View Full Version : the pct class of 2010
:bananahow was your thur hike ???
Chance09
10-31-2010, 12:13
It was absolutely incredible. Best experience of my life (i said the same thing about the AT last year :D). It was a cool year so the desert wasn't too hot, there was plenty of water, and then later on there was plenty of snow. A 150% snow year in the Sierra Mountains made it breathtakingly beautiful. I really enjoyed the differences from the AT and learning how to hike in new climates and situations.
I've got some video from the first 40 days or so at
www.youtube.com/user/takeachance2009 (http://www.youtube.com/user/takeachance2009)
I was planning on making a documentary but someone stole my video camera while i was in Reno meeting my girlfriend. I lost all of my footage from the Sierra Mountains and it was pretty devestating. I couldn't afford another camera until after I sat down to play some poker in South Lake Tahoe one day. I walked out 12 hours later and $1,400 richer! :banana
NoPain - Do you still live in manassas? I live here too in the off season.:welcome
shaggy2004
10-31-2010, 13:09
Happy Feet here.
Chance! What's up? When did you finish.
I agree with what Chance said. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I'm still trying to let it soak in and probably will be for a long time. I would say it was more challenging and more rewarding than the AT, not that I have anything negative to say about the AT but that's my opinion right now.
Snow, or at least the fear of snow, defined the 2010 season for a lot of thru-hikers. I ended up flipping to northern CA and southbounding to Kennedy Meadows to let the Sierras thaw out a bit. In hindsight, even with the big snow year and late spring, it wasn't the best thing to do. I still ended up hiking in a ton of snow, just without footprints to follow. It would have been better to have the epic feeling of crossing the Sierras in the snow. Having said that, there was still probably about as much snow in the high passes by the time I got there as there was for an "on schedule" north bounder in a normal snow year. I had a lot of fun and don't regret my decision but next time I would just cut through the Sierras no matter what all the "trail experts" are saying about snow levels and this or that pass being "impassable"
If I could give one piece of advice to a prospective thru-hiker (particularly one from the east coast or otherwise unfamiliar with traveling in alpine areas or through snow) it would have nothing to do with gear/food/etc. It would be don't listen to ANYONE who claims that the trail is too snowy or isn't thawing fast enough. Check it out yourself. Use caution and common sense of course and don't do anything you aren't comfortable with but don't just blindly take the word of someone that is likely even more ignorant of the situation than yourself.
This year (according to many) Fuller Ridge was suicide. (mile 170)
Mt. Baden Powell was impossible.
The Sierras wouldn't be passable until mid July at the earliest.
All of this was complete B.S. I'm sorry to all of you past PCT thru-hikers who want to think that a thru-hike is some highly technical mountaineering expedition but it just isn't. Nothing is really that hardcore in the grand scheme of things. There absolutely are dangers and they need to be approached as such but take them as they come and don't let them get blown out of proportion. I met some people who went into the Sierras at the end of May this year without ice axes or traction. I wouldn't recommended this but they made it through alive.
I met people in Idyllwild and Wrigtwood who were waiting on their ice axes to arrive in the mail before attempting Fuller Ridge and Baden Powell respectively. People had been stuck in town for nearly a week waiting on gear that really wasn't necessary. Both of these mountains were blown way out of proportion. What's even sadder is that many, many people road-walked or hitch hiked around large sections of trail to avoid these areas which were definite highlights of the trail - certainly the southern end of the trail.
Anyway, That's my rant. Don't listen to the fear mongering! Make your own way and use common sense. You'll be fine.
Chance09
10-31-2010, 15:11
If I could give one piece of advice to a prospective thru-hiker (particularly one from the east coast or otherwise unfamiliar with traveling in alpine areas or through snow) it would have nothing to do with gear/food/etc. It would be don't listen to ANYONE who claims that the trail is too snowy or isn't thawing fast enough. Check it out yourself. Use caution and common sense of course and don't do anything you aren't comfortable with but don't just blindly take the word of someone that is likely even more ignorant of the situation than yourself.
