As The Crow Flies

I asked my library to purchase this new PCT hiking guide I wanted to check out:   “The Pacific Crest Trail–from Mexico to Canada on foot” by Brian Johnson aka Ancient Brit.    He’s hiked the PCT 3 times.

It’s a  small book of 350 glossy pages wrapped in a sturdy vinyl cover measuring 7″ x 4 1/2″ , weighing less than a pound, and costing less than 20 bucks.   I think it’s just what was needed.

The first 90 pages covers prep, equipment, planning, what the hiking is like, resupplying, permits, getting to trail, everything.      The next 229 pages are  maps, data, resupply info, trail angel info, water caches, alternate routes, elevation  profiles, town info, birds and plants you are likely to see,  interesting facts about the sites you pass, inspiring quotes, this book has it all.   The final 20 pages are appendixes covering useful websites, books written by PCT hikers, sample hiking schedules and more.

The maps aren’t topo maps and they wouldn’t help much if you got off trail,  but  here’s the thing: the book cost 18.95 16.47 from Amazon and covers the whole trail.

It was  4am and I was lying in my frosty tent in the Sierras, thinking how splendid a hot beverage would be right now.  I was hungry as I hadn’t eaten dinner the night before because I was low on food and one of the ways I ration my food is to skip dinner.

I was thinking: for the same weight as the bear canister I could have brought my stove, pot, fuel canister, and 5 snicker bars.   Right now, I could be drinking a hot beverage and eating a snicker bar.   That would be good, but instead I have a bear canister.

I reached out of my tent, grabbed my frosty bear canister, tried to open it—it didn’t budge.     I straddled it and tried to open it,  it wouldn’t turn a bit—it was completely locked up.   And that is when I renamed my BearVault 450 bear canister: my “Goddamn, Piece of Shit!” bear canister.

The next food was 50 miles a way and it wasn’t 50 easy miles.  It was 50 of the hardest miles on the PCT.    I angrily broke camp, stuffed my  icy tent into my pack, and stomped off into the darkness.

Although I was mad and hungry there was a little part of me excited about the challenge of hiking 50 miles without food.

About 10am  I met a couple that I had been seeing off and on since Ashland.   I told them my bear can story.   He tried to open it but couldn’t get it to budge.    He brought out a big pocket knife and tried to pry it open with the can opener.   He brought out a tent stake and picked up a big rock and tried to break open the lid.     Nothing.   Then his wife straddled it and he tried turning it with all his might.   It finally, to my great joy,  opened.

I never locked it again.  From then on I slept with my unlocked can next to me.

I told someone I met on the trail  my bear can story.  He told me he had to take a lighter to his lid to soften up the plastic.

I bought the bear canister in ’07.  When it arrived at Kennedy Meadows, I couldn’t open it.   Someone else wrestled it open for me.      A couple days later the same thing happened but again someone else was able to open it.   I thought then that this bear can could be trouble, but after that I didn’t have a problem with it.

I used it again in ’08 through the Sierra’s and didn’t have any problems with it but then I usually sleep with it and leave it unlocked.

Billy Goat carried a bear can for the first time this year.  The same one as mine but  his was the new one with 2 locks.  I warned him not to lock it but he accidentally locked the first lock and couldn’t get it opened.   I tried to open it but I accidentally locked the second lock.   Another hiker was able to open it using some tool.  He was mindful of never locking it again.

On the Bearvault website they say they will send you a free tube of lube for your canister.  Maybe that would help but I’m not sure I would risk being locked out of my food again.   And since I’m not going to lock it, why carry it.

BearVault 450 info: weighs 32.04 ounces (918 grams) I have fit 200 miles of food in it– 18,500 calories.

