One night, in the Sierras, I was sleeping under the stars on a small rock outcropping. For some reason, in the middle of the night, I woke up and turned on my headlamp. There, inches from my face, was a scorpion. I flicked it away, turned off my headlamp and went back to sleep. I think this means that some part of my brain must stay awake and hold guard duty while I sleep.
Category: Pacific Crest Trail
Backpacking lights.
I’m often hiking after dark and before daylight, so I value a good light. The ease of hiking in the cool darkness compared with the suffering of hiking in the oppressive heat, has only to be experienced to be appreciated.
With a LED light, a hiker can easily extend their hiking day without having to carry copious amounts of batteries. The lights I carried for my most recent PCT(Pacific Crest Trail) hike were, the Black Diamond Spot
and a Photon Micro light II.
The addition of the 1 watt LED has been a huge improvement to my after dark life on the trail. Most times it doesn’t take much light to see the trail but having the option of the extra light is most appreciated when I’m at a trail junction or the trail becomes hard to find. Having the option of the one watt LED has saved me from taking the wrong way or having to camp until daylight so I can find the way. I also appreciate it when I want to know if the big animal outside of my tent is a deer or a bear.
Carry your light low. A flashlight, lights the way best when held low, like in your hand. It shines across the trail and you can easily see foot prints and offers better contrast. I don’t hike with trekking poles so my hands are free to carry it. One skinny hiker,I know, who did use poles, was able to get the head strap of his Petzl Tikka XP around his waist. My headlight comes off so you can clip it on to your belt. Petzl is now making the Tikka XP Adapt with this option.
I sometimes used lithium batteries. Though they are definitely lighter, I’m not sure they last any longer in a flashlight. What the difference seems to be is they stay bright and then lose power all at once. With regular batteries there is a gradual dimming, with lithium it is fast and you have to change the batteries right away.
Which is one of the reasons I carry a Photon
: so I have a light to change batteries with. It’s also nice to know that if my headlight stops working I don’t have to make camp in the dark. I kept it clipped to my backpack strap along with a whistle.
One cold and rainy night in the North Cascades, this year, another hiker and I were hiking into the night because there was no place big enough to put up our shelters. He had lost his flashlight so I loaned him my headlamp and I used my Photon. Finally, we found a place where the trail was just wide enough that we could pitch our shelters. He used the headlamp to set up his shelter and I held the photon between my teeth and set up mine. By the time I was done, my drool had soaked the photon and I couldn’t get it to turn off until it dried out. I would rather have one that was more waterproof.
Improvements I would like to see on my headlamp. I would rather have two buttons on my headlight, one for the 3-LEDs and one for the super bright 1 watt led, and I would rather have the light more securely attached to the headband.
One of the reason I didn’t buy a Petzl was the problems I have had with their customer service. I have owned three Petzls and have had problems with them all. The first time you contact Petzl they will replace your flashlight but after that they will say, “This is the second time we have had a complaint from this e-mail address. What are you using your headlamp for?” Then they will refuse to respond to you. I had to get my son and my sister to write to them to get my other headlamps fixed or replaced. The most problematic headlamp I have owned is the Petzl Tikka. It has a problem with the switch and flickering. When they sent me a new one, it did the same thing.
When I took an Outward Bound course, they recommended and sold Princeton Tec headlamps. A lot of us had problems with our headlamps. One of the instructors called Princeton Tec to get them fixed but Princton Tek refused to fix or replace any of them. Since then, I won’t buy a Princton Tek headlamp.
I don’t have any reason to suspect that Black Diamond will stand behind their 40 dollar flashlights any more then the other companies, but from now on, I buy my headlamps from REI so that I can return them to REI and they can deal with the manufacturer.
Related posts: Night Hiking
Possible solution to the “anemic” feeling hiker.
Somewhere in the Sierras, I got tired. It got hard to go uphill. I was slow and out of breath with any uphill. I suspected I was anemic. One afternoon I sat down to take a break and I couldn’t get myself to get up again. I thought I should put up my tent to avoid the mosquitoes, but I was too tired. Finally, I just pulled out my sleeping bag and slept next to the trail. In the morning, it was hard to roust myself and I got a late start.
