May 2017 - Out on the Border

OCT South Coast Lodging, Section 1: Smith River, CA, to Gold Beach, OR

By Jenni Denekas | May 24, 2017

There are some significant gaps in terms of lodging and camping options along the southern Oregon coast. Creativity and/or high-mileage days will help you garner places to stay in this span. Here I’ll list your options, but with a heavy emphasis on what I did. That’s partly because I can only speak to what I have experienced myself, and partly because there aren’t that many other options.

Please note that your needs and preferences may differ from mine for a variety of reasons. First of all, I was northbound, and therefore this was the first part of my journey on the Oregon Coast Trail. Seasoned southbound hikers would likely be able to hammer out more mileage, thus bridging some of the gaps in lodging. I also took some long rests in a few towns, which I personally benefited from, but you may not need. Your budget, time frame, daily mileage goals, fitness level, and a whole host of other factors will determine where you stay and how long you remain there. Read about considerations to keep in mind as you plan your OCT lodging.

Jump to OCT South Coast Trail Data to figure out your daily mileage goals.

I’ll list prices for the places I stayed so that you can get an idea of what you may expect to pay, but please note that: a.) I did the OCT in the spring, rather than during the height of summer tourist season, and b.) Prices are subject to change. Please only use this information I provided as a general reference, and do your own research as to current prices.

The Night Before: Stay Near the Border

Lodging Options: Solid (A few choices, good reviews)
Camping Options: Non-Existent
Jenni’s Recommendation: Casa Rubio (0.3 miles south of the border)

There are NO CAMPING OPTIONS right by the Oregon-California border and Crissey Field Station. Google Maps claims that there is a US Forest Service campground by Crissey, but that is NOT TRUE. So your options are to:

Stay a little farther north, in Brookings, and bus/hitch (or walk) to the border the next day, or
Stay a little farther south, in Smith River, California, and walk (or bus/hitch) north from there.

Since I didn’t want to miss a single inch of Oregon and wanted to actually walk across the border (and take a picture with the “Welcome to Oregon” sign), I decided to find a place in Smith River. I originally hoped to stay at Casa Rubio, 0.3 highway miles from the border. My friend and I ended up staying at Sea Escape Oceanfront Lodging, 1.6 miles south of the border ($108/night). I found this place on AirBnB. (NOTE: The motel does not list its name on AirBnB, and the address/location is incorrect so I initially THOUGHT this was Casa Rubio, and I was a bit disappointed to find that it was actually farther south.) When I realized my mistake, Casa Rubio was already booked, so I kept my reservation at Sea Escape.

Our cozy motel in Smith River — Sea Escape Oceanfront Lodging.

Sea Escape was fine; our room was cute and cozy, and we had a small kitchen area with a stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, sink, and dishes. The room had a slightly odd, musty smell, but we weren’t there long enough for that to be an issue, even for me (I’m like a canary in a coal mine with my asthma!).

A big plus: We were able to just walk out the door the next morning and get down to the beach.

These formations were beautiful but treacherous. We cut up to Highway 101 to circumvent this.

However, after only about a mile, we had to cut up to Highway 101 because we ran into a big, rocky headland. Since the cliffs overlooking the beach in this area were all covered in private homes and vacation rentals, we had to climb someone’s staircase and cut through their yard to reach 101 (sorry!). This is another reason that I would have preferred to stay at Casa Rubio: It would have been more straightforward to walk into Oregon. It would have been an easy, short jaunt on the highway, or an easy, unimpeded beach walk, based on my Google Earth observations. Casa Rubio also has good reviews, but I can’t personally speak to what it’s like to stay there, of course. From a purely logistical standpoint, however, I would recommend Casa Rubio.

How to get there: My friend and I took the Greyhound from Portland to Smith River ($98). After Medford, we left the official Greyhound bus and traveled the rest of the way on a local bus that collaborates with Greyhound (included in the $98 Greyhound ticket). Local buses on the coast are really laid-back, and we were able to request that the driver drop us off right in front of our motel. That was awesome! Read more about transit on the southern coast.

Night 1: North End of Brookings

Camping at Harris Beach State Park — Home sweet home, night one. A skunk visited us!

