![\"Pacific](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/PNTmap550.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In 1970, \u00a0just after Congress designated the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail as National Scenic Trails, \u00a0Ron Strickland had an idea: a wilderness trail across the Pacific Northwest from the continental divide to the ocean. \u00a0With constant exploration, networking and promotion, Ron was able to turn the idea into reality, with a lot of help from his friends. \u00a0In 1977 the Pacific Northwest Trail Association was formed and the first through hikers\u00a0had their adventure.<\/p>\n
The Trail was finally designated by Congress in 2009. \u00a0It wasn’t until September 2015 that the Secretary of Agriculture finally established an Advisory Committee to\u00a0advise the Secretary, through the Chief of the Forest Service, on management of the Pacific Northwest Trail in Montana, Idaho, and Washington.<\/p>\n Unlike the Pacific Crest Trail, \u00a0the Pacific Northwest Trail does not track primarily through alpine and sub-alpine terrain along the tops of mountains. \u00a0Since it extends from the Continental Divide in glacier National Park\u00a0on\u00a0the east end to the ocean at Cape Alava on west end, travelers will experience alpine terrain and much, much more. \u00a0In 2002,\u00a0Erik Burge, then the education coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, put it this way:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The PNT at Blanchard Mountain in the Chuckanut Mountains of northern Washington Clearly, \u00a0your experience will be diverse!<\/p>\n While there are a lot of options for day and section hikes, \u00a0through-hiking the trail makes for the grandest adventure. \u00a0Most through-hikers start at the east end in June or July as soon as the high passes in Glacier National Park become navigable. \u00a0The idea is to make it across the hot, dry Inland Empire before it gets overly hot and\u00a0over the Cascades before the first snowfall. \u00a0The fastest hikers can cover the trail in 40 days, but most people take up to twice as long \u2013 it all depends on how fast you hike, how many rest days you take and so on. \u00a0So far only 10 or 20 people are through-hiking the trail each year. \u00a0It will be considerably more lonesome that the Appalachian Trail! \u00a0 For all kinds of ideas and advice, \u00a0check the Through-Hiker FAQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n Creating the Advisory Committee kicks off the next step \u2013 development of a comprehensive plan for the trail. \u00a0The Forest Service is the lead agency for this plan. \u00a0The plan is to include:<\/p>\n The view from Sunny Pass, at the edge of Horseshoe Basin, 8100 foot Armstrong Peak rising in the distance. The Forest Service, with advice from the Advisory Committee will also need to determine how\u00a0the various\u00a0land managers, communities, and recreational users will work together to improve and protect the trail for the benefit of the hikers as well as communities. \u00a0The product will be a management plan for the trail and an Environmental Impact Statement that evaluates the impacts of the plan. \u00a0The planning process is a couple of years behind the original schedule and officially starts\u00a0with the first Advisory Committee meeting in October, 2015. \u00a0It will take at least a couple of years to complete the plan, assuming the Forest Service is allocated sufficient funds\u00a0and focuses on\u00a0the effort.<\/p>\n Pacific Northwest Trail Guide: The Official Guidebook for Long Distance and Day Hikers<\/a> Pathfinder: Blazing a New Wilderness Trail in Modern America<\/a> Pacfic Northwest Trail Association<\/a><\/p>\n Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Trail<\/a><\/p>\n![\"PNWTrailLogo\"](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/PNWTrailLogo.jpg\")
In 1980, in response to a Congressionally mandated study, the Forest Service and Park Service published the Final National Scenic Trails Study Report<\/em>. \u00a0The report concluded: “It is overwhelmingly evident that development of the trail is neither feasible nor desirable.”\u00a0\u00a0Strickland had other ideas and proceeded to work with his growing legion of supporters to develop the trail anyway. \u00a0The effort overcame complaints of disturbance to grizzly bear, disturbance to fragile alpine soils, disturbance to ocean beaches and the 1980 estimated price tag of $39,000,000 to $106,000,000.<\/p>\nTerrain<\/h1>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t“The Pacific Northwest Trail user might encounter a grizzly bear, a herd of black angus cattle, active volcanic peaks, hay fields, abandoned mine shafts and 7-11 convenience stores. A herd of mountain goats, a pod of Orcas, star fish, porpoises, car auto dealerships, housing developments, trains, supertankers, white water rapids, hikers, road cyclists, mountain bikers, ranchers, loggers, cowboys, truckers, skateboarders, motor-cross bikes, four-wheelers, logging trucks, clear-cuts and 20-foot surf to name a few.”<\/div><\/div>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/OnthePNT.jpg\")
By Pierre Nordique from Seattle (On the Pacific Northwest Trail) [CC BY 2.0<\/a>], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>The trail covers:<\/p>\n\n
Hiking the Trail<\/h1>\n
Planning the Future of the PNT<\/h1>\n
\n
![\"Horseshoe](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3AOn_the_Pacific_Northwest_Trail.jpg\")
<\/a>
By Nwcamera1 (Own work) [GFDL<\/a> or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0<\/a>], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>Key among the latter will be finding a way to get the trail off of the many roads it currently uses. \u00a0About 30% of the trail is along roads.<\/p>\nMore Information<\/h1>\n