I don’t know what was wrong, but after reading other peoples journals and this article on altitude illness, I’m suspecting that problems with altitude is what is getting to some hikers in the Sierras.
The first time I hiked the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) I remember getting tired in the Sierras. So tired I had thoughts about quitting.
When I took an Outward Bound class in the Sierras I got unreasonably tired and a debilitating dry cough.
I may be sensitive to altitude. I mean, by the time I hit the Sierras, I was doing consistent 30 mile days and had been at fairly high altitudes so there is no reason to think that I should have been getting that much more tired. You wouldn’t think that the added couple of thousand feet would make a difference but something was wrong.
Next time I hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), I’m going to try to get some Acetazolamide (Diamox) and see if it helps.
Update: The article on acetazolamide was followed by this article about how in one study, taking 80 milligrams of ginkgo biloba every 12 hours, out preformed Acetazolamide in the prevention of altitude sickness.
Odd hours on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)
Most of the PCT is beautiful and has a pristine and solitary feel to it. This area didn’t.
It was a spot, I guess to be somewhere near LA. It was South of Cajon Pass and north of Big Bear.
It was in the Deep Creek area. An odd over-used part of the trail that has a creepy feel. There was a string of prayer flags hanging across the trail in honor of a thru-hiker that fell off the trail and down the cliff.
Hiking past Deep Creek Hot springs at night, I thought about taking a break for a soak but the sound of dogs barking through the dark made me change my mind and keep hiking. Up in the cliffs there were lights; I guess people were living/camping up there. I kept hiking. The trail through there is a little ridge blasted into the side of a cliff. I didn’t want to camp on the trail as there seemed to be too much activity there. Finally, I found a plateau I could climb up to and sleep. It was a clear star filled night and I cowboy camped for a couple of hours.
For some reason I woke up a 2 am and decided to get a jump on the day and start hiking. I only hiked for an hour or two before I got sleepy again. I curled up in the flattest spot I could find and went back to sleep. A couple hours later, I was back hiking.
In the morning sun, I noticed I was really dirty; I think I may have curled up in someone’s old fire site.
The rocks were spray painted with graffiti. I smelled something decaying and because I was afraid it might be a human, I had a look. Buried under a pile of rocks was a huge dead dog. It was black and as big as a bear.
After getting off the cliffs, I walked to a road crossing where a woman pulled up and gave me a root beer float. She said something about passing the cup of Jesus.
After drinking the root beer float, I hiked on for a while and then sat down to take a break. I wasn’t there long, before a thru hiker and a reporter came along. The reporter started asking me questions and then took out his video/phone and told the other hiker and me to talk. After a while, they left.
I started hiking again, and then found some shade for yet another break. As I’m lying there, I see the thru-hiker and the reporter, again, only this time they were going south. They said they lost the car.
Trail names.
The first time I hiked the PCT, I didn’t use a trail name; I felt it was a tradition that belonged to the social, more goofy, AT hiker.
The problem is, if you don’t have a trail name, other people will try to name you–as if you are some woodland orphan they found and get to name.
If you are a woman over 40, young men will try to tag you with a name that has ma, mother, mom, or granny in it. Other hikers will try to name you after some mistake you made or some insignificant detail about yourself.
It _is_ easier to remember people who have trail names. So when picking out a trail name, you may want to try for something unique.
If it is unique you are after, animal names don’t work well because there are always too many “Crows” and “Bears” on the trail. The names of the characters of the Hobbit are usually over represented as well. Cross off anything to do with feet; there are always lots of people named after their sore, tired, stinky, clumsy, blistered, or swift feet. Having references to how slow, fast, light, or heavy you hike is also overdone.
I think it would be awkward to introduce myself with a long or excessively goofy name. Foreign words that are hard to pronounce aren’t a good choice either; I once hiked with a woman for 2 weeks before I could pronounce her name and even then I could never spell it right.
Once you have a trail name, people will stop trying to name you. Making up a story about how you got your tail name is a plus.
My resupply schedule for the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail)
I resupplied as I went; never sending myself any food. I did, however, have a bounce boxed filled with guide-book sections and nutritional supplements that I mailed along about every 500 miles.
I liked the challenge of putting together a resupply from what I could find in the little stores and the freedom from trying to make post office deadlines.
Having to get to the next post office before it closes for the weekend, can be a good motivator for getting a lot of miles in, but it would get old if I had to do it too often. I really hate having to get anything in the mail; it always thwarts my freedom.
Resupply at the big stores was a real treat and I would walk out of town with multi-grain tortillas, deli cheese and meat, fresh fruit and veggies, dark chocolate, Crystal Light energy drink, and my water bottles filled with Odowalla juices.
shop as you go resupply schedule for my 2007 PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)hike
20.6 Lake Morena— resupplied at small store. Short distance from trail
43.0 Mt. Laguna— resupplied at small store .04 mile of trail
77.6 Julian–Ate at the restaurants, resupplied, and used the Internet at the library. Hitched in, in the morning and took the afternoon bus back the same day. 13 mile hitch or bus ride.
109.6 Warner Springs — Ate at the restaurant. Between the hiker box and the store there was enough food to resupply with. You don’t have to backtrack to the trail.
151.3 Paradise Cafe— Ate at the restaurant there. The restaurant also sold cookies and snacks. Next time I will resupply there. They are closed one day a week… I think it is Tuesday. 1 mile hitch or walk–trail to restaurant if you don’t want to walk on the road
178.6 Idyllwild— Stayed at the Idyllwild Inn in one of their theme rooms. Bathtub, coffee pot, fridge, fireplace. Laundry. Very good value. Resupplied and ate a couple of meals in restaurants. There is a way back to the trail that won’t require backtracking: take the deer springs trail back up.
265.3 Big Bear– Quick in and out stop to get more food. 5 mile hitch on Highway 18
342.1 Cajon Pass –Resupplied at the Chevron station. Ate at McDonald’s. Stayed a night at the Best Western. Got laundry done and used their Internet. Very good value.
Robins Nest RV park— Ordered a pizza, did laundry and showered while I waited for the pizza to arrive. Ate ½ of the pizza there and hiked out with the other half. They also have salads. About 10-15 miles from Agua Dulce. It’s about 1/3 mile off trail but you can get back to the trail by walking the rail road tracks for a bit so you won’t have to back track.
454.4 Agua Dulce— Good store for resupply. Right on the trail. Received and mailed on, my bounce box at Donna’s and used the Internet there.
566.6 Tehachapi– A trail angel gave me a ride here and took me to the Albertson’s and then dropped me off at the Best Western. There was a K-mart close to the motels with lots of food. Spent the night and took an expensive taxi back to the trail.. The Taxi driver won’t pick up before 6am. 9 mile hitch on Highway 58
702.8 Kennedy Meadows– Resupplied there for the next 200 miles. Showers and camping. Small grill. The laundry didn’t work while I was there. I received my bear canister, ice ax, and received and sent my bounce box there. .07 miles off trail
906.6 Reds Meadow/Mammoth Lakes— Free hot spring shower, restaurant and small store. Stayed 2 nights in Mammoth Lakes and resupplied there. The bus down to Mammoth Lakes is free but you have to purchase a wilderness permit to ride it. Tell them when you will be coming back and the ride back is free. It was early in the season and the bus didn’t go all the way down to Mammoth Lakes so I had to hitch some of the way.
942.7 Tuolumne Meadows— Resupplied at the very nice camp store, ate at the grill and camped at the campground. The store was closing at 4pm when I went through. Fresh fruit and vegetables available. .02 off trail.
1018.3 Kennedy Meadows Resort(northern)— Had a shower here, resupplied, and ate 2 breakfasts at the café. If their washing machines weren’t busy they said I could use them. They were, so I washed out my stuff in the shower and let it dry while I shopped. ( Recently burned down but may be rebuilt) 10 mile hitch
1094.5 Echo Lake— Resupplied at the store, ate lots of fresh fruit and had a sandwich. Sent my ice axe and bear canister back there. Received and sent on my bounce box. Worst PO ever. They will tell you they don’t have your package but if you keep bugging them they might find it. On trail.
