Pacific Crest Trail " 35 Years Ago" Vintage Look At Thru-Hiking 1977 Photo Gallery by Monte Dodge at pbase.com

Pacific Crest Trail " 35 Years Ago" Vintage Look At Thru-Hiking 1977

This gallery is my own little net tribute to the " Class Of 1977" on the Pacific Crest Trail and a look " Back In Time " to what long distance backpacking was like 35 years ago. The " AT" on the east coast started it all off in 1948 with Earl Shaffer's first thru-hike and Eric Ryback brought thru-hiking to the west coast in 1970 with his thru-hike and book. When congress declared the PCT a National Trail in 1968, few thought it would be as popular ' World Wide" as our Pacific Crest Trail has become. Hopefully the tradition of long distance hiking is alive and well " For Everyone" 30 years from now............ ( Special Thanks to Carl Siechart ( Kelty Kids, Strider ( Greg Hummel), Marty McCormick ( San Diego Trucks) And Bill Jenson ( Portland Trailblazers) For their photo donations and to all the " Class Of 1977" for this look back into the early days of " Thru-hiking " the PCT and the Vintage Gear we packed........

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Ultralight Hiking 70's Style ( Pacific Crest Trail 1977)	Golden Trout. Sierras	Rick Little And Fred Swanson ( On Right) View Thier Route Through Cleavland National Forest	Bigfoot Statue In Willow Creek 1977
Indian Paintbush	Tunnel Falls ( Eagle Creek Trail )	Dick Kelty in Weldon Calif. ( May 1977)	Me on Trail Crest near top of Mt. Whitney, 1977 PCT
Old Mike Urich Shelter ( Now Replaced With A New One ) Sept. 1977	Mojave Desert ( April 1977) Note: Fishnet Shirt, Poly Pro Of The 70's	Rod Overlooking Desert.	PA Jeff on Slide near Wrightwood.
Fall Colors near Snoqualmie Pass	End of 2,500 mile hike, Canadian Border, Oct.11th , 1977	Monte in Kennnedy Hot Springs_ ( Oct. 1977 ) Destroyed By Side Oct. 2003	Monte at Stevens Pass. ( Sept. 1977 With Only 183 miles To Go!)
Don on final climb to Trail Crest, 13,777 ft.	Monte at Whitney Portal ( Pacific Crest Trail May 1977)	Don on Eagle Creek	Camp at 13,500 ft. Sierras
Don and Lars near Glacier Peak.	Me first day on PCT after camping at Mexican Border	Montes Camp near Big Bear, PCT 1977	Rex Williams at his cabin and outdoor kitchen 1977
Chuck and Kevin along Bubbs Creek.	Timber Rattler for Dinner	Grouse Dinner with Wrist Rocket	Golden Trout Caught by Hand
Greg Hummel and Paul Hacker 1977	Weldon PCT Thru- Hikers enjoy feast after finishing 540 miles	Forester Pass in Snowstorm	Ron Hall " Chair Man" of the PCT
Hiker closes in on Mt. Whitney Summit and Rock Shelter	Kevin Kowalchuk stops To Swap Lens Near Old Station after first 1,200 Miles ( 1977)	Benson Lake ( One Of My " First" Reflection Shots, By Accident "	Goat Rocks on Foggy Sept. Morning
Creek Crossing with Two Weeks of Supplies	Benson Pass Tarn	Gazing into Fire ( Sierras, June 1977)	Snow Plant of the Sierras
Sunrise on Crater Lake ( 1977, Day Of Elvis's Death)	Yon Dodge Cabin ( Near Hopkins Pass, PCT) 1977	Rex Williams Cabin on Woods Creek near Beldon Calif.	Action PO Resupply After 350 Miles ( Old PCT Route)
Old Snowy, Highest Point of PCT in Washington or Oregon	Register Rock Sierra Butte Peak.	Cliff Lake Shelter Oregon	Mission Creek Gold Camp ( April, 1977)
Don Postholing Near Wrightwood	Mt. Adams from PCT With View Of Adams Glacier	First Month of Hike 1977 ( How Did I get all that junk in one pack??)	Church Group Dries Out AT James Creek Shelter Near 3 Sisters
Morning Light Near Forester Pass( South Side)	Diamond Lake Swim ( Day Elvis Died, 1977)	Sierra Tarn Water Stop Above Guitar Lake	Forester Pass, ( Note 5 lb. Climbing Rope which I packed ????)
Monte Entering Mt. Hood National Forest ( Aug.1977)	Wizard Island ( Crater Lake Oregon)	Over Looking Drop Off Near Snoqualmie Pass	Celebrating the End of a Long Walk
PCT in the Sierras	Don Checking his Book for Milage near Snoqualmie Pass	Ancient Trees in the Sierras	Peak of Mt. Whitney Through Trees Coming From Portal
Me at Seiad Valley checking mail from home.	Wild Flowers along PCT ( World 's Best Trail!!!!)	Day Hiker Fills Up At Natural Soda Spring Near Tioga Pass	Ancient Lare of " Bigfoot" ??? ( Subway Caves)
Bill Foster ( D.B. Cooper ??) who claimed to be the first person to walk PCT in both directions.	Pack Decorations ( aka,, Eric Ryback Want-to be)	Highway 3 and Manning Park Lodge ( In Background)	Snoqualmie Pass ( Sept. 1977) Different Times
Cat Walk of Goat Rocks ( Washington)	19 Years Old Near Start Of Pacific Crest Trail (April 1977)	Old Dana Yelton Shelter Near Old Snowy ( 1977)	Deep Creek Hot Springs Babe " Lisa" April 1977
Filling Water Bottles Off Packwood Glacier Run Off ( Sept. 1977)	Pacific Crest Trail Near Harts Pass ( Oct. 1977)_	Don Molluer North Of Snoqualmie ( Sept. 1977)	Me Looking A Bit Like "Sammy Hagar" After A hard Month On Tour
Old Dana Yelton Shelter ( Sept. 1977)	Walking " Kendall Catwalk" In The Fog ( Sept. 1977)	Peter Grub Hut Near Donner Pass ( June 1977)	Monte At Lake Helen 10,000ft Camp On Mt. Shasta ( July 1977)
Shasta Summit 14,162 ft. ( July 23rd, 1977)	Muir Hut Sierras ( 1977)	Don doing " His Journal"	Cold Morning In The "DomeLands" South Of Kennedy Meadows ( Old PCT Route)
Camping In A Weekend Filled Campground North Of Big Bear	Seiad Valley Store ( July 1977)	Pack Of A "Thru-Hiker" 70's Style. ( April 1977)	NIce Couple And Small House In Sawyer's Bar (July 1977)
Monte At Peter Grub Hut ( June 1977)	Muir Hut June 1977	Packer Lake Lodge ( June 1977)	Glacier Peak View From Fire Mountain Pass ( Oct. 1977)
Camping Below " Trail Crest" At 12,000ft. ( May 21th, 1977)	Paul And Soji At Weldon ( Old PCT Route) 1977	Norden Store Near Donner Pass Resupply ( June 1977)	Bob Alexander And " Chairman " Ron Hall Walking Old " Road Route"
Hiker Feast ( In Weldon After First 540 Miles On Old PCT Route)	" San Diago Truckers" Near Top Of Forester Pass, 13,200 ft.	Crossing The Sierras ( Truckers Photo)	Three Handed Hiker ( San Diego Truckers)
The Trail Was Much " Steeper And Difficult " Back In 1977	Great Water Supply In Mojave Desert!!	Old " Sandy River Cabin" ( Now Washed Away)	Kelty Kids Check P.A.Jeff's Load Before Leaving Weldon For Sierras
Dick Kelty Checks Out One Of " Kelty Kids" Packs In Action ( Town On Old PCT Route)	Great " Alpinelite " Classic Pack And Sieera Cup On Hip	Strider, P.A. Jeff And "Hacker" Side Trip Up Rainier	Lone Wolf ( Steve Taylor) In Goat Rocks With His Sunbird Adventure 16 Backpack
Lots Of Road Walking On 1977 Route. ( Only 950miles of trail built in Calif. in 77)	" Three Musketteers" At Mexican Border	Mt. Jancinto < View Of Fuller Ridge 1977 ( Lone wolf Photo)	Nancy Garder ( Tank) And Paul Hacker Resupply For Another Leg On The PCT
Sign At PCT Mexico Made By Jerry Smith ( As Seen In April 77)	Morning Camp After A Cold Snowy Spring Night!!!	Kelty Kids And John Mills At Warner Springs April 1977	Strider's " Sierra Designs Starlite Tent" After A Snowy Night
Sierras " Range Of Light"	" Backtracker Joe" Anderson	Bill Jensen Rests In San Felipe Valley ( Note Collin Fletcher Use Of Ice Axe Prop)	Kelty Kids And P.A. Jeff Pack Up For Sierra Section At Weldon
Gary Sottiaux From Canada	Kelty Kids At Canadian Border Monument 78	Grouse Meadows (Sierras)	Early Trail Angels Doug And Audrey Hayes ( Whitewater Canyon)
Morning Fog Around Mt. Hood Along PCT	Weekend Hikers At Cliff Lake Oregon Set Up Their New Tent	" Where Are We?" ( Early Road Route In Desert)	Seattle Spikers And San Diego Truckers At Monument 78
Seattle Spiker Celebrates Finish!!	Nancy Garder ( Tank) " Ultralite " Hiking Toward The Sierras	Bill Jensen Above " Suicide Trail And Idilwild" Junction	"The Unfortunates" At Border April 1st
Bob and Peggy Titus ( Laying) And Nancy At Messenger Flats Cooking In Bed	Bay City Bombers At Monument 78 ( Sept. 13th)	Bill Jensen Views Crater lake And Wizard Island.	Don Molleur ( On Left ) Tim And Tom Enjoy Feast From Hat Creek Store
30 Seconds Of Fame After Early Years Thru-hike " Of Pacific Crest Trail	Oct 11th, 1977, End Of My Pacififc Crest Trail Journey. ( 30 Years Ago )	Newspaper Clipping Of Me And Lars Onsrud ( Norway) At Fire Mountain Pass	This Shot Is For " Skip Yowell , And Jan Murray" The Good Folks At Jansport