Lodging Options: Great (Many choices, good reviews)
Camping Options: Harris Beach State Park
Jenni’s Recommendation: Harris Beach State Park

My friend and I camped at Harris Beach State Park (pictured, top and right), on the north end of Brookings. This is a stunningly beautiful park featuring sea stacks, beaches, and coastal rainforest. Lodging options within the campground include: Hiker-Biker ($5, cannot reserve in advance), reservable campsites ($20 plus online transaction fees ), yurts ($43-$53, could be useful if you want to save pack weight and not bring a tent), and RV sites ($28-$30, could be useful if you have a support crew following you!). Since I began my trip during spring break for most Oregon schools, I didn’t want to risk not having a spot at the end of the day, and chose to reserve one of the $20 campsites online. The campground was pretty full, but the hiker-biker camps always seem to have spots available, so it was probably unnecessary to do that. I was glad for the peace of mind, though.

One thing I’ll note is that my friend and I were careless about storing/hanging our food that night, and a skunk ate some of our oatmeal. When I tried to scare the skunk off, he was completely unimpressed. I retreated into the tent so I wouldn’t get sprayed. That was definitely our bad for being careless, but it does seem as though skunks are habituated there – based on our experience, as well as conversations I had along the trail. Please do your part by being diligent about how you store your food. This will be better for you, as well as for the next people who pass through the camp.

Alternatively, you could choose to stay in Brookings. There are a lot of options in town. From a purely logistical perspective, I would recommend staying on the north end of town so that you do not have as much mileage to do the next day. There is only one official place you can stay the next day, and it’s about 9 hilly miles away from Harris Beach. When I was at the start of my trip and trying to get back into backpacking shape, that was a lot!

Night 2: Whaleshead

Lodging Options: Only One, Too Expensive
Camping Options: Gotta Get Creative
Jenni’s Recommendation: Stealth Camp

There are two options in this area: One legal, and one illegal. One is expensive, one is free (unless you get caught).

Legal Option: Whaleshead RV Resort, which has cabins for rent (the cheapest seems to be $169/night) as well as RV spaces (again, potentially useful if you have a support crew following you). I called in advance, and was told that they didn’t allow tent camping on their property. I was also not interested in paying so much for such a basic cabin. (However, they redeemed themselves in my eyes when they let my friend and I sit in their lobby for a little while to warm up and dry off at the end of a brutal day of sideways rain. Thanks again!)

There isn’t a place to stay other than Whaleshead for the 16.9 highway miles (20 or more trail miles) between Harris Beach State Park and the campground at Pistol River.

This nice, open, flat, grassy area would hypothetically be a good (albeit illegal) campsite.

Illegal Option: The alternative in this area is “stealth camping.” Note that the entire Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is officially day-use only. It is illegal to camp. If you DO follow through on this, DO NOT blame me if you get caught. DO be aware of the consequences. Most importantly, DO NOT TRASH THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE. Put the “stealth” in “stealth camping” and make sure that you practice Leave No Trace techniques to a “T.” If you are unfamiliar with LNT, read more here.

I would hypothetically consider the day-use area at Whaleshead, which is nearly directly across the highway from the Whaleshead RV Resort, to be a good spot for some “stealth camping.” The OCT emerges from the forest into a lovely, shaded, grassy, flat area that is set back from an outhouse and a parking lot far enough that one would have some privacy if one were to set up a small tent there.

This spot is right next to Whaleshead Creek, which we did pump some water from as we passed through. This area seemed quiet at night (it’s officially day-use only and is down a steep, gravel road that seems to discourage many from driving down), and would be really beautiful, hypothetically, to wake up to. There are some picnic tables in the vicinity, too. Again, this is NOT LEGAL to do. I’m simply stating that if a hiker was hypothetically desperate for a place to sleep, and didn’t want to pay an absurd amount for a cabin, this seems like a good, safe spot for a hypothetical camp. And again, if you ever are to do this, please practice Leave No Trace – in fact, you ALWAYS should when you camp, no matter where you are!

A seasoned hiker could blast through this area in one day, but 9 miles of ups and downs in brutal weather was enough for my friend and me on Day 2. By the trip’s end, I probably could have done Boardman in one go, but certainly not at the start!

