Pacific Crest Trail – Page 4 – As The Crow Flies

Hey from Etna (mile 1606)

The hike is going great. The last hundred mile section has been particularly beautiful and has insisted on me taking more breaks to relax and take it all in….or maybe I’m just getting tired.

There are many small fires ahead and I’m hoping there won’t be any trail closures.

The weather has been great; so far only one hour of rain the entire trip.

The reason I came to Etna is that I had new (badly needed) shoes sent here, but I didn’t realize that the road that you need to hitch in on is a very desolate one. Lucky for me a Christian camp bus just pulled up and unloaded 110 Christian campers on to the PCT and I rode the empty bus back into Etna. The bus driver said that he drove another 110 up to the Trinity Lakes area too.

Last night, as I was hiking, I heard noise, like people banging pots and pans together. I kept hiking and ran into a bunch of cows with bells on. I kept hiking up the switchbacks, it was after 9pm, the view was dramatic and there was a wide enough spot on the trail to lie down on so I unfurled my z-rest and camped for the night with the cow bells banging away. After awhile I didn’t even notice it.

I have seen many bears lately and many bear prints and scat on the trail.

The weather is great, the views are tremendous and there are very few bugs; all is well.

Hey from Julian (mile 78)

I arrived in Campo, Monday, on the evening bus, and started my hike. About 11pm, as I was happily hiking along, an aircraft flew over me and turned it’s spotlight on me. I waved.

The trail is beautiful and I’m very happy to be here. Despite the drought, everything is green and the desert is blooming.

The weather is great and I have been able to sleep under the stars every night without any bug problems.

My feet are doing fine. The two pair of shoes idea is working out great. I hike mostly in Chacos but when my feet get tired I switch into running shoes and give them a break.

I hitched into Julian this morning, and plan on hanging out here until evening, then start hiking the San Felipe hills tonight.

Not many hikers out here, but some. The guy at the Mt Lagna store said that he had thrown the hiker box away because he thought that all the hikers had gone through already.

Why did it take me so long to get back here?

Goodbye little cabin

stay safe little cabin

I left my cabin Friday and headed to Portland. Besides going in to the little nearby town, it’s the first time I went anywhere in about 7 months. That’s a long time for me and I was happy to be going.

I’m staying at my son’s place. He lives on the tenth floor of a downtown apartment building. It’s a big change but it has a surprisingly tranquil feel to it. Having the use of a bathtub has been a nice treat.

Tomorrow morning I fly to San Diego and if all goes well, I should make it on the trail by evening.

Resupply schedule for the Sierras–how to get through the Sierras with a 4-day bear canister.

The section through the Sierras is supposed to be rife with hungry bears. For this reason, there are lots of rules about food storage . In 2001, there were lots of rules too, but most thru-hikers ignored them and instead lived by their own rules which were: 1.Don’t cook where you camp 2.Don’t camp in established campsites, and 3. Sleep with your food. I didn’t see any bears in the Sierras that year, although I did see lots of bear poo.

Apparently the bears are more plentiful and aggressive this year and so there is a lot of persistent and emotional scuttlebutt flying around saying that you must absolutely have a bear canister. This is no small problem for people. Since many people carry 10 days, or more, worth of food through the Sierras because to resupply at Independence means hiking eighteen off trail miles.

The bear canisters are heavy. The lightest ones are made by Bearikade. They weigh 1lb 15oz(878 grams) for the 6 day model and 2lbs 5oz(1048 grams) for the 9 day model but they cost 250.00 and 275.00 dollars. They do have a rental program, but that isn’t cheap either.

The other one is Bear Vault. Bearvaults weighs 2lbs 1 oz(935 grams)for the 4 day model and 2lbs 9 oz(1162 grams) for the 7 day model and cost between 60 and 80 dollars. They have discontinued their rental program but they will sell you a 7 day Bear Vault canister for 65 dollars and ship it free to Kennedy Meadows, Echo Lake or Tuolumne Meadows. Bear Vault purchase program for PCT hikers.