Some things Never Change " Hikers At McDonalds"	Mt. Jefferson From Ollie Lake Resort	PCT " Flip Floppers" Greg Bolduc On Left And Todd Trautner On Right"	Phil ( Section Hiker ) Overlooking " Blue Bell Pass: In Washington
Canadians Setting Up Their Sierra Designs Glacier Tent At Mono Hot Springs	Chuck and Kevin Cooking A Nice Lunch With Their MSR " Proto Type " XGK"	" Horny Toad" Blending In	Tool Box Creek ,,, Bad Water , But Had To Do..
Banner Peak From Thousand Island Lake	Persperation Point , Just South Of Action Calif.	Climbers At 12,000 Camp Below Mt. Whitney	" John Boy " Mills Crossing Creek North Of Forester, But Before TM
Deep Creek Hot Springs ( April 1977)	Eagle Creek Trail , Northern Oregon	Tunnel Falls, My First Of 24 Trips To This Amazing Spot.	Wild Lupine Along The Pacific Crest Trail
Start Of Day Two ,,Leaving Kitchen Creek After A 16.3 Mile First Day	Looking Back Where You've Been. ( John Muir Trail,,)	Sierra " King Snake" Pacific Crest Trail , June 1977	Sierra " Wild Onions" ,, Great In Your Ramen, Mac & Cheese, Etc.
Mt. Whitney Summit ( May 23rd, 1977 ) Highest Peak In Lower 48	David Green's Book On His 1977 Thru-Hike	Don ( Who Did The AT In 1976 ) Crossing Holcomb Creek On Southern PCT	Tuolumne Meadows Near Tioga Pass ( June 10, 1977)
Mad Monte With San Gaberiel Mt.s Behind ( April 1977. )	Me And Don Breaking Camp Near Mojave Forks On Southern PCT	Mad Monte Hiking Near Wrightwood , California PCT ( April 1977)	After Hike On Phone Talking To Friends
Packwood Glacier In 1977 ( Yes, You Walked On A Living Glacier In 77 )	Camp Near " White Pass " In Glacier Peak Wilderness	Last Remains Of Packwood Glacier ( Sept. 2006 )	Hiking On Packwood Glacier 1977 ( Looking Toward Goat Lake )
Packwood Glacier 29 Years Later Looking Toward Goat Lake	Monte At Cispus Pass Sept 1977	MOnte At Cispus Pass In 2006	View's In Marble Moutain Country
Historial Marker In Sawyer's Bar ( Rarely Used As A Resupply Today Along The PCT	Looking " South " At Mt. Saint Helens From Pacific Crest Trail	LIght Snow Year In The Sierras, ( Before The May Snow Storms !! )	Mad Monte With " Snowshoe Thompson "
Drying My Stuff Out At Cliff Lake Shelter	Ancient " Limber Pines " Near the Summit Of Baden Powell "	Grove Of Large Trees Along PCT Near Diamond Lake Area	Warner Springs Bridge As Seen In April 1977
Warner Springs Bridge As Seen 31 Years Later	Warner Springs Again In 2008	As Warner Springs Looked In 1925 , With New Bridge	Crossing Boulder Field Near Mt. Hood After 9th Straight Day Of Rain!!
Sardine Lakes As Viewed From Eagle Roost Lookout ( Atop Sierra Buttes, 8,587 ft. )	Dick Kelty Poses With Pacific Crest Hikers In Weldon	" Nancy ",, AKA " Tank " AKA " Mile A MInute "	" Story Of South Lake Tahoe ",,
View Looking Up Flanks Of " Mt. Shasta " In Drought Year 1977	" Kelty Kid " Norm Cooking With View Of Crater Lake	Group Camping " With Nancy ",,	" Ron Hall " Better Known As " Chairman " Group Camping For Dinner
" Seattle Spikers " Cooking Dinner In Southern Calif. ( Base Of Fuller Ridge )	Bob & Peggy Titus And Nancy At Messenger Flats	Country Store At " Sierra City "	PCT " Class Of 1977 " 25 Year Hiker Reunion
Heading Morth Through Domelands Toward Sierras Out Of Weldon	We're # 1,,, Class of 1977 PCT	Top Of Mt. Baden Powell ( Elev. 9399 ft. ), April 1977 On A " Drought Year "	Grider Creek In Marble Mountains
View Of Mt Saint Helens And Mt. Adams From Oregon	Mt. Hood Viewed From PCT	Mt. Jefferson Looking Back South From PCT, 1977	Deep Creek Hot Springs As Viewed From PCT
Hiking In " Wet Fall Snow " Around Chinook Pass Area	HIgh Point Of Lower 48 USA	Muir Hut With Bronze Sign, 1977	Standing Across " Holcomb Creek ", Southern PCT
Don And Myself In Domelands, A Few Days North Of Weldon	12 Year's After My Finish	Copy Of "PCT " Trail Guide Sold In " Dick Kelty's " Store ( Given To Me By Tobie Heaton )	Letter From Larry Cash ,,, President Of PCTC
First Camp On PCT In 77, Kitchen Creek After 16.3 Mile First Day	First Summit Of Mt. Whitney May 23rd, 1977	Night Camp On "Woods Creek "	Southern Sierras ( Domelands ) PCT May 1977
Home After Trip,Oct. 1977