Night 3: Pistol River, Stealth Camping, or Gold Beach

Lodging Options: OK (Gold Beach has a lot of options, though you’ll have to backtrack the next day)
Camping Options: One Legit Option (Pistol River)
Jenni’s Recommendation: Pistol River Campground

There is no evidence of this campground online, but there IS one at Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint. It’s across Highway 101, away from the ocean. My friend and I didn’t stay there, but we saw the signs for it! Logistically, I think this would be the best option for the pace/mileage we were doing. What I would envision is hiking from Whaleshead to Arch Rock Viewpoint (about 10 trail miles) and then getting a ride to Pistol River (otherwise you have a lot of highway walking ahead of you). This would put you in place to hike about 15 miles into the town of Gold Beach the next day.

Alternatively, there is a spot called Secret Beach near the Arch Rock Viewpoint in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Word is that it has been used for camping before. I would be cautious about using this spot, though, especially in the spring and fall, when waves are driven higher by storms. During the time I was doing the OCT, that would not have worked out. Also, please note, again, that Boardman is OFFICIALLY day-use only. Camping there is illegal, but hypothetically could be done with discretion.

I suppose one could also hypothetically camp at the Arch Rock Viewpoint. There is a relatively large, forested area a little ways off the highway where one could pitch a tent. There is an outhouse and there are picnic tables. Just note that, again, this would be illegal, and that this is a very popular tourist stop, so you would need to arrive late and leave early to avoid detection. And again, if you are to “stealth camp,” then BE STEALTHY and LEAVE NO TRACE. Review LNT principles here.

Another option would be to get a ride at the end of the day from Arch Rock to the town of Gold Beach. The next day, you would have to backtrack to the Pistol River to complete the 15 miles of the OCT between Pistol and Gold Beach, but that would be easy enough to do by bus or hitching. See the entry below for my Gold Beach recommendations.

Nights 4, 5, & 6: Gold Beach

Lodging Options: Great (Tons of good places to choose from)
Camping Options: Two Good Spots
Jenni’s Recommendation: Pacific Reef Hotel

The view from the second floor of Gold Beach Books.

Gold Beach is an adorable town, and a great place to spend a day or two resting and resupplying. There are two grocery stores, McKay’s Market and Ray’s Food Place; an Ace Hardware Store, where I bought a really nice knife after realizing I forgot to pack mine; a laundromat; some delicious restaurants; Gold Beach Books, an awesome bookstore that offers free shipping (useful when you want to buy everything they have but don’t want to fill your pack with books); and quite a lot of options for places to stay.

My friend and I stayed at the Pacific Reef Hotel ($75/night), which I would highly recommend. The room we shared was basic but spacious, clean, and comfortable. We had a microwave and a mini fridge. The staff were really friendly and helpful. They have an outdoor movie screen where they show a video about the southern Oregon coast each night (free), and at least when we were there, they also screened the adorable Pixar short “Lava,” which I recommend watching right now.

Pacific Reef also has a relationship with the Chowder House, which is literally next door. Guests at Pacific Reef are given a coupon for a free cup of delicious chowder, which was one of the most satisfying things ever after a few days of hard, rainy hiking!

There are quite a few other hotels and motels in Gold Beach, as well as some hotels and motels on the other side of the Rogue River in Wedderburn. There are also two camping options on the border of Gold Beach: Indian Creek RV Park (which DOES have tent camping), and Quosotana Campground, managed by the US Forest Service (first-come, first-served, 15 miles outside of Gold Beach).

Jump ahead to the next section: OCT South Coast Lodging, Section 2

“You’re Out Here Alone!”

By Jenni Denekas | May 23, 2017

Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail While Female, Episode 57, Day 26

Earlier in this gray, 10-mile day, I had reached the (approximate) halfway point of my hike: Waldport. I was trucking along on the short segment of Highway 101 that I needed to reach Driftwood State Park, and beach access.

I was not too happy about being on 101, especially after a pickup truck driven by a young male asshole swerved towards me and honked, apparently just for laughs. I tried to scratch his paint with my trekking pole. I was frustrated but not shocked. I had already been through this scenario before (which is why my right trekking pole didn’t have a tip protector on, so I was ready for maximum paint-scratching).