Well said Happy Feet. I couldn't have put it better myself. Sounds much like my number one piece of advice for hikers, and that's "Don't listen to anyones "advice" about the upcomming trail" experience it firsthand yourself free of preconcieved notions and expectations.
How was the end of your trip? You and Karaboo still together? I've already started planning for the CDT next year with my girlfriend.
Retsuzen
11-01-2010, 14:32
Alright never hiked the PCT yet, always the AT. But want to try out just a two month section in a few days. It is Nov. first, can someone tell me what I can expect water wise and resupply wise in the form of large grocery stores (someplace where I can use EBT for buying food). I can carry about 4 liters if I have to, but I am more interested in what the water supply is like for the section I should hike this time of year. As I said in earlier it is Nov. 1st and I want to hike where it is above 40 degrees at night (carry a 40 degree rated light weight down bag, Lafuma). Also how far apart can I expect to find the water and the cheap trail food resupply points? And last, which section would be best for easy water, easy cheap food and above 40 degree temps. at night? Thanks to all the responses!
burntoutphilosopher
11-01-2010, 18:21
retsuzen, there may be no place left on the pct that's over 40 degrees at night guaranteed.
the dessert is horribly dry right now... and a lot of caches aren't being filled anymore. you may have to call some trail angels and get personal water caches.
Well, if someone were to head out in the next week, you could still hike anywhere from the Mexican Border to Kennedy Meadows (mile 702). Anywhere else would be very iffy this time of the year. However, Southern California isn't all desert. There are some tall mountains along the way. Rain and snow would be possibilities for any section hike this time of year. 40F at night is hard to do even in the summer months along much of the PCT. Most hikers keep their 20-30F bags for the entire trail. The deserts can be cold at night since there is no humidity to hold the heat in at night.
However, as mentioned, the water situation isn't the best in the fall and many water caches may not be maintained anymore since SOBOs are almost done. Even in the wetter spring, many hikers carry 4 to 6L of water beween water sources as you can hike all day without water. Resupply points are often 5-6 days apart and not all offer much choice in buying so people use maildrops in places like Warner Springs. Cheap food isn't something you'll find in many trail towns. This is California which is expensive and then most supply points are remote and have high transporation costs and low volume in which to make a living off of.
gravityman
11-01-2010, 18:59
Happy Feet here.
I met people in Idyllwild and Wrigtwood who were waiting on their ice axes to arrive in the mail before attempting Fuller Ridge and Baden Powell respectively. People had been stuck in town for nearly a week waiting on gear that really wasn't necessary. Both of these mountains were blown way out of proportion. What's even sadder is that many, many people road-walked or hitch hiked around large sections of trail to avoid these areas which were definite highlights of the trail - certainly the southern end of the trail.
Anyway, That's my rant. Don't listen to the fear mongering! Make your own way and use common sense. You'll be fine.
Having no experience on the PCT, but plenty doing high mountians in Colorado, it's really easy to get in over your head without the right gear. It took me a very scary lesson were I thought that I was fine on a long snowfield until I realized I was very overexposed, and just didn't have the right gear for the frozen conditions. At that point up was safer than down, I went up and waited for the snow to soften. Thank goodness it did, because I'm not sure how I would have made it down if it didn't. At first I thought, oh, one tough move, no problem. Okay another tough one, but I'll be fine. After too many of those I was in serious danger of a small slip leading to a long slide (like 1000's of feet without ice axe or crampon, just hiking poles).
Yes, make you're own judgements, and some of those judgements can't be made without enough experience. Sometimes listening to someone with the experience is worthwhile. Other times not so much, but being more cautious is probably a good think if you know you might be a bit of a risk taker when out there. Know when you are in over your head...
