Alexander,
The closest common trailhead to the PCT on a highway from Eugene is either 1) the crossing at McKenzie Pass, highway 242 on the way to Sisters (PCT mile 1981) near where the Dee Wright Observatory is. You could hike south from there around the Sisters to Elk Lake, which is the next usual resupply point and is right on the Cascades Scenic highway that goes N to Bend or S towards Willamette Pass.
Or 2) the crossing at Odell Lake / Shelter Cove at Willamette Pass SE from Eugene on HW 58. You could start there around PCT mile 1905 and either go N to Elk Lake or to HW 242 OR you could go S from there towards Diamond Lake and/or on a bit more to Crater Lake National Park.
If you have someone to pick you up, then McKenzie Pass and Odell Lake are both very easy drives from Eugene, and Elk Lake being between them is not much further.
If you don't then, you are at the mercy of whoever happens to be where you end up to give you a ride back. In that case, you want to end up in a place that has more people driving from it or through it. Picking a place where more people are visiting makes it more likely (statistically anyway) to get a ride. Both HW 242 and 58 will obviously have many people driving toward Eugene. Often in summer, the area around Dee Observatory is packed with day sightseers gawking and selfieing at the Sisters.
Elk Lake Resort often has people from Bend area staying there and you may be able find a ride to Bend from there or you may even find a person going west to Eugene. I imagine there must be some sort of bus service from Bend to Eugene. (There is from Bend to Portland: call these guys and I bet they will know if there is something from Bend to Eugene:
http://cobreeze.com/)
It helps to make a sign saying you are a PCT hiker, so you won't look like just another hitchhiker. I always carry one. (And personally I always stop for people around here in Portland with "PCT Hiker" on their signs.)
Here are other tips for getting rides:
http://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/p ... est-trail/Also, check out the Trail Angel list for people near where you may end up:
http://trailangellist.org/pacific-crest-trail/ - you may be able to schedule a ride.
It's ~76 trail miles from HW 242 McKenzie trailhead to HW 58 Odell Lake, so if you hike 12 miles a day average, you can do that whole stretch in a week with the ability to do some resupply at Elk Lake (you can mail yourself a package there).
It depends on what you want to see in a way. And how far you want to go. If this is your first trip out on the PCT, my suggestion is to go lower miles and have fun with it as you learn how to do things as you go along. 10 miles a day is a good starting rate, and you can see a lot & this gives you time to learn your gear and spend four or five days at it the first time.
My suggestion for this time of year in that area is to go as light as you can on gear, since it will be dry and you will need to carry more water than usual. Many small streams and seasonal water sources will have dried up. Water is heavy. Take as light a tent as you can get away with, or even a tarp, since the weather will be mostly still good, except for possible thundershowers. But do take something in case of rain. (I hiked from Cascade Locks down to Mt Jefferson area earlier this summer and only had to put my tarp up twice in the Gorge on the first two cloudy days, and never again.)
If you don't have a copy of the PCT maps made by HalfMile, then get them immediately before doing anything else. They are free online to print out:
https://www.pctmap.net/ and take note of the water sources marked there and use that to calculate your trip.
See also the current Oregon PCT trail conditions over at
http://www.pctoregon.com/pct-info/conditions/ esp regarding water.
Also, Goodwill is your friend for gear. You can get a lot of good info on getting good gear cheaply from PMag's site :
http://www.pmags.com/300-gear-challenge and
http://www.pmags.com/backpacking-a-beginners-primer.
Also, be aware that much of this area now has strict fire burn bans in effect. Outside of limited established campgrounds, you can't have fire of any kind. Check the situation where you may go, but don't plan on ever making a campfire or cooking with an open fire. Canister stoves are legal and are your best choice (
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice ... stove.html) if you opt for a stove at all. See:
https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspxI myself will be hiking southbound the Elk Lake to Crater Lake section soon and will end up in CLNP the weekend of the 10th/11th. If you see me on the trail, say hi.
Good luck.
Randy aka Ochocowalker