I sighed and pushed forward, knowing the best thing to do was to move quickly so I could get off the highway as soon as possible.

I was on a roll when I spotted a cyclist cruising towards me a half-mile later.

As he approached, he slowed to a stop. He looked incredulous.

He blurted, “You’re out here alone!”

Immediately I responded, with the same tone of voice, “You too!!!”

“Yeah, but, you’re… Never mind.” He seemed to think better of finishing his sentence.

We chatted for a couple of minutes. It turned out he was cycling to San Francisco on 101. I pointed out that that, to me, was crazier than what I was doing! I mentioned the truck that buzzed me a little while ago and said ruefully that I wouldn’t want to be on the highway that much.

He started to say, in that incredulous tone again, “But you’re out here by your-“

“You are, too. I guess we’re both crazy!” I kept my tone light but firm. He laughed and dropped the subject.

We shook hands, wished each other luck, and continued on our separate ways. He was going south, I was heading north.

I was glad that, only the day before, I had brainstormed snappy replies to people commenting on the fact that I was a woman hiking alone. This cyclist didn’t seem like a bad person; he seemed like the sort who probably just hadn’t thought about this issue much before. He was one of those cases where a comment like mine could, hopefully, get through to him. I sincerely hope that I made him think. I hope that I made him consider that he shouldn’t be amazed by a woman alone. I hope that when he regales his friends with stories from his trip, that I am just another endurance athlete, not an anomaly.

Bottom line: Women belong outdoors, out pushing ourselves, out experiencing the world, just as much as men do. HUMANS deserve these experiences. Male, female, trans, gender-non-conforming, all races, all abilities… WE ALL DESERVE ACCESS TO NATURE.

It starts with each and every one of you, dear readers: What will you do to make the outdoors more accessible and comfortable for all? See the Pitch In page for ideas!

Photos: OCT Section 1: Smith River, CA to Gold Beach, OR

By Jenni Denekas | May 19, 2017

The first 40-some miles of my trip were stunning. In this span, sea stacks and dramatic cliffs are interspersed with beautiful, quiet beaches and coastal rain forest. The lovely towns of Brookings and Gold Beach are great destinations.

There are many state parks along this stretch. From south to north: Pelican Beach State Park (California), Crissey Field State Recreation Site (Oregon), Harris Beach State Park, Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, and Pistol River State Park. Indian Sands, located in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, is on the National Register of Historic Places due to its archaeological significance. Learn more nitty-gritty details about the OCT South Coast.

I also was lucky to have a wonderful friend join me for my first four days on the trail! Thanks, dude!

Best Trail Food

By Jenni Denekas | May 18, 2017

Eating plenty of nutrient-rich, calorie-dense food is crucial to success. On top of that, I have found that it is vitally important to keep my diet varied and interesting on the trail. Even when I’m tired and starving, I can be totally uninterested in eating if I have the same food all the time. Therefore, it is critical to be creative and utilize a variety of different recipes, especially for long trips.

I have been enjoying putting together my own dried meals, because I can be more creative, more selective in what I’m putting in my body (some freeze-dried food is great, but there can be a lot of weird preservatives in pre-packaged meals), and save some money by buying dry ingredients in bulk. The recipes I included can be made WITHOUT a dehydrator!

Here are a few suggestions for easy, healthy meals that you can use to shake things up:

Breakfast

Product: Backpacker’s Pantry Huevos Rancheros. Freeze-dried eggs taste way better than you think. Bring a little salsa and pepperjack cheese to enhance the awesomeness. If you’re extra hungry, one 2-serving packet = one satisfying meal. I typically alternate between eggs and oatmeal for breakfast, and didn’t get tired of either over the course of 45 days on the Oregon Coast Trail. Dietary Needs: Vegetarian.

Lunch

Hummus, cheese, veggies, pita. Boom. Easy and healthy. It will all keep well for a couple of days, up to 3 or 4 if the weather is cool. Dietary Needs: Vegetarian, can be Gluten Free.

