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The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, covering 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington. Some choose to explore small sections of it on day hikes, or in bigger chunks on one- or two-week backpacking trips. Others -- called thru-hikers -- do the whole trail at once over several months. For the past 15 years, Bergeron has been executive director of the Pacific Crest Trail Association, a non-profit, mostly volunteer organization that protects, maintains and promotes the PCT and allows people access to wilderness, solitude and beauty.For Bergeron, 58, who lives in Sacramento with her partner, two daughters and two dogs, its a job she cherishes. As a longtime hiker, she knows she and her co-workers are helping maintain something special for others.When she began at the PCT Association, she was one of three full-time employees. The organization today has 19 full-time employees, four seasonal employees, two interns and two independent contractors, all supporting the 1,800 volunteers who do most of the trail upkeep each year. She works closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and other land owners.Bergeron grew up in Southern California, then moved to Northern California where friends introduced her to hiking at age 30. In the years since, shes done everything from day hikes to long backpack trips. Shes enjoyed the majesty of the mountains, tried to outrun swarms of mosquitoes and huddled in her small tent to wait out a 48-hour storm.She has worked for a series of non-profit organizations, including her job at the Stanford Home for Children just before joining the PCT Association. Shes also president of the Partnership for the National Trails System that includes the designated national scenic and historic trails (including the PCT). Recently she talked about her job, its importance to herself and others and why books and movies like Wild and A Walk in the Woods are promising for the future of the PCT.A lucky breakThe person who had my job before me, I ran into him at a luncheon one day in Sacramento. He said, Hey, Im retiring. Why dont you apply for my job? My reply was, Why would I want to do that? I love what Im doing now. And he said, Nah, take a look at the website and job description. I think this is the perfect job for you. He was right. I was just in the right place at the right time.I cant. Im hiking.When they called me to interview for this job, they wanted to interview me on a Saturday, but it was the last day of an eight-day backpack trip that I had planned with a group, and had I come back early, it would have messed up everybodys plans. So I thought, Im going to ask them to change the interview to Sunday, because if anybody would understand, they should. Fortunately, they did. I was in a good frame of mind for the interview.Volunteers: the backboneI oversee all aspects of the work of the organization, but really the heart and soul of the organization is volunteers. They totaled 96,500 hours last year, the majority of that for trail maintenance. Cutting back brush and removing downed trees and making sure the trail is open for people to use.Upkeep requiredThe work that were doing, were probably covering about 50 percent of whats needed every year. So our 96,500 hours of volunteer labor, we maintain about half the trail, about 1,300 miles.Why promote the trail?We do a significant amount of promotion online: information on our website, being active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. And we publish a magazine four times a year. We provide information about actually using the trail.I think the ability to connect with nature and spend time outdoors is incredibly healing and rejuvenating for people. And the Pacific Crest Trail is this opportunity to experience nature in a number of different ways. But in order to access the solitude -- if thats what youre seeking, or the connection with trees, plants and animals -- you have to have something like the PCT that gets you out there.Going all the wayWhen I first started, I would say we knew of a couple of hundred people that were attempting to hike the whole thing or hike big sections of (the PCT). In 2015, we issued (long-distance hiking) permits to 4,500 people.Casual useThe majority of people who use and enjoy the trail are the casual day hikers and weekend backpackers. The long-distance and thru-hikers are a very, very small percentage of the overall number, but they get all the press because its so exciting and such an incredible accomplishment.Hiking vacationsIm working at completing the entire trail. I have hiked just over half of it, in sections, so Ive done close to 1,400 miles. This summer I hiked a 35-mile section over three and a half days in northern California. And I always try to get out on at least one trail maintenance project.?Trail knowledgeI keep track of the pieces Ive covered. I have a spreadsheet and I try to get out on a new piece of the trail every year. Over the years Ive found when a project or an issue comes up, its incredibly helpful if I have seen that piece of trail.My favorite sectionTheres a section in Northern California between Etna Summit and Seiad Valley. One of the reasons its a favorite of mine is I didnt know much about it. I hadnt heard very much about it, and it was beautiful. Its not as popular as say the High Sierra. The High Sierra is incredibly gorgeous and its very, very popular. I do like solitude, or quiet, I guess you could say. And it was quiet and incredibly beautiful.Books and moviesWild and A Walk in the Woods are good things because theyve increased awareness about the trail, and we need people to care about the PCT. In order to ensure the trail is here for us and for future generations, we need advocates and supporters.Its about the peopleI find the job incredibly rewarding. When I first started, I came from a childrens home, and I remember some of my colleagues, they kind of gave me a bad time and said, How could you abandon the children and go to work for a trail? I really didnt know the answer to that question until after Id been in this position for a while.What I learned is the trail is really about people, and it has an incredible impact on peoples lives. Thats what were working to protect. Were not working just to protect the trail itself; were working to protect that trail experience so that people can get out. Their lives are touched in so many ways. 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