1155.8 Truckee— Ate at a restaurant, resupplied at the Safeway and got jazzed at Starbucks. 10 mile hitch.
1197.6 Sierra City– The store used to hate hikers and the RV park used to love them. Now, the store people are nice and the RV park hates hikers. Despite the big “Welcome” sign, the guy at the RV park said he wouldn’t let a hiker take a shower or stay there for any price. Resupplied at the store, did laundry, ate at two restaurants, slept in the store owner’s utility trailer for the night. The store owner said he might put in a shower in the laundry mat. There is a short cut into this town.
1289.3 Beldon/ Caribou — You can not lower you expectations enough to not be disappointed by Beldon. Pretend it doesn’t exist and just keep on hiking down the road a mile to Caribou. There you will find a small store, restaurant, showers and laundry. The store is very small.
1377.7 Old station– Took a shower, did laundry, ate at the deli and resupplied at the store. Down the trail a ways is a truck stop with another store, restaurant, showers and laundry that I think I will try next time. Received and sent on my bounce box from the post office. .03 mile of trail.
1423.6 Burney Falls camp store– Resupplied, had root beer floats, and hiked on. There are showers but I passed. The store wasn’t great for resupply but I made it. There is a short cut into the camp store.
1506.5 Castella– Small well stocked store. If you want to buy some tortillas, ask the guy behind the burrito counter. Resupplied at the store, ate lots of fresh fruit, had a burrito, took a shower and camped at the campground. There is a short cut, back up to the trail so you won’t need to backtrack.
1606.3 Etna– very desolate road to hitch in on. There is a motel that looked great for 45 dollars but I had to stay in Alderbrook’s barn for 25 dollars, because I had my new shoes shipped there. Ate at a diner a couple of times, resupplied at the grocery store, did internet at the library. Alderbrook’s fee included a ride back to the trail. 15 mile hitch.
1662.1 Seiad Valley– Stayed at the trailer park for two nights waiting on a package. The trailer park excepts packages if you spend the night, or if you don’t they charge you 7.50. The guy has fixed up a little straw lined, fenced in, hiker spot with a covered area, TV, VCR, refrigerator, microwave, and light. There are movies to watch in the office. There is a laundry mat and coin operated showers. The store has fresh stuff and enough food to get you to the next resupply. There is a small restaurant that closes really early. I noticed a rural bus stopping here. It must go to a bigger town.. Received and sent bounce box on to Portland. On trail.
1750.2 Hyatt Lake– Took a shower, did laundry, ordered a large pizza wrapped up ½ to take with me, ate at the salad bar, bought some candy bars and nuts at the bait shop to augment my pizza resupply and hiked on. .5 mile hitch or walk. I think you could walk down the road and then hit the trail through the campground so you wouldn’t have to backtrack.
1830.4 Crater Lake– Stayed at the campground, took a shower, did laundry, resupplied at the camp store, and ate at the all you can eat buffet across the parking lot. Fresh fruit. After walking up to the Rim Village–1834.9, I ate again.
approx. 1915 Willamette Pass– Wrapped up a large pizza, ate some biscuits and gravy and bought some candy bars and chips at the little store. This ski resort is only open on weekends, now, but you can always resupply at Shelter Cove Resort–1912.2. There is a short cut way to Shelter Cove Resort. The ski resort is about 1/4 mile down the road.
1958.3 Elk Lake Resort– Ate lunch, had some ice cream, resupplied, and hiked out. Not much, but I made it okay. I think they have a shower but I passed. It’s one mile off trail but, I think there is a short cut you could take so that you don’t have to backtrack here but I didn’t realize it until it was too late.
1989.5 Sisters– Stayed in a motel, did laundry, ate profusely from the grocery store that had a good deli selection and salads. Resupplied and got back on the trail. There is free camping in town.
2053.1 Ollalie Lake– Small camp store. Resupplied here, ate a frozen burrito and hiked out. I think they have a shower but I passed on it. Estacada ranger station no longer takes packages so if you want to send a package here you need to send it to their office in Bend and then once a week they go get them.
2107.3 Timberline Lodge– Restaurant with great all you can eat breakfast buffet. Resupplied out of vending machines ( the ones in the main lodge are cheaper then the ones down below), the store had some things like gourmet candy bars and gourmet jerky and the cafeteria had packables like bagels, cream cheese in little packages, and apples.
2155.0 Cascade Locks– Resupplied out of store and ate at the Charburger. Next time I’m going to try the road walk through Stevenson.
2189.1 Stablers store– This is where I was picked up and taken to Portland. There is enough here to resupply with.
Portland– Resupplied and rested at my son’s place.
2302.8 White Pass– Resupplied, did laundry, ate a turkey wrap, drank a cup of good coffee, and hit the trail. In past hikes, I have wanted to stay at the condos there; the man there has always been so mean that I just walked away. Didn’t even try this time.
2401.7 Snoqualmie Pass– Stayed at the motel, did laundry, ate several meals at the restaurant, resupplied between the two convenience stores. Fresh fruit.
In what will be named the biggest mistake of my trip I opted for the 50 mile road walk around Glacier Peak, since the PCT had it’s bridges out and wasn’t being maintained and the reroute was closed due to fires.
Coles Corner– Resupplied at the gas station and ate at the restaurant. Ate again on down the road.
2574.1 Stehekin— The few shelves dedicated to food in the store were mostly empty. I asked for cheese and they brought some out from the back room. Bought candy bars, cheese, and chips at the store. At the bakery, I resupplied with bagels, pizza and cinnamon rolls. Ate at the restaurant, took a shower ,and camped in the campground. The washer was broken. You have to go up to the visitor center and get your free permit to camp.
2655. Manning Park– Stayed at the lodge, ate in the restaurant, did laundry, and took the Greyhound bus, that stops right in front of the lodge, out of there.
How to keep your hat from blowing away.
I met several hikers on the trail who despite using the chin straps on their hats, had their hats blow away.
Using the same technique I used to keep my umbrella from blowing away, I secured my hat to my shirt: I unbuttoned a button on my shirt, wrapped the chin strap around it, and re-buttoned it.
If your hat doesn’t have a chin strap, a “cap leash”
will keep your hat from blowing away.
How to keep your umbrella from blowing away while you are taking a siesta.
When taking refuge from the hot mid day sun, on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), I would lay under a tree or a bush. If I was bothered by sun light filtering through the leaves, I would unfurl my silver coated trekking umbrella and block out the rogue sun beams.
To keep the umbrella from blowing away as I napped, I unbuttoned a button on my shirt, wrapped the strap of the umbrella around my button and re-buttoned it.
Related Post:
Good hiking umbrella
Dragon sighting.
I hiked with a guy, for awhile, who told me this story. When he was ten, he was very practical and rooted in reality. He had a paper route and other jobs, and though he lived at home he considered himself on his own.
One day he looked up at the sky to see a huge dragon doing a 180 turn. He tried to get some of his family members to come out and look but they just yelled for him to come in to dinner.
Suffering the pangs of the loss of trail life.
Reentry from the trail is hard. It’s like jet lag of the soul. I wish I had just turned around at the border and started hiking south until the weather got too bad to be out there. Life on the trail is so beautiful and life in civilization is so annoying.
Last time I finished the PCT, I remember feeling the same way: sad and sort of angry that I wasn’t on the trail. The feelings never did really go away.
Final gear list for PCT hike.
- Mountainsmith Ghost backpack lined with white plastic garbage bag (Love this pack. It broke and I hiked with a Mountainsmith CDT while it was repaired.)
- Marmot Helium 15 degree sleeping bag stuffed in to a clear plastic bag- This bag kept me toasty warm while camping under the stars on high windy crests. I was never cold yet sometimes I was too warm.)
- Z-Rest full length closed cell pad (Great pad that I whipped out to lay on during my breaks and allowed me to cowboy camp with out a ground cloth.)
- Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo with pole and tent stakes. 1 1/2 lb shelter with cooking porch and big enough for me and all my stuff)
- Black Diamond Pearl headlamp (wouldn’t go back to hiking without a 1 watt led again)
- Silver Swing Liteflex EuroSchirm trekking umbrella (better and lighter hiking umbrella then the Golite Chrome Dome)
- Nalagene 16 oz wide mouth bottle
- 1 1/2 liter disposable bottle (Duct tape wrapped around bottle) Extra cap with a hole in it to use as hiker bidet
- Polycarbonate spoon
- Nylon Food bag lined with an oder proof liner
- Sil-nylon clothes bag (doubles as pillow)
- Emergency space-blanket and fire starting kit (fuel tablets and a bic lighter) Never used this stuff
- Whistle and Photon light on a clip.