Dinner

Recipe: Easy Coconut Curry. Hydrating, delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. Dietary Needs: Gluten Free, can be Vegetarian if you leave out the chicken.
Recipe: Trail Thanksgiving. Comfort food in the backcountry. Definitely NOT vegetarian or gluten free.
Recipe: Veggie Pasta. Simple but delicious. Dietary Needs: Can be Vegetarian or Gluten Free.
Product: Mary Jane’s Farm. All of their food is delicious. I also once accidentally added too much water to the “Bare Burrito” bag, and it turned into, essentially, vegetarian chicken tortilla soup. Now I purposely do that on days when I’m feeling dehydrated. Delicious and useful! Dietary Needs: Vegetarian.

What are your favorite trail meals? I’d love to get some new ideas! Share them in the comment section below!

Best Trail Food: Easy Coconut Curry

By Jenni Denekas | May 17, 2017

One of my favorite backcountry meals is this Easy Coconut Curry from Backpacker. One of my friends shared this with our hiking group a few years ago. This meal is delicious, nutritious, calorie-dense, easy to prep, easy to cook on the trail, and hard to get tired of. I also personally find curry to be a great choice for refueling after a strenuous day. It helps me feel rehydrated and refreshed.

This recipe is gluten-free, and can also easily be vegetarian (just leave out the chicken). I personally think the chicken is unnecessary, anyway. The curry is quite filling without it.

So without further ado, here is the recipe, as featured in Backpacker:

Easy Coconut Curry

Total weight: 15.6 ounces; 11.6 without chicken

Ingredients

1 cup couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons mixed dehydrated vegetables
2/3 cup powdered coconut milk mixed with 11/4 cup water
1 4-ounce chicken packet
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce

At-Home Preparation

Dehydrate a mixture of vegetables such as peas, red peppers, carrots, spinach, and corn (or buy freeze-dried). (Jenni’s suggestion: Just buy a bag of dried veggies at a world foods store, or a dried soup mix at any grocery store.) Put curry and garlic in a zip-top bag. Transfer oil and soy sauce to spill-proof containers. (Jenni’s suggestion: Get a reusable, silicone salad dressing bottle).

In-Camp Preparation

Boil 1 1/4 cups water, add couscous and olive oil, remove from heat, and cover. Let sit for five minutes or until water is absorbed. Heat reconstituted milk to a simmer; add rehydrated vegetables and chicken. Mix in curry and garlic powders, sweetener, and soy sauce. Spoon over couscous and enjoy. (Jenni’s suggestion: That’s too complicated. Just dump everything into the boiling water at once and let it simmer, if your stove has that option, or let it sit in a sealed container for a while after mixing in boiling water. Stir and eat.)

More Jenni-suggestions: I generally add some dried basil to this recipe, which provides a bit of magnesium, manganese, and other nutrients that aid in recovery. I personally also tend to need a lot of salt after exercise, so I use the good ol’ fashioned, high-sodium soy sauce.

Have you tried this on the trail? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Check out more trail recipes here, and learn more about nutrition for endurance here.

The OCT: Why I Went and What I Gained

By Jenni Denekas | May 17, 2017

Why hike 367 miles, enduring exhaustion, vertical rain, diagonal rain, and even horizontal rain?

There were many factors that reinforced my decision:

2017 is the fiftieth anniversary of the Beach Bill, the law signed by Governor Tom McCall that expanded protections for Oregon’s public coastline. (This law allows the Oregon Coast Trail to exist.)
I have always been intrigued by connecting landmarks on foot.
I have always wanted to do a thru-hike.
I love Oregon and its beautiful coast.
I love land use (the innovative statewide program that, again, makes the OCT possible).
I enjoy challenging myself.

Underneath all of these good reasons to go was a much simpler one, however: My heart was broken and I needed to heal.

A lot of challenging events happened in quick succession in the months leading up to my hike:

The man who I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with cheated on me. I found out three days before Christmas. Bah humbug.
I was let go from my favorite job, without an explanation. Not being allowed to say goodbye properly was a cruel twist to an already disappointing and unexpected outcome.
Soon after, a significant family emergency happened, and that has been an ongoing saga of awfulness.