Gravity
YoungMoose
11-01-2010, 19:15
do you guys know anything about a person named "princess". i saw her in crater lake around august 25th. do you guys know if she ever finished
burntoutphilosopher
11-01-2010, 20:00
this year on the PCT i was freaking out about san jacinto ... was incredibly scared from the stories i'd heard...
...then i met someone on here named Leaftye, and basically he said 'go slow, use good judgment it's not so bad'
being from the mountains of british columbia, steep snowy summits are something i was actually quite prepared for, and i didn't think it was so bad, i waited almost a week for weather though.
i don't know, but i can imagine the mountains in Colorado being MUCH more dangerous... those are a lot more like the mountains in BC.
not a lot of ASABAT reports updated this time of year ... but the recent reports are looking like you could have 38 or mroe miles between many water resupplies.
http://www.4jeffrey.net/pct/
I only made it to Deep Creek, but I had a fantastic time. It was much more incredible than I could have possibly imagined. I'm somewhat hesitant to try again because it can't possibly be nearly so awesome again. Now I'm able to hike with less pain and exertion and I'm finding the PCT in San Diego County to be even more beautiful than I remembered...it helps when I'm not looking at the ground the whole time!
As I said in earlier it is Nov. 1st and I want to hike where it is above 40 degrees at night (carry a 40 degree rated light weight down bag, Lafuma). Also how far apart can I expect to find the water and the cheap trail food resupply points? And last, which section would be best for easy water, easy cheap food and above 40 degree temps. at night? Thanks to all the responses!
I'm going to assume you don't want to walk much over 20 miles without water. Let me know if I'm way off.
That said, the best place to hike with those conditions right now is from about Scissors Crossing to Lake Morena. It's still warm further north, but water is an unknown. I do know that water is easily found in the Lagunas and a little bit around it. Food isn't exactly cheap or fresh in the Lagunas, so you should get that shipped to you. Most nights are still in the 40's, but on colder nights it's very easy to seek refuge at lower warmer elevations.
If I could give one piece of advice to a prospective thru-hiker (particularly one from the east coast or otherwise unfamiliar with traveling in alpine areas or through snow) it would have nothing to do with gear/food/etc. It would be don't listen to ANYONE who claims that the trail is too snowy or isn't thawing fast enough. Check it out yourself. Use caution and common sense of course and don't do anything you aren't comfortable with but don't just blindly take the word of someone that is likely even more ignorant of the situation than yourself.
........
I met people in Idyllwild and Wrigtwood who were waiting on their ice axes to arrive in the mail before attempting Fuller Ridge and Baden Powell respectively. People had been stuck in town for nearly a week waiting on gear that really wasn't necessary. Both of these mountains were blown way out of proportion. What's even sadder is that many, many people road-walked or hitch hiked around large sections of trail to avoid these areas which were definite highlights of the trail - certainly the southern end of the trail.
I agree and disagree. It could definitely be done without snow/ice gear as long as your head was being used well, but it was better to have gear. This year there wasn't much of a down side to waiting in Idyllwild for gear. I don't think I told anyone the trail was impassable, but I don't think I told anyone to go without gear either. I believe the advice I gave was the safest, that is, the safest way to go was with gear, experience and a good head...not necessarily in that order.
Personally, I fell a lot...a LOT. I appreciated having my ice axe, but I was too exhausted physically and mentally to get through the snow without landing on my butt many many times. I hiked with Tiff & Aaron from about Antsell Rock to nearly Devils Slide, and then with Israeli Gears from San Jacinto North Fork to nearly Snow Creek. I did far more falling than all of them put together, so I know it was mostly me. I wasn't worried about falling since I had thought a lot about how to react and inadvertently gained a lot of experience. The only place I didn't like was one particular spot on South Peak. At that time there was only a few hikers (7?) in front of me, I was alone, the penalty for slipping was very high and ADZPCTKO was coming up soon. I could have picked an alternate route or taken the risk, the snow looked like everyone in front of me picked an alternate route, but I decided to come back in a week.
My "thru-hike" was terrifc, until I hurt my knee and had to get off at Sonora Pass. I was one of those who bailed around Apache Peak and Fuller Ridge, mostly because I was alone and didn't feel comfortable trying it (okay, I was scared s***less). By the time I got to the Sierra, I had more confidence and was with a group of hiker trash that pledged to stay together and help each other out. I left KM on about 3 June, long before the "experts" said it was safe. We had a ball, and even better, nobody died. One of our group had to be airlifted out between Kearsarge and Onion Valley, but that was a freak accident. The stream crossings were more dangerous than the passes, with the possible exception of Mather, where we cut a new traverse to get to a lower cornice at the top.
Can't wait to go back out to Sonora next July and start north again.
Mango
Mango, you came back down? I thought you were with us when Karen brought a bunch of us back out to the trail...I could've sworn you got back on at the Spitler access trail.
I also went around Apache, but that was sort of an accident. The first time I broke trail. I must have been the first to try. I cut steps halfway across the snow field before I realized I'd get too tired and need a break before I got across, but doing a break there would have been beyond me. I cut across and glissaded down the snow field. The second time I accidentally cut across to the west. This time the snow field had receded quite a bit and I tripped and ate it hard in the prickly stuff...I was still shedding thorns weeks later.
shaggy2004
11-02-2010, 13:07
Mango! Hey, sorry to hear you had to get off. But I'm jealous of your hike north from Sonora next year.
I just want to clarify from my earlier post. I don't recommend anyone rush headlong into any situation ill prepared and totally regardless of what anyone says about potential danger.
My point was simply that there was a lot of mis information out there this year that was scaring hikers away from parts of the trail that they could have definitely gotten through with little trouble. Taking every warning you get about extremely dangerous/impassable trail as absolute fact is a mistake. For instance there was a notice posted in the Hardware store in Wrightwood making Mt. Baden Powell sound suicidal. This same note stated that crampons were absolutely mandatory but the word crampons was severely misspelled (like in a way that only someone who had heard the word once or twice in their lives could have misspelled it). Later I heard that it had been written by someone in town that had never been up Baden Powell, at least not that year or that time of year. This scared a lot of people into hitching all the way to Agua Dulce while B. Powell was very safe and a lot of fun.
Something else to keep in mind is that conditions do change fast, especially in the south. Something that may have been legitimately sketchy a week or so ago could be clear and dry, or at least much better off today.
And one other thing. It seems to me that if the San Jacintos or Baden Powell are too dangerous that the high Sierra would be completely out of the question. I think these early mountains should be used to cautiously build a little experience before walking into the much tougher conditions past Kennedy Meadows.
Chance09
11-02-2010, 16:03
I haven't heard from princess in a while but I think that her and lip service were on track to finish up the last I'd heard. I'll see if I can get in touch with them and post again.
Retsuzen
11-03-2010, 21:19
I'm going to assume you don't want to walk much over 20 miles without water. Let me know if I'm way off.
That said, the best place to hike with those conditions right now is from about Scissors Crossing to Lake Morena. It's still warm further north, but water is an unknown. I do know that water is easily found in the Lagunas and a little bit around it. Food isn't exactly cheap or fresh in the Lagunas, so you should get that shipped to you. Most nights are still in the 40's, but on colder nights it's very easy to seek refuge at lower warmer elevations.
