wildly popular memoir 'Wild' is pushing interest in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to the forefront of popular culture.

But tackling the 2,650-mile trail during winter is an unheard-of feat — for now.

That's something backcountry adventurers Justin Lichter and Shawn Forry want to change.

The two men are embarking on an attempt to traverse the entire route during a season when conditions are at their most treacherous and unforgiving.

The attempt takes all the challenges of grueling, multi-month backcountry journeys and adds freezing weather, deep snow, avalanches and even more isolation to the mix.

"We've been thinking about this trip for five years," said Lichter, 34, of Truckee, during a recent interview.

"If it is a weak winter it increases our odds," added Forry, 33, of Midpines, Calif. "But it also takes a little away from it."

While the PCT has been part of the National Scenic Trails System since 1968, there's no official record of anyone having made a recent credible attempt to through-hike it during the winter months, said Jack Haskel, trail information specialist for the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

"Whether somebody ever attempted this in the 1970s we don't know," Haskel said. "I somewhat doubt there has been a serious attempt."

A big part of the reason few, if any, have tried is likely because of the difficulty of the challenge. The trail runs near the top of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, each of which is known for heavy snow and punishing winter conditions.

MORE:Get unlimited access to hiking and other adventure news

And unlike the Appalachian Trail, the PCT's eastern cousin that runs from Maine to Georgia, the PCT runs through more remote territory including many areas that are virtually inaccessible during winter. They're scheduled to start hiking Tuesday at the Canadian border and finish in April at the border with Mexico.

An itinerary for the planned trip shows nine stretches of 100 miles or more without resupply. That doesn't include the distances between the route and the nearest planned resupply spots, some of which are more than 20 miles off trail.

The distances could get stretched even further if the planned resupply locations are inaccessible due to snow or ice.

"We're kind of at the mercy of the winter, or whatever the weather does," Forry said. "When we get storms up here it is not inches, it is feet."

Other challenges include finding the right gear for such a trip and getting it to the trail when they need it.

Both Forry and Lichter are accomplished ultralight hikers with extensive backcountry ski experience. But this trip combines the logistical demands of long-distance ultralight hiking with the gear requirements of backcountry skiing.

They're planning to wear lightweight hiking boots for the first part of the trip and as long possible. Once the route becomes a mixture of snow and bare ground they will add snowshoes to the mix. When they get to a point where their entire route is buried under show they're planning to switch to skis.

The equipment along with other winter necessities like warm sleeping gear, winter clothing layers, avalanche probes and beacons means they will be carrying about 20 pounds of stuff each plus food.

While the odds of Forry and Lichter completing the attempt successfully are no sure thing, few are betting against them.

That's because both of them have impressive outdoors resumes. Lichter has more than 35,000 miles of distance hiking under his belt, including hikes across Iceland, Africa, the Himalayas and the Appalachian, Continental Divie and Pacific Crest trails. He also developed and hiked a route from Durango, Colo., to Las Vegas and, along with Forry, developed a precursor to the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand.

Forry's accomplishments include more than 15,000 miles of hiking in 26 states and seven countries.

Together Forry and Lichter also completed a 150-mile backcountry skiing traverse from the Sonora Pass to Mammoth Lakes.

"If anyone can do it, it's Trauma and Pepper," said Liz Thomas, herself an accomplished distance hiker, referring to trail names for Lichter and Forry.

"Their success relies a lot on factors out of their control, but they certainly have the skills and the sound, calculated mental ability to do this," she said.

Still, the list of potential complications is long. If the winter is harsh they could face long delays waiting out storms. If the winter is mellow they might have awkward stretches where they are wearing or carrying ski gear without enough snow to properly use it.

And even if the winter is typical for the Sierra Nevada they could face difficulties they wouldn't encounter in summer, such as being forced to fight through thick brush in places.

"It is likely to be some nasty bushwhaking unless there is enough snow to cover it all," Haskel said.

If they do succeed it will because they planned well, made good choices during the trip and got some good breaks along the way.

With little to no precedent for such a trip they've been crafting a plan entirely on their own. They even made a last-minute decision to go in a north-to-south direction instead of south-to-north.

The change will mean they spend the harshest part of winter in the Sierra Nevada, a range with which they are more familiar, instead of the Cascade.

It's likely just the first of many tough decisions to come.

"There is really no one to ask how to do this," Forry said. "It will be a lot of figuring it out as we go."