The bright side of seemingly everything crashing down around me was that I had a lot of time on my hands. So I defaulted to what I often do when I am hurting: I made plans to escape into nature for a while. It was time to realize a long-standing goal: To complete a thru-hike.

The Oregon Coast Trail, specifically, appealed to me because of the reasons that I listed in the first paragraph of this essay. On top of those reasons, the timing wasn’t quite right for any of the other thru-hikes I otherwise may have considered. In particular, I have always been interested in the Pacific Crest Trail, but I was already anxious to start in February, and this winter was a record-breaking one, yielding a massive snowpack. I heard many PCT hikers were delaying their starts. The OCT, on the other hand, didn’t need to thaw out (well, aside from that snow that fell in Gold Beach a couple weeks before my hike).

Another consideration was that I hadn’t done a real thru-hike before. The most noteworthy point-to-point excursion I’d done prior to the OCT was the Salkantay Trek in Peru, but that doesn’t count as a thru-hike in my opinion, because it was glamping (it was a great experience, though; I do recommend this trip). My longest backpacking trip prior to the OCT was seven days, and my longest solo trip was a weekend overnighter. Granted, I had done those two amounts multiple times, but it still was quite a leap to plan a multi-week solo trek.

I also figured that the 367-mile OCT was a nice, moderate amount of distance and time for a first thru-hike. The frequent proximity to towns and to Highway 101 would also help to ensure that I could get any supplies or assistance that I might need along the way. Bottom line: It seemed like the most reasonable, crazy-impulsive decision I could make.

As it turns out, the OCT was, indeed, a good introduction to thru-hiking. It was both challenging and manageable, and I finished feeling healthy and strong.

And what did I gain? This is an incomplete list, in spite of its length:

I saw incredible scenery, experienced many lovely small towns, and met many wonderful people.
I learned how to hitch hike (thanks, Dani).
I gained new perspective and my problems now feel a lot smaller.
I have built a lot of mental and physical strength.
The awesome staff at Seven Devils Brewing gave me a rad, warm hat.
I found cool rocks and shells.
My friend Stacey and I learned that beagles and sea lions sound about the same.
I marched for science in Newport.
I read some good books (including one I got at the awesome Gold Beach Bookstore).
I saw tons of velella velella.
I got super sick, recovered, and managed to finish strong.
I finally, completely, cut out my ex, which has paved the way to greater healing.
I made new friends and strengthened already-existing connections.
I gained new levels of appreciation for my wonderful parents, got to hike my final day with my dad, and celebrate with my mom and dad at the finish line.

In short: Was the OCT worth it? Absolutely. I gained a stronger, better version of myself, in addition to regaining my faith in humanity, deepening my relationships with people who actually matter, deepening my relationship to my beautiful home state, and enjoying an awesome adventure.

Was the pain that led me to do the OCT worth it? Sort of. What happened in the months leading up to my trip was unacceptable, and in some cases, unforgivable. But that pain pushed me to do an adventure that has strengthened me and enriched my life. It’s also the only reality I have, and the only life I have. I have chosen to make the most of it.

I encourage you to make the most of it, too, and to get planning your own OCT adventure!

Read all of my OCT-related blog posts, or go to my OCT Journal page.

What is your reason to thru-hike? Share in the comments!

OCT Accommodations: Planning Versus Winging It

By Jenni Denekas | May 17, 2017

The Oregon Coast Trail weaves in and out of towns and passes through many Oregon State Park campgrounds. Thru-hikers therefore have the opportunity to enjoy a range of accommodations, but this also presents a dilemma: How much should you plan ahead? More specifically, should you reserve accommodations in advance, or are you comfortable winging it?

I will begin by sharing my own thought process, and then offer you some key questions to ask yourself as you begin planning your trip.