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comment |

Jakub		14-Feb-2013 10:04
Hello! Just amazing to see. I have been planning to do the PCT since 1998, but life has its ways of changing what a person finds important. Instead of the PCT I hiked across the Czech Republic and Slovakia- 1500 km. Which was also a blast, but the PCT is the BIG one. Now I have 3 children and live in Europe... But the Wife and kids know that this is my dream and we spend alot of our free time in the wilderness, hiking, climbing and canoeing ( the kids are ages 12,5 and 2. I suppose I will do the PCT with the family in the next 5-10 years...

Lynn Palmer		23-Jul-2012 00:56
I really enjoyed looking at the pictures! I can't consider myself a member of the class of 77; although my buddy Tom Ehlers and myself, Lynn Palmer hiked 30 days from Castle Craig Hwy 80 to Dunsmuir Ca. Tom was 13 and I was 15. We hiked part of the way with the Bay City Bombers and herd stories about the Chairman and the Kelty Kids sounds familiar too. When I retire I plan on doing the entire trip. By the way, my daughter married a thru hiker Chris Prysok, who did the AT and part of the PCT. He and my daughter own a mountaineering store in Weaverville Ca. Wolfpaw mountaineering. May the forest be with you! Mr. Lynn Palmer

Nora MAe Ball-Smith		16-Mar-2012 05:49
Thanks fo r sharing this again my daughter is looking at training for her own hike soon and I have passed along the site to her so she can relate for prepare of the long hike ahead of her... lets all suppoet her on her own wild dreams...

Ali Majdfar		04-Apr-2010 11:16
Fantastic gallery, thanks for sharing. ~V

Marjan Schavemaker		26-Jan-2010 14:08
Great gallery, Monte, brought me back to the days I lived in the US and hiked a lot in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont! V

Matthew Sobke		18-Oct-2009 03:37
Wow, great gallery! It brought back a million memories from the paltry 100 miles or so I did back in the scouts in the early eighties. Except that my Jansport was blue... and I still have the A16 pack! That picture of Banner Peak from Thousand Island Lake had to be taken from my campsite, lol! And I can't tell you how many local weekend trips began or passed trough Kitchen creek. Thanks for the memories!

Guest		25-Jul-2009 14:45
Fantastic gallery - this was a golden age in backpacking. Thank you so much for putting this up.

