The Pacific Crest Trail … follows the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range, which parallel the Pacific Ocean by 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km). The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles (4,260 km) long …
In 1970, Eric Ryback, a 17-year-old student, was credited as the first thru-hiker on the trail and his 1971 book The High Adventure of Eric Ryback: Canada to Mexico on Foot focused public attention on the PCT.
Wilderness Press, publisher of guide books “The Pacific Crest Trail: Volume One and Volume Two”, raised in those books specific doubts about Ryback’s claim and produced evidence that he accepted rides for some of the journey. Ryback and Chronicle Publishers sued Wilderness Press but the suits were dropped in 1974.
The first person confirmed to have thru-hiked the entire PCT, as well as the first person to hike from south to north, was Richard Watson, who completed the trail on September 1, 1972.
The first woman was Mary Carstens, who completed the journey later in 1972 …
Eric’s book is sadly out of print.
(via Hiking Lady)
besthike.com 
Interesting.
What type of proof could be found that he hitched rides? Seems like it would all be here-say unless there were pictures….
I’m adding this to my long to-read list.
As for hitched rides, any claim to hike a route or summit a mountain can be faked. Even with photos it takes a great deal of knowledge and verification by experts to truly disprove. But it’s about doubt really. Is there reason to suspect the route was not completed entirely on foot. If he claimed to hike it unsupported, were there violations.
I usually am pretty trusting, but I just had lunch with a colleague in the U.S. Secret Service. He said that he looks at everyone and assumes they did something illegal or unethical and trying to hide it until he rules out they didn’t. When it comes to capitalizing on hiking and climbing accomplishments, they definitely deserve such extra scrutiny.
–Andrew
Guilty until proven innocent. … I guess the SECRET service should be suspicious from the get go.
Interesting. I believe I read this author’s account of his Appalachian Trail hike. I read his log/notes, which were published in a compendium of very early AT journals.