I chose to reserve nearly all of my accommodations in advance. There were a number of reasons that I did so, including:

Regulations/Availability: Although the entire Oregon coast is public, it is only legal to camp on the coast in certain areas. I’m admittedly still unclear on some of the rules governing this, but my understanding is that you cannot camp anywhere within sight of homes or the highway. In Oregon State Parks, you can only stay in designated campgrounds, and obviously it is prohibited to stay overnight. Furthermore, places to stay overnight are few and far between on some spans of the coast, for instance, along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. This combination of factors inherently reduces lodging options, and I wanted to make sure I had somewhere to stay each night.
Timing: My first week on the trail coincided with spring break for most Oregon schools, so I knew people would be flocking to the coast. My hike was slated to end in early May, when the weather would be improving, so I assumed (correctly) that it would be crowded then as well.
Risk/Reward: I did not like the idea of completing a long, tiring day of hiking, only to find that where I wanted to stay was already full, and that I would have to continue on. I have heard stories of PCT and AT hikers in this situation, and while you have to do what you have to do, I decided I would prefer to avoid this if possible.
Personal Style: I prefer having a well-thought out plan in advance.
Safety: It is generally a good idea to leave a detailed plan with a trusted person whenever embarking upon a hike of any length. Since I was hiking 367 miles solo, this was especially important. Having a route and lodging planned in advance would make my whereabouts clear, in case anyone needed to come looking for me.

In many ways, my system worked well for me. The main upsides of reserving in advance, in my opinion, were:

Peace of Mind: Why add more uncertainty to an already-challenging hike? Knowing that I had a place to stay each night made me feel more comfortable. Knowing for sure when I would be in certain towns also helped me to plan my resupply strategy and thus feel more secure about my food supply.
Motivation: Sometimes the basic necessity of having to push through to get to where I was staying was what kept me going at the end of a hard day.
Having a Good Place to Stay: I typically selected my in-town lodging based on reviews, as well as proximity to stores, laundromats, restaurants, and so forth. Doing this research in advance helped my “zero days” in town to be more restful and productive.
Coordinating with Friends and Family: Since I knew where I would be and when, it was easier to coordinate with friends and family who wanted to visit me.

However, there were some definite downsides to making my hike this structured, including:

Lack of Flexibility: When I ran into a couple of significant snags, I essentially had to choose whether to divert from my plan (which would necessitate re-doing reservations and returning home later than I intended), to get a ride to make it to my next destination, or to suck it up and shuffle on (which, in a couple of cases, would have likely ended my hike prematurely by exhausting, sickening, or injuring me). All of those options are less than ideal, and having a more flexible schedule would not have forced me to make these choices quite as often.
Additional Expense: Reserving online, whether it’s campsites or hotels, typically means transaction fees. Additionally, reservable campsites are typically $17-$21, not including transaction fees (prices subject to change, of course). On the flip side, if you do not reserve in advance, it’s possible you may accrue unexpected expenses due to limited choices. But in my case, there were definitely times I could have saved money by just walking in to the $5 hiker-biker camps.
A Lot of Work: Personally, I love both the process of planning trips and also the results: Having detailed itineraries and peace of mind. But it obviously requires a lot of work up-front. For me, it wasn’t a problem, because I had plenty of time to dedicate to planning my trip. But I recognize that not everyone has that luxury, and that not everyone is wired in the same way. For some people, detailed planning could cramp their style.

Indeed, a lot of this has to do with your personality. So now that you understand my thought process, I would suggest asking yourself these questions as you plan your own trip:

Personal Travel Style:

Am I more comfortable with having a firm plan and controlling my circumstances, or with being flexible and responsive to changing situations?
Do I want to have a rustic experience, stay in hotels, or a combination?

Budget:

How much am I willing to spend on lodging? i.e. Will I focus on staying in the $5 hiker-biker camps (not reservable in advance), do I want to indulge on some nice hotels (reserve in advance), or a combination?
How much money do I want to set aside for unexpected, last-minute changes to my plan?

Fitness/Mileage/Goals:

How much mileage do I plan to make each day?
Do I have a defined end-date (i.e. Something I need to return home for) or am I flexible?
Is that realistic for my fitness and for the lodging options available?

Legality: Am I more comfortable with staying in purely legal spots (designated campsites and/or motels) or am I comfortable with the idea of “stealth-camping” if need arises? NOTE: This will also, in some areas, influence daily mileage goals. Read more about the legal/practical lodging dilemma, and about specific lodging suggestions throughout the OCT.

Ready to dive further into planning? Get more tips here.