Read somewhere that the trail along the Deep Creek area north of Big Bear was heavily damaged. He might have "skipped" that section.
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It sounds like Coyote Rob may have something in common with Rosie Ruiz.Originally Posted by Jeff
Based on his lack of simple backpacking concepts and 60 mile days, this seems like BS.
That's because he skipped around the taller parts of Mount San Jacinto. I hiked from Snow Creek up to Fuller Ridge a few days ago before the storm and the only prints were from animals until the last 1/4 mile. The trail was very soft and fluffy, so prints would have shown up well. Even the snow in the lower region lacked prints, and there weren't many prints in any area. Fwiw, there were drifts a couple feet deep with surprisingly soft snow.
Even though he skipped miles, it's probably best that his skip allowed him to get past Baden Powell because southern California mountains just got walloped with several days of snow.
Id rather be hated for who I am, than be loved for somebody im not-Unknown Author-Portola,CA Bar Wall Letter. Im just gonna throw out some numbers,about 25% of average thru-hikes are successful, divide that by 3, -at least half of whats left do to pct timing and lack of REAL prep. Add 1%, because he must be crazy to think, other hikers cant do math. Ill give him a 5.15% or so chance of actual completion and the honor of the Triple Crown(I use honor loosely in this case). Think the ALHDA crowd gives him a standing O(after the interigation!)? Its tough to watch.
from day 12 -
"...the next time the trail crossed Highway 2 (which parallels/criss-crosses the trail), I decided to hike on it instead."
From earlier in the day:
That seems to confirm that he started his skip from at least Fobes Saddle (mile 166), but more likely started the skip at Hwy 74 (mile 151) or Anza a few miles earlier. The skip lasted to at least Hwy 18 (mile 266), but more likely got back on the trail at Silverwood Lake (mile 324).Today saw me in the highest elevation and heaviest snowpack thus far. At around 8,000 feet, a couple things started getting dodgy.
So he's skipped nearly half the trail already, and was lost on part of the remainder. If he's having this much trouble already, and due to the timing, I bet he skips most of the Sierras too.
Who knew there was someone more full of crap than nature boy. I wonder where he'll be pulled from his tent and beaten???
Pain is a by-product of a good time.
At this rate, and considering the trail conditions ahead of him, he'll be on the AT in a couple weeks.
I'm following his blog and see that almost all of his problems (OK, all of them) have to do with inexperience.
Hiking through cactus seems new to him, frozen gloves in the morning, wire fences, cooking beans, turning around and wasting a day or two just to get new gloves!
He is not prepared enough either gear-wise or mentally for a triple crown one year hike IMO.
Worried about his cell phone battery, trying to cook dry beans, etc.
He should've spent a few hundred hours on whiteblaze. Or, better yet, should've done some hiking.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
Ok, this is now foolish.......
I hiked the PCT last year at the speed that Mr Coyote is attempting so I have a real good feel for the tempo that he should be doing. But his skipping has now hit a new low. Day 15 had up in Aqua Dulce at the end of the day. Yet Day 16 had him hiking along the CA aquaduct which took me almost two days to hit from AD and the first day out of AD I did 38...... so, how would a hiker that was "ethically conflicted" about road walking the frog detour now end up doing a 60 mile day. Either he has the worst memory in writing his journal or he is flat out lying. You decide.
Folks, in his gear pics I spotted a shower pouf. 'Nuff said.
He now only plans on doing the PCT and the AT this year. This is per his website. http://crhiking.org/
He said he's too early for the Sierras. He wouldn't be nearly as early if he hadn't skipped so much. I certainly advise him to go back and do those sections right now because if they were difficult before tougher, they're even tougher now that the last two weekends have brought much more snow to those areas.
That said, he said he plans on going south. I haven't hiked up there yet, but I bet that's completely covered in snow too.
I hope he knows how to use an ice ax.
The northern PCT in April/May can be treacherous with steep traverses.
Maybe even more so than the Sierras.
If he's smart enough to practice with one along the way, he may be OK.
I wonder how he'll find the trail when it's snow covered up there.
Again, I wish he had some experience before setting off on such an extreme adventure.
Thinking that is going to be easier in WA than it is in southern CA is a little naieve.
At least he'll have some road crossings in WA.
Not many in the Sierras this time of year.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
If I were in his trail runners I would go hike the AT then do the PCT SB. The northern PCT is much more rugged than the Sierra with snow. Some of hairiest snow crossing on the trip last year were up in Or and WA.
shoulda started on the AT this year with the temps being so warm all winter.
Last edited by nitewalker; 03-30-2012 at 07:13.
What?
.........................................
He's updated his status from triple to double:
CDT: cancelled
PCT: rescheduled 2012 from NOBO to SOBO, currently ZEROing in the Bay Area
AT: still planned for 2012
Snowpack is still building in the Northwest. It will be a while before he can even try to start southbound. Maybe late June?
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
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