Do you mean that in the area I specified the walk is about 20 miles between natural water points? Really, I hope not. where is the trailhead for the section you suggested? I know the lower half is about 700 miles through the desert but not actually all desert (like 30 miles are). So I was looking at the weather for Palm Springs, it looked decent for cool nights and cool but very comfy days. Would there be much difference in the temps on the trail and in the nearby towns? Thanks to all.
burntoutphilosopher
11-03-2010, 21:29
retsuzen,
you can easily be 16 to 25 miles between each water source for the first 300 miles definately. i don't live near socal, but i spent 5 years in san bernadino county, and it could be outright bone dry right now.
did you look at the asabat report? going off september and october reports alone i'll make a specific estimate real quick...
burntoutphilosopher
11-03-2010, 21:34
no water mile 0 to mile 21
campground at moreno has faucets still on:
mile 37 has water
mile 42 has water
mile 48
mile 59
mile 68
mile 109
so in the first 100 miles alone you have a stretch of 21 miles and a stretch of 41 miles with no water.
it gets much worse from there.
burntoutphilosopher
11-03-2010, 21:40
mile 127 has water
mile 139 has water
mile 142
mile 151
mile 155
mile 166 (maybe!)
mile 190
mile 341 has a recent water report:
ASABAT has a 150 mile stretch from 190 to 340'sumthin that is essentially not up to date... and could be VERY hard without a trail angel caching for you.
burntoutphilosopher
11-03-2010, 21:44
oh, as a last point and sorry to multiple post but it's worht mentioning ...
the weather from palm springs is NOTHING like the weather in lagune or san jacinto.
check the weather for mount laguna or idyllwild ... it's amazing what 6,000 foot mroe of elevation will do to night time temps .
i dont mean to discourage you, just prepping you for what;s there. the trail itself in this area is incredibly well maintained... easy to walk, easy to follow, remarkably scenic etc.
just make sure you are prepaed and it'll be an amazing trip. this is all the more i did this year... i will try to thru hike in 2011 (situations out of my control forced me off the trail this year )
Do you mean that in the area I specified the walk is about 20 miles between natural water points? Really, I hope not. where is the trailhead for the section you suggested?
Oh heck yeah. Right now there's probably no natural water between the border and Lake Morena. There's 20 miles right there.
There's probably no natural water again for another 17 miles, and I'm just assuming Long Canyon is still running.
I'll go ahead and call pipe springs natural, but from Lower Morris Meadow to Oasis Spring there's nothing natural flowing right now. That's only about 9 miles, but the next is a whopper.
I very seriously doubt there's any natural water from Oasis Spring until Barrel Spring. That's over 50 miles.
Fortunately we have some reliable piped water and a couple caches and water tanks. Those aren't natural though. If you insist on natural you better be an incredible hiker or wait until another time.
Next week I'll try to provide updates for everything from Devils Slide to Hwy 74. I was actually hoping to bump into some south bounders next week, but it looks like all of them have already finished.
Would there be much difference in the temps on the trail and in the nearby towns? Thanks to all.
It depends. Idyllwild has much warmer temperatures compared to the trail several thousand feet above it. Much less wind too. Warner Springs, Laguna and Lake Morena is exactly like the trail because the trail literally runs through it.
If you want warmer nights you can still have it, but you have to make it happen. Drop to lower elevations, being aware of air flow patterns, sleeping among trees and on thick forest duff will help you stay warmer. You don't always need all of that either. On October 22nd I slept near Fred Canyon on thick forest duff and under trees, which kept me so warm that I pushed my quilt down to my waist most of the night. A couple days later I wasn't as picky when I camped in the Lagunas and it was much less pleasant.
What you may want to do is try contacting some south bounders. They should be able to give you the best information on water in southern California.
I only section hiked this year.
I met Princess and Lip Service at the half-way mark. Lip Service had some kind of foot injury. I was on a section hike and ended up driving her from Chester over to Old Station so she could get off the trail and try to heal. Never heard anything after that. Princess was looking strong and continued on. We didn't give her a ride.
I think right now would be a great time to do some So Cal hiking. We've had a couple of warm storms to fill some of the creeks and the weather has been fantastic. It's still going to be very dry, probably drier than April, but not as dry as September. But 40 degree nights? I don't think we have those ever in the backcountry in Southern California. Cold nights, hