Amazons: Bernadette Murray Revisits the Pacific Crest Trail

Our guest is Bernadette Murray who together with her friend Lara Friesan will embark on the 2560 mile horseback ride of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in April 2020.  The journey will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Murray family thru-ride beginning in April 2020, and ending October 2020. They will explore and compare the countless differences between then and now. From antiquated maps to GPS; cast iron to titanium; Kodachrome to selfie-sticks the history of the Pacific Crest Trail provides a considerably different tale from conception to its current use. In 1970, the Murray family could go for weeks without seeing anyone. They had campsites and fishing holes all to themselves. Since then, the popularity of the trail has risen exponentially accelerated by exposure from the media and the increased need to escape. With an estimated million users annually, it now takes organizations, such as the PCTA and the US Forest Service to manage and preserve the trail’s world-class experience for generations to come. Their journey 50 years ago was a raw undertaking in the wilderness, completely disconnected from society. Today being in nature is increasingly important as the age of technology rapidly advances. Chris Stafford caught up with Bernadette at her home near the Columbia River in Oregon.

Host: Chris Stafford
Recorded: August 20, 2019

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