"CAMPO, Calif. — Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a challenge, especially for adventurers making the entire run from Southern California to Canada, and Eric Kipperman’s job is to greet them at the start and lay bare the difficulties ahead.

He has lately begun warning that the journey may be even tougher. Following cuts by the Trump administration, plans to clear downed trees and rebuild storm-battered stretches in 2025 have been scrapped.

“This year, we’re going to have less trail work done on the trails, so just know that going into your hike, safety is the most important thing,” Kipperman told a group of backpackers from Europe and the United States at the trailhead near Campo, California, an hour’s drive east of San Diego.

He cautioned there is “no trail” at all in parts of the 2,650-mile (4,265 kilometers) path through California, Oregon and Washington state."

Julie Watson reports for the Associated Press April 6, 2025. [2]