If I decide to go with the four day model, here is how I could do it without putting in a bunch of off trail miles and backtracking to resupply:

Leave Kennedy Meadows with 2 days worth of food in bear canister (mile 702.8)
Hike down Trail Pass(744.8) to Horseshoe Meadows campground and hitch hike out to resupply at Lone Pine. Get 6 days of food–4 days in the canister, 2 days in food bag.
From Horseshoe Campground take Cotton wood pass(749.6) back up to the PCT–this way there is no backtracking.
The first night, camp either at Wallace creek(770.4), (774.3), or Tyndall Creek(775) and use the bear boxes there, to store food in.
The next night camp at Rae Lakes(794.8) and use the bear box there. (Actually, by the end of this day, I would only have four days of food left so I could camp anywhere)
Hike the next 4 days using my bear canister.
Resupply Vermilion Valley Resort(877.2)–get 1.5 days of food
Resupply Reds Meadow (906.6)or Mammoth Lakes.– get 1.5 days of food
Resupply Tuolumne Meadows (941.6) get 3 days of food
Resupply Sonora Pass(1018.3)Either at North Kennedy Meadows or Bridgeport. If I go to Bridgeport, I think I could send the food canister and ice ax home. Get 3.5 days worth of food.
Mail bear canister home or back to rental place from Echo Lake(1094.5).

Update: I made it the whole 200 miles from Kennedy Meadows to Reds Meadow with a Bear Vault 350. I was able to pack 20,000 calories into it. I also met a guy carrying a map entitled, “Sierra Nevada Wilderness food storage requirements” using that map he was able to legally make it through the Sierras without carrying a bear canister.

Related Post: Figuring out how much food to bring on a hike

Still waiting……

This is getting painful–sitting here waiting for the day I get on the trail, while reading journals of everyone who is already out there. I’m going with a late start to avoid the crowds and because I don’t want to hit the Sierras too early. It’s not really late but it seems like it because everyone else is so early.

Even though I have lots of thing to do, like clean my cabin, go to the dump, and wash my sleeping bag, I just laid on my couch all day and thought about all the things I still need to do.

Someday, I hope I will be so together that I will just wake up one morning, pickup my pack, walk out the door, and go on a long hike without obsessing over the details or making a to do list.

Logistics

I’m pretty much ready to head out to hike the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail), but I won’t be leaving for well over a week.

I’m going to just buy my food along the way. I’m not at all picky and like the challenge and freedom of resupplying at little stores.

The last time I hiked the PCT, I bought all my food before hand and put it in 28 different boxes and paid someone to mail them to me. What a lot of work.

At first, half of the stuff from my mail drops was going into the hiker boxes because I didn’t need that much food in the begining. Then, after my appetite kicked in, half of my food ended up in the hiker boxes because I didn’t like it anymore.

It got pretty common for me to walk into town, find the post office not open, resupply with what ever I could find in town and just forget about the box. Even at Timberline Lodge where people say you can’t resupply from, I didn’t want to wait around for my box, so I just bought some stuff out of the vending machines and hiked on.

At the end of my hike I had a bunch of boxes returned to me and waiting for me at home.

On the Florida trail I had a drift box that was supposed to follow me up the trail. It had all my maps and fuel and stuff but it got lost and I didn’t get it until I got back.

On the AT I just bought along the way and only used Wingfoot’s book for navigation. I didn’t go into one post office the whole trip.

I don’t want to carry all the maps and guide books for the whole PCT so I have made up a drift box that I will keep mailing to myself, 500-700 miles ahead of me. In it I have supplements, pain relievers, socks, ice ax, water treatment, lithium batteries, guide books, maps, data sheets, etc. I really hope the post office doesn’t lose it.

For a bear canister, I can’t decide between the Bear Vault 350(2lbs 1oz) or the Bearikade weekender model(1lb 15 oz). I will decide some time up the trail. Probably order it from Agua Dulce, and have it shipped to Kennedy Meadows. I think most people are carrying the Bear Vault 450(2 lbs 9 oz) but I think it’s too heavy.

For fuel, I’m going to use what canisters I can find in the hiker boxes and stores along the way. I will start the trip without fuel, because you can’t bring it on the plane. I’m not really that into instant mashed potatoes and ramen anyway. Though, hot beverages are one of my favorite things, but, “the path is easy for those without preferences.”

For shoes I plan to hike mostly in Chacos sandals but I’m bringing along a pair of running shoes too. I really don’t want to but I know the PCT is very hard on feet and I want to have the option of giving my feet a change, when they get tired. My feet were my weakest link, the first time I hiked the PCT, and I’m hoping for happy feet this time.

I have said I was bringing the running shoes before, but when it came time to leave, I just couldn’t bear to carry the extra weight and ended up leaving them at home.

Hiker black holes

In the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker’s Handbook, Ray Jardine identified the town of Wrightwood as a hiker black hole where hikers stop and never get back out on the trail again. Concerned about this, he advised hikers to not stop there. I didn’t stop there because I was afraid of being sucked in.

When I hiked, I felt there was a black hole at Sonora Pass, where I and several others were almost sucked off the trail.

