I'm planning on doing a short hike from Ashland to Chemult (~150 miles) starting at the end of next week and have a few questions for those familiar with the area. I chose this section mainly because I can take train/bus to ashland then hop a train from chemult back to CA when I am done. Also, I get to see Crater Lake, which will be a first for me.
I currently live in Monterey, CA and hike somewhat regularly in Big Sur and have used this to condition myself and get used to the gear I have. Due to the drought, I haven't had any chances to use rain gear to test it. Looking at the weather forecast for the next ten days shows me upper 80s in the daytime and low 50s at night, so it should be fairly similar to what I'm used to down here (just a little hotter).
Footwear: I currently have these Salomon Quest 4D 2 boots http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWK3YKQ - Is there enough water in this area to warrant wearing these through this hike section? I know they'll be pretty warm otherwise because they have gore-tex in them, but I have done fine with gore-tex boots so far in this temperature range. These boots are currently my first choice unless I hear compelling arguments to go for something less substantial.
Food: Is it realistic to take this ~10 day trip without cooking? I have taken many shorter trips using different variations of trail mixes and other high caloric value foods that don't require heating water. Any suggestions for doing this longer term or warnings to reconsider this plan?
From the Google Earth maps I have downloaded, it appears there is less than 10 miles between water sources on this section of the trail. Is 3-5 liters of water storage reasonable to complete this section?
Any links or experiences in this area would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks!