Wildfires and their burn scars have made portions of the trail more hazardous and forced hikers to contend with closures on quick notice.
Meanwhile, when fast-moving wildfires strike, many rural communities along the trail are finding themselves responsible for helping vulnerable hikers.
“Wildfire season is lasting longer, becoming less predictable, affecting more trail, more trail users and more trail communities,” Rylee said.
The signals of climate change now stick out on the PCT, said John O’Brien, a California climate scientist who grew up near the trail and hikes on it frequently.
Karen Altergott passed through this burn zone in Lassen Volcanic National Park while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022.
Persons:
” Rylee, John O’Brien, ” O’Brien, Jamie Hale, Teesseling, “ We’ve, ” Thijs Koekkoek, Taime Teesseling, ” Teesseling, ” —, Karen Altergott, Altergott, Karen Altergott “, ” Altergott, “, —, They’re, ”, Becky Wade, Jeff McCabe, Becky Wade McCabe, Wade, McCabe, Shelly, Jeff McCabe's, Becky Wade “, Will Georis, Georis, ” Georis
Organizations:
“, PCT, Crest Trail, Klamath National Forest, University of California
Locations:
Sierra Nevada, California, Columbia, Portland ,, Julian, Burney , California, Stehekin , Washington, Hamburg , California, Klamath, ”, Berkeley, Mexico, Canada