The 9th Annual Pacific Crest Trail Days are almost here! Overnight camping is available on Thunder Island for a small fee, other than that PCT Days are free to attend in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Where else can you attend a family-friendly festival that includes hiking, biking and camping? The PCT Days are at Marine Park in Cascade Locks on August 28th-30th, 2015. View Saturday’s full schedule for the Pacific Crest Trail Days below.
8:30 am – 9:00 am: Bridge Walk on the Bridge of the Gods.
Do you enjoy breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge and explore what it’s like to cross the Bridge of the Gods as a hiker on the PCT? The Pacific Crest Trail Association will be hosting the 3rd Annual Pedestrian Bridge Walk. After the walk is over, head down to the Marine Park for PCT DAYS! Volunteers are needed prior to the event, and the day of the event, so if you can help, please contact Denise Gehrke / 360-901-6532 / crimsongry@hotmail.com or Bub Theus / btheus@pcta.org. (Volunteering for the Bridge Walk is separate from volunteering at PCT DAYS.)10 am – 7:00 pm: PCT DAYS Gear Fair.
Check out the latest and greatest products from our sponsors at the largest gear fair in the Pacific Northwest! If you want to learn about backpacks, tents, hiking poles, shoes, clothing, stoves, water purification systems, etc…..it’s all going to be here! (Some sponsors will have products for sale and a select few will be making gear repairs for PCT thru-hikers.)10 am – 7:00 pm: Osprey Packs – The Osprey Anti-Gravity Challenge.
Swing by the Osprey booth anytime on Saturday, 8/29, try on one of our their award-winning, revolutionary, newly-designed Atmos AG or Aura AG technical backpacks and you will automatically be entered to win one to call your very own! Osprey is giving away an Atmos and Aura AG 50 as well as an Atmos and Aura AG 65(4 packs total!) Also, don’t miss free Osprey Packs Sizing’s, Fittings, and Expert Advice! Osprey Packs will provide free pack sizing’s, fitting and usage advice with the experts at their booth. Just swing by the booth anytime and the Osprey team will be ready to help…whether you need to know your proper torso/hip size, need a pack recommendation for an upcoming trip, or want to know where we pack our bear resistant food container when needed in The Sierra!10:00 – 10:30 am: Class Session 1 – “Hiking the Backcountry with your K-9 Companion” with Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa of Allgood’s K-9 Adventures.
Whitney will demonstrate a wide range of knowledge that will enable you and your dog to maximize the enjoyment of your next outing. The class will explore all aspects of getting your dog out on trail to help both of you have an enjoyable time out in the back country. Leave No Trace, Food, Training, Dog Gear, and Ultra-Light backpacking principles will be shared along with tales from his times thru-hiking with his dogs. Whitney is the President of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West (ALDHA-West), a Leave No Trace Master Educator, and an expert at backpacking with dogs. “Allgood” has hiked the Appalachian Trail, The Allegheny Highland Trail, John Muir Trail, Wonderland Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Chinook Trail, and various other sections of the Pacific Crest Trail. For info on Allgood’s K-9 Adventures, visit: http://www.allgoodsk9adventures.com/10:30 – 11 am: Class Session 2 – “Leave No Trace” with the Subaru/LNT Traveling Trainers.
The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be offering a class on Leave No Trace skills and techniques to reduce the impact of outdoor activities. For more info on LNT, please visit: https://lnt.org/11am – 12 pm: Class Session 3 – “Get Out More Tour Backpacking Clinic” with Backpacker Magazine.
Whether you are new to hiking & camping or someone who wants to expand their knowledge of outdoor gear and practices, attend this clinic! For more info on the Get Out More Tour, visit: http://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/events/get-out-more-tour-2015/12 pm – 1 pm: PCT DAYS Raffle #1:
As a warm up to the main raffle later in the day, there will be a LOT of great products to win, ranging from tents to backpacks to clothing to shoes to, well…you get it! Scott “Squatch” Herriott and the PCT DAYS Event Director, Jason “Nabor J” Waicunas will MC the activity, which is always a fun time. Raffle tickets are $3.00 each for 1-5 tickets. After purchasing 5 tickets, they are $2.00 each. (5 tickets are $15, 10 tickets are $25, 20 tickets are $45, and so on.) It’s not uncommon for people to buy as many as 30 tickets, so be sure to bring plenty of cash to increase your chance to win! All proceeds from raffle ticket sales go to the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West.1-1:30 pm: Vasque – Bean Bag Toss
Check out the Vasque booth to participate in a Bean Bag Toss! Each participant gets a limit of 30 seconds between 1-1:30 to score as high as possible within their 5 tosses. All participants who get the top 10 scores in 5 tosses get put into a raffle for a pair of Vasque Inhalers.1:30-2 pm: USFS – Infomercial Contest: Making the Lowest Impact
Stop by the USFS booth to play an interactive role playing game for Leave No Trace principles. The booth will be easy to find, just look for the 8′ tall Smokey the Bear!2-2:30 pm: ALDHA-WEST – Mini Hiker Olympics
Visit the ALDHA-WEST booth to test your skills and knowledge against others to see if you have what it takes to stand atop the podium and claim the honor of being the trashiest of hiker trash. Activities will test your knowledge of all things trail, your ability to eat, and a surprise event. Prizes to the top 3 winners.2:30-3 pm: Klean Kanteen – Water Pong
Visit the Klean Kanteen booth to play water pong! To enter your name in the drawing, a participant must land a ping pong ball into one of the 10 provided pint cups. They will get three throws each and winners will be determined by drawing a name. Winners will receive a new 20oz insulated classic Kanteen!3-3:30 pm: Granite Gear’s Trivia, Toss, and WIN
Question: Where is everyone a winner (while supplies last)? Answer: At the Granite Gear booth! Stop by their booth, answer a trivia question correctly and you’ll move on to play Toss N’ Topple. If you have a solid toss, you win one of their Minnesotough products. Up for the challenge?4-4:30 pm: Icebreaker – Kiwi Horseshoes
Visit the Icebreaker booth to play Kiwi Horseshoes! You haven’t heard of Kiwi Horseshoes? We’ll you’re not out of the loop since we made up the nameKiwi Horseshoes gives a generous nod to the game also known as Polish Frisbee, Beersbee, French Darts or Frisbeener. The game is played with 4 people (set in teams of two), involves a Frisbee, two steaks and two bottles. The first team tosses the Frisbee, aiming it towards a glass bottle that is placed on top of the stake opposite them. Then the other team throws the Frisbee at the first team’s bottle. Points are scored when the Frisbee hits the stake or the bottle, when the bottle is knocked off the stake and hits the ground, or when the receiving team fails to catch the Frisbee.
4:30-5 pm: PCTA – Crosscut Saw Demo
Stop by the PCTA booth and get your lumberjack on! Old-fashioned crosscut saws are the tool of choice for tackling fallen trees on the trail in designated wilderness. Come and see how spirited volunteers and forest service partners do it.5:30 – 6:30 pm: PCT DAYS Raffle #2:
If you missed the first raffle or didn’t win and want another chance, there will be a LOT of great products at the second raffle, which is the last event of the afternoon! Scott “Squatch” Herriott and the PCT DAYS Event Director, Jason “Nabor J” Waicunas will MC the activity, which is always a fun time. Raffle tickets are $3.00 each for 1-5 tickets. After purchasing 5 tickets, they are $2.00 each. (5 tickets are $15, 10 tickets are $25, 20 tickets are $45, and so on.) It’s not uncommon for people to buy as many as 30 tickets, so be sure to bring plenty of cash to increase your chance to win! All proceeds from raffle ticket sales go to the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West.8:00 – 9:30 pm: PCT DAYS Event Party!
Join us at the stage area to celebrate PCT DAYS…it’s not uncommon for a dance party to take place, so save your energy and end the day at the Event Party!
Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here
SRC: View Friday and Sunday’s Pacific Crest Trail Days schedule at: www.pctdays.com/schedule/
Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here