I have been reading online journals of people out on the trail this year and I would like to identify another possible black hole. Fifteen miles into the trail, at least three hikers have decided that they are too injured to go on. One hiker, hiked fifteen miles, said she almost died of dehydration and flew back home. Another hiker, hiked the first fifteen miles, was attacked by a hummingbird, fell down, hurt his knee and flew home. Another hiker hiked the first fifteen miles and thinks he may have a stress fracture in his foot, so he went home.

I don’t know what my strategy will be for getting through this, but just being aware that it’s there helps.

How much does it cost to hike a long trail?

The first long trail I hiked was the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail). I quit my good paying job and planned to return to work the following spring. I looked at the hike as a “trip of a lifetime” and spared no expense. But, like a lot of people that complete a long hike, once I finished the trail, I wasn’t so willing to sell my summers anymore and I still haven’t made it back to work.

Since then I have tried to practice a more sustainable hiking style. If I’m disciplined enough I will keep track of my PCT expenses this trip and see how much I spend.

There is a rule of thumb that everyone throws around that says 1-2 dollars a mile, but, Weathercarrot wrote this article on how he hiked the AT on 1,100 dollars: that’s freedom.

I was reading journals today and found a hiker who is paying for her trip by selling plasma.

Update: I spent about 3,600 dollars. That included buying a couple new pairs of shoes, a new backpack, and new rain gear. I don’t drink and I tried to get out of town as quickly as I could but sometimes got a room. I bought lots of fresh food no matter the cost.

When the skies get dark, climb high.

When I was hiking the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and stopping at Mojave for a resupply, an old man told me, “When the skies get dark, climb high”. It was a warning about flash floods in the desert.

Later I heard about a thru-hiker that camped in a dry river bed that year. He said that there were campfire rings in it and it looked well used for camping. That night he was woke up by a strong pressure pushing on him. He fought his way out of his sleeping bag and tarp to swim out of the way of the water. He said that if he had been in a tent he didn’t think he could have gotten out. He lost everything. And hiked into town with nothing but a t-shirt on. He also said that it wasn’t even raining where he was; the water must of come from rain up in the hills.

Seven day weather report for anywhere on the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail)

At http://postholer.com/ you can see the 7 day forecast for anywhere on the PCT.

This message was posted on the pct-l mailing list:

Here at Death Valley, I just met a young hiker, Chris,
who left the trail from Mt. Whitney because of this
storm. He says that there were about 50 other hikers
within a day of him.  Apparently, a lot of them are coming down out of the
Sierras because of this storm.

Man, those hikers are early. Everyone is leaving early this year. I may have the whole trail to myself by the time I get there.

PCT( Pacific Crest Trail) planner

Here is a site that makes you a free custom hiking schedule– complete with resupply addresses, dates you plan to get there, and miles between resupplies. http://www.pctplanner.com/

Water report for Southern California on the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail)

This year, people are saying that Southern California is really dry. Looks like most of the hikers are starting early because of water concerns. Every year has it’s challenges and hiking with too many other hikers on the trail is one of my biggest concerns, so I’m opting on a late start.

This is a link to the Southern California water report. A good thing to print out right before you leave. http://4jeffrey.net/pctwater

Trail wisdom from Mr. Snyder’s class.

The year I thru-hiked the PCT, on the trail for the first 500 miles or so, about every 20-30 miles, under a rock, was a laminated letter from a kid in Mr. Snyder’s class. The letters offered words of encouragement and told us about challenges that the kids had overcome. One letter said, “The pain in your feet is just the doubt in your head.”

How to get to Campo– the southern end of the Pacific Crest Trail.

From the San Diego airport, take the #992 bus to America Plaza, downtown. Bus #992 pickups from both terminals and runs every 10 minutes, during the week. Pay 2. 50 and ask for a transfer that will get you to EL Cajon Transit Center–exact change. Takes 10 minutes.

At the America Plaza, take the Trolley-Orange line going to El Cajon Transit Center. The trolley leaves every 15 minutes. Your bus transfer will get you on free. 50 minutes.

At the El Cajon Transit Center, take the Southeast Rural Bus #894 to Campo. Currently there is no weekend service. Leaves El Cajon transfer station, on weekdays, at 9:10am, 4:10pm, 5:20pm and gets to Campo at 10:53am, 5:58pm, and 7:03pm. Cost 10.00.

It is recommended but not required that you make reservation for the bus ride from El Cajon Transit Center to Campo, Bus #894. To make your reservations call 1-800-858-0291. The Metropolitan Transit system recommends making them at least a day in advance. Yogi, in the PCT Handbook, recommends making them 2 weeks in advance. The bus’s links are to the current schedules.

For more information go to http://www.sdcommute.com/ Or call 1-800-266-6883