- Sunglasses with strap (Actually, I lost my sunglasses. I lost at least 5 pairs of sunglasses)
- Reading glasses
- small camp towel (Important for wiping the condensation off of the tent walls and for drying off after a shower)
- Office (large plastic ziplock)
- cell phone and charger (First time I have carried a cell phone. I liked having it)
- pen and small notebook
- maps and guide book sections
- Casio Compass/Altimeter watch (most accurate altimeter watch I have ever owned)
- Iriver 2g Mp3 player and fm radio with headphones (worked well)
- Sunblock
- Callus file
- Chapstick tube
- Tube of Carmex for my feet
- brush head
- toothbrush (child’s size)
- toothpaste
- Dental floss with needle in side.
- super glue (important for gluing the cracks in my feet together)
- classic swiss army knife
- Aqua Mira water treatment
- Keeper menstrual cup
- First aid kit
- Bandaids
- Neosporin plus Pain Relief
- Benedryl
- Claritin
- Ibuprofen
- asprin
- Decongestants
- Pepto Bismal tablets
- Ace Bandage
- Amoxicillin
- Flagyl
- Sulfameth Trimethoprim
- REI Ultralight raincoat and rain pants(switched to these after my Drop Stoppers disintegrated and before I headed in to wet and brushy Washington.)These were kind of heavy but I needed some rain gear and just bought what they had. When it was rainy and brushy I kept my hiking pants dry in my backpack and only wore my rain pants for days.
- 4 way fleece balaclava (Usually wore it to bed. Would not leave home without it.)
- Neoprene socks (1 Pair) (Really nice to have while postholing over Muir Pass also when my feet were getting dried out)
- Wool socks (1 pair)
- Light socks (1 pair)
- Bug head net (Never used it)
- Garbage bag rain skirt ( More functional than rain pants, when it is warm.)
- Fleece Glo-mitts (great)
- Mountain Hardwear Hiking pants
- Mountain Hardwear canyon shirt
- Sunday Afternoon Adventure hat
- Pantagonia Sport top
- One pair of Synthetic underwear
- Summer Buff (Wore it all the time)
- Simms sun gloves (lost these somewhere but wished I hadn’t)
- Mont-Bell Therma-wrap jacket. (Not as warm as I had hoped, but really light)
- New Balance 817 running shoes with New Balance pressure relief insoles. (SL-2 last: wide in the toe box but narrow in the heel. Come in really wide sizes)
- Chaco Z-1 Sandals (I had to switch from Z-2’s to Z-1’s after 900 miles because of excessive thickening of the skin between my big toes) This is the first time I hiked with two pair of shoes; it was really nice to be able to switch shoes when my feet would get tired. I didn’t get any blisters.
I also carried a Cassin Ghost ice ax and a BearVault 350 bear canister from Kennedy Meadows(mile 702.8) to Echo Lake(mile1094.5). I also carried my ice ax through the Goat Rock Wilderness in Washington.
Whoo HOO!( mile 2655)
I got to the border on the evening of August 30th and have successfully made it back to the US side even though I forgot my passport. Best hike ever.
Now what?
My most exciting bear encounter.
I’ve seen lots of bears this year. They have all run away when they see me until about 2 weeks ago when a bear came charging through the bushes at me. It was charging me from the side, like it was trying to blind side me. I yelled at it, it stopped and then started charging me again. I yelled at it, picked up branches, started waving them around while backing down the trail. It changed directions and started coming after me again. I kept yelling, and throwing branches around and swinging branches at it. It stopped, looked at me for awhile, and then left.
Hey from mile 2189
Hey,
My son came and picked me up from Stablers Store in Carson, Wa. He brought me back to his apartment in Portland. I just got out of a long hot shower and am sitting here in flannel jammies curled up with my laptop.
I’m going to take a few days off and then we will hit the trail together for 112 miles to White Pass. We will take it easy and I’m looking forward to the days I will be able to spend hiking with him.
The trail is lined with ripe berries: blue berries, huckleberries, strawberries, thimble berries, salmon berries, blackberries. Yumm.
I’ll write more soon.