Wet, Snowy Winter Creates Life-Threatening Hazards for Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Brian Melley - The Associated Press
go to original June 26, 2017

In this early June 2015 photo taken along the Pacific Crest Trail near Kearsarge Lakes in Kings Canyon National Park shows what conditions were when there was little snow on the trail. (Brien Bower/AP)

Hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail have been detouring California's high Sierra in droves this year because of persistent snow and raging creeks.

Several hikers have had close-calls while attempting to cover the 2,650-mile scenic trail running from Mexico to Canada on the West Coast.

Hikers have survived an avalanche, falls on snow and several dangerous river crossings that nearly swept them away.

Anya Sellsted says she nearly drowned in Yosemite National Park after being sucked under water at a log crossing.

She was able to hike to safety and tried to tackle a stretch of the trail in Oregon last week. However, she found more snow there and will now try her luck in Washington.

The experiences serve as cautionary tales for hikers heading into the wilderness this summer.

Read the rest at The Gazette

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!