Happypoppeye		09-Mar-2009 20:24
A few comments here Monte. First off, great gallery. Although I've never done a thru-hike on the PCT I have done sections that bring back good memories (Mt Rainier, N. Cascades area, and Sierra Nevada's). Second, I hate that this gallery is buried so deep in your other galleries - I know, not my place to really say wherre to put it - I would put this one right in main gallery section. It's too good to miss for those who know what their looking at. Third. I am almost sure thru hiking will still be going 30 years from now. It's still going today, maybe alot more than you, or anyone else, would think. Just in different places in a different way. I think the world has become alot more accessible, and "smaller" so to say, in the last 30 years and it's easier to move around the world and see other countries. You have people doing thru-hikes everywhere from Timbuktu to Taoudenni, Lhasa to Kathmandu, crossing Papua New Guinea, crossing Borneo, the outback in Australia, etc, etc... I think it's a good thing. It may be dying down a bit in the US where, lets face it, money is the most important thing in life (not for all but most) and the PCT isn't as world renown as some other places, americans aren't willing to take the time to do a hike of this magnitude so it sort of gets lost in the world. I am actually one of those people, looking towards SE Asia, the Middle East and Africa for new opportunities. It's not a bad thing - imagine a million people all hiking the trail. Sort of defeats the purpose and it would destroy the environment along with it. I do think the PCT will always be there though and have people hiking it from start to finish, so enjoy the solitude and don't worry!!! ...and thanks for the good comments - I noticed you picked out just about the only "mountain" shot I have. I will get to the western states eventually, but for now I'm working backwards... Thanks John

TParrey		06-Mar-2009 03:35
This is just a great gallery!!!! Hard to believe that '77 was 32 years ago - it feels like yesterday.

Guest		31-Oct-2008 07:32
Wow, what a great gallery, you must have had a blast! Brian.

Alfie		12-Aug-2008 03:42
What interesting pics-don't want to take off booties.

Giancarlo Guzzardi		31-Jul-2008 06:38
Magnificent. Beautiful and pleasent pictures to see, Great memories and splendid experience

Liz Bickel		20-Dec-2007 07:07
What an interesting and very cool gallery. I really enjoyed my visit. Memories like these are irreplaceable. Thank you so much for sharing.

edwina beaumont		19-Dec-2007 15:37
What a wonderful set of memories

Guest		26-Oct-2007 23:22
Monte... told you that you have photo talent. Loved seeing pics of Nancy Gardner who tracked me and Dave Odell down in Ophir, Alaska in 1978. Wonder what she is up to todays. I always think of her as the model of "Sissy," in "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues", as she had hitchhiked bush planes to show up at camp. My daughter Bernadette and I visited Campo a few years ago and were sorry to see the the old customs house had melted away, and the simple US/Mexican border barbed wire fence was now a welded steel wall. Will be washed ashore on a beach somewhere in Baja this winter. Come on down. Barry Murray, noted Ryback basher.

Teri Chapman		05-Jul-2007 15:16
Thanks for the photo of Bill Foster! I met him at the hostel in the ski patrol lodge at Stevens Pass and then camped with him a few nights over the next week as we made our way north around Glacier Peak. It was rainy and the third week of August, 1972. He was hiking from Mexico to Canada and had been hiking for five years at that time. For me, he is "Hotel Pine Bill" because he strolled by my campsite at Pear Lake and asked me if I'd seen any "Hotel Pines". He didn't carry a tent or a tarp...he used his rain poncho and a densely leaved tree to keep dry. He made a "Mulligan Stew" for us and stayed with me under my slightly larger tarp in the more exposed campsite at Lake Sally Ann. Great lightning show! In September 1976, I came back into Hungry Horse, MT after a week out on a USFS trail crew to see Bill's photo on the front page of the local newspaper. The article mentioned he was hiking from Mexico to Canada through the Rockies. He'd passed through town and told the reporter he would be completing his trip on Forest Service roads because Glacier NP trails were closed due to grizzly attacks. The article mentioned he'd be stopping by a great little mercantile. I called the mercantile and he was there. He had no recollection of teaching me about "hotel pines" and I had no recollection of teaching him that "rushes are round, sedges have edges and grasses have joints"...but that's what he remember about me. Two friends rode with me, and we caught up with him, parked and walked with him for three or so hours before returning to our VW bus (Ketchup). Please let me know if you know more.

Guest		16-Mar-2007 05:19
great gallery...are ya still hittin' the trail.???

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