• Osprey Atmos 35 backpack with Simblissity strap pockets Pack wore out on the bottom of the frame and was returned to REI after my hike for a full refund.  I liked it while it lasted but was a little small.   I  bought a Women’s REI Flash 50 to take it’s place.   We’ll see.
• Gossamer gear pack liner
• Marmot Helium sleeping bag (Not as warm as my old Marmot Helium)  I was cold in the Sierras.
• Z-lite full length sleeping pad
• Euroschirm Swing Liteflex chrome trekking umbrella
• 1 REI Peak UL pole (used to set up shelter) Returned to REI, because it bent, for full refund.  I haven’t decided what to replace it with.
• Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape shelter and Serenity NetTent
• 3 aluminum hex stakes and 5 Hi-Vis Titanium Tent stakes
• Black Diamond Spot Headlamp Returned to REI, at the end of my hike, because of a faulty hinge, bought a new one.
• Micro-light LED worn around my neck
• Camp Towel
• Food bag with odor proof liner
• Pathfinder solar powered navigational watch
• Garmin 60CSX GPS with HalfMiles’s waypoints for the whole trail in it. with lithium batteries.
• Halfmile’s maps, elevation profiles, and town info. in a 2 gallon ziplock.  Also carried the PCT Data book
• Pen–Sharpie extra fine point
• 2–1.5 liter plastic bottles
• 1– 20 ounce plastic bottle
• Chinese soup spoon
• small Rubbermaid container for rehydrating beans, potatoes, humus,

• Sil-nylon stuff sack for clothes
• Western Mountaineering Flight down jacket (Oh yeah)
• Novara Stowable Bike Jacket
• Dri-Ducks rain gear.   Seat ripped out of the pants the first time I squatted down in them but I tapped them up.
• Trash bag rain skirt
• Fox River wool Glo-Mitts
• Fleece balaclava
• Mosquito head-net/scrubby
• Simms Sun Gloves
• Fox River Off Road socks
• NRS Neoprene Sandal Sock
• Mountain Hardwear Canyon shirt
• Pantagonia Sport top
• LLBean hiking pants (yuck)
• 1 pair Duofold briefs
• Summer Buff
• Sunday Afternoon Adventure hat

• Pee rag
• Ditty bag–Eagle Creek Pack- It Sac large
• Brush
• Travel toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste
• Dental floss with needle
• Brush on super glue
• Ace bandage 6 ft
• Triple antibiotic + Pain relief ointment ( petroleum base.   Sores, chapped lips, chaffing, dry skin, fire starter)
• Caffeine pills
• Pepto-Bismol tablets
  
• ibuprofen and acetaminophen (taken to together as affective as codeine) Don’t take prophylactially
• Benadryl (For allergic reactions to plants and animal bites.  Also as a sleep aid)
• Pseudoehedrine (Decongestant and stimulant)
• aspirin (heart attack first aid)
• Sunblock
• Menstrual cup
• safety pins
• lighter –small Bic
• Knife—Swiss Army Classic
• Aquamira water treatment

• sink
• Clear packing tape
• Extra batteries
• cordage
• a few paper towels in a small ziplock
• hiker bidet cap
• 2 pairs of reading glasses
• sunglasses
• Duct tape ( wrapped around water bottle)  For gear repair, fire starter, etc.
• space blanket (carried a Hot Sac through the Sierras)
• Fox 40 whistle

• I-River MP3 player and FM radio with a lithium AA battery I’ve been carrying the same one for 4 years now
• Sonny MDR-ED21LP Fontopia headphones
• Blackberry phone, no data plan.   Text messaged in my Twitters.  Ditched it through the Sierras
• Carried a BearVault 450 through the Sierra’s—Review to follow 

Stuff I wished I had:  Foot file, warmer sleeping bag or a sleeping bag liner through the Sierras, stove through the Sierras, a little bigger pack, more water carrying capacity in the dessert( I had a gallon jug swinging off the back of my pack which didn’t carry that well), med’s for Giardia, supplements, a pair of New Balance 817′s with pressure relief insoles in them, washcloth.

According to this article the US is warning Southbound PCT(Pacific Crest Trail) hikers that they could face a year in jail and a 5ooo dollar fine for entering the US through the PCT.

For north-bounders it’s legal to enter Canada through the PCT, if you get your permit from Canada, because, despite what Sutton at the border crossing says, you don’t need permission from the US government to leave the country.

Halfmile has benevolently bestowed,  on the hiking community, waypoints for every 1/2 mile of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)—over 6000 waypoints!    So how are you going to fit all those waypoints on your GPS that only allows 1000 waypoints?       Well, if you have a Garmin GPS that is recognized by the Garmin Point of interest(POI) loader,  Halfmile has figured out a way you can do it.

So get a Garmin  GPS that works with the POI loader.   I used a Garmin 60CSx that I bought at REI on sale for 199.00. It weighs 6.45 ounces with lithium batteries.   It’s pretty much the same GPS as my older 60C but my 60C won’t work with the POI loader.

Install the ” Mapsource Trip & Waypoint Managaer”  software, that came with your GPS, onto your computer.

Download Halfmile’s consolidated waypoints for:

California

Oregon

Washington

Unzip the files and put just the .gpx files in a single folder. So, you end up with a single folder with three .gpx  waypoint files…one each for CA, OR, & WA.

Now download the Garmin POI loader and plug your GPS into your computer via a USB cable.

Run the POI loader software, it will prompt you to select the folder where you placed the waypoint files and then it will load all the points in about 10 seconds.

He also offers this advice:

You will probably need to set the map zoom level that points display on your GPS. Go to the map screen(on your  GPS), select Menu > Map Setup – Points >and then set the Max Zoom for Map Points and User Waypoints to a value such as .5 miles. When set to .5 miles, waypoints and POI’s will display on the map screen when the map is zoomed in closer than .5 miles but will not display if zoomed out farther than .5 miles, so set the number to what works best for you. I set mine for 30 miles.

So there you go… over 6000 waypoints  saved as Points of Interest on  your GPS.   I’ve heard of people saving 10,000 waypoints this way.

Next you may also like to include all the topo maps for the PCT on your GPS.  So pop in your topo software.  I used Garmin USA topo but Halfmile recommends the Garmin West topo CD.  The topo software doesn’t come with the GPS it’s something you buy extra.
Next I hit the “find” menu “find places” and started typing in the towns for the PCT and marking them as waypoints.
Some towns are listed under “features” and not “cities”

Once you have all the towns marked, highlight all waypoints, right click and select “select maps around waypoints.” Now you should have  all or most of the maps  you need selected.  Look at the map and select any more maps you think you might need. Now transfer maps and waypoints to your GPS.

You don’t need a big memory card…I haven’t even put  anything on the little one it came with.

Note:  Garmins Topo software is nothing to write home about.  It’s often wrong.  For instance once I was standing on Pieper Pass and it said I was 278 ft from it.    On the CDT it said I was on the trail and I was on the side of a cliff.

Halfmile also freely offers all the printed topo maps for the entire PCT– available for download.

Related posts:

I have the whole PCT in my GPS

Protecting your GPS screen from getting scratched.

Yesterday I put together this PCT town guide.. If someday I’m around high speed Internet I’ll make it better by adding links to the post offices.

I also added links at the bottom of other town guides on the Internet.

I found this little book on the Internet.  It’s called  “Pocket PCT— An Elevation Guide it the Pacific Crest Trail.”   It weighs 3.8 oz(108 grams) and covers the entire trail.

I’ve never used it or even seen it but it looks really useful.   I may try it out the next time I hike the PCT.

It cost 19.95 which is 10 dollars more than the Wilderness Press PCT Data Book but I was thinking it might be more accurate.    The Wilderness press data book is missing some important water sources and it doesn’t always show you when you are at the top of a climb.

The Pocket PCT is built around an elevation profile of the entire 2655 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. The mile-by-mile elevation profile is represented in chapters, each beginning and ending at a common resupply location. The detailed profile shows water sources (each rated by reliability), water cache locations, resupply points, and hundreds of other landmarks such as campgrounds, roads, creeks, rivers, and trails. Symbols identify each point of interest and includes that point’s elevation (and directions if off-trail). Commonly used resupply point addresses and other information is included in the back of the guide, including directions to each resupply point from the trail.

It doesn’t have any maps in it, but maps and way points for the entire trail can now be downloaded for free from Halfmile’s Pacific Crest Trail Map Site

This is a story I heard on the PCT.    There is this old guy  in a rest home and he decides it’s too expensive.     So now, he lives in his van, traveling around the trails helping hikers.   I don’t know if it’s true but it’s a good story.

Here is the secret to getting big easy miles when hiking the desert section of the Pacific Crest Trail( PCT).   It’s amazing as you can get a 30 mile day in and still spend most of the day laying in the shade.    Your pack will be light because after about 6:30 at night you don’t need much water.   Your feet will feel great because they get a 5-6 hour rest in the middle of the day.

• Start hiking at 4-5am  and hike until about 10-11am taking breaks as needed.   Get your first 15 miles in.
• Find some shade and sleep.  Be sure to sleep with your feet elevated.
• Get hiking by 4:00-5pm walk until 10-11pm.    Get your next 15 miles in and then call it a night.
• Repeat.

It you only want to do 20 mile days, well then, it will be really easy.

If you hike when it’s hot, you are going to need a ton of water and the trail will be brutal.    If you hike when it is cool, it will be easy and you won’t need to carry much water.

Related posts: Backpacking lights

How to keep your umbrella from blowing away while you take your siesta.

• Twitter just started talking to my blog again. #

• Found a cheap place to rest and regroup–home. #
• It's been cool and lovely here. #
• I saw a bear near my cabin yesterdy. #

• Sitting at the Char Burger in Cascade Locks. #
• Waiting for a ride to Portland. #
• Going to get dry and clean. #
• Swap out some gear and then head out for more. #
• Plans have changed. #
• Time to find a place to rest and regroup. #
• Then stash my truck somewhere and rejoin the trail. #
• It's hard to travel light when you have a truck with you. #

• Drizzly day today. #
• Another drizzly day. #
• Wore my raincoat and trash bag skirt all day #
• It was sort of cold. #
• The Ollalie Lake store is still closed. #
• Lots of huckleberries today #
• Should make Timberline tomorrow #
• That way my feet will feel good in the morning. #
• But good for me the mosquito swarms are behind me. #
• Tomorrow I will be warm, dry and eating hot food. #
• But tonight is a little damp and chilly. #
• But it looks to be a good day. #
• Breakfast buffet and then on to gear drying. #
• Timberline has 25 cent boot dryers #
• I wonder how they work for tent drying #
• Laying down for the night. #
• My tent is wet but I have hopes that it will be dry by morning. #
• I have pitched my tent so my feet are up hill. #
• The zipper on my tent broke. #
• This incline is so severe, it's like standing on my head. #
• Timberline in 15 miles. #
• I'm meeting people there tomrrow #
• So I guess I could lay here for a long while. #
• A hot beverage would be perfect right now. #
• Mornings like this make me wish I had brought my stove. #
• As hoped for, my tent has dried out this morning. #
• Hey from Timberline. #
• It's a madhouse here. #
• I found the pizza place here. It's hidden. #
• got my stuff all laid out, trying to dry it. #
• And they're booked full. Amazing #
• I'm going to stealth it. #
• And be here for breakfast buffet in the morning. #
• A dorm room at Timberline cost 115 dollars! #
• Wet night. #

• Sitting in the grocery store in Sisters #
• There are too many choices. #
• So, I got a beverage and am thinking. #
• I notice the Best Western has a Vacancy. Hmmm #
• My feet are campaigning for a rest. #
• The rest of me is too. #
• The hardest part of the trail is getting out of town. #
• Heading back to the trail. #
• Back on the trail! #
• Laying in a meadow, eating smoked salmon candy. #
• There were Snickers and Pepsi in a cooler on the trail. #
• Good day. I'm happy to be lying in this meadow instead of a motel. #
• It's a chilly morning. #
• So lying here in my sleeping bag feels nicer then usual. #
• Nice day but lots of blow downs. #
• Probably won't be bothered by horses and mountain bikes. #
• That's why they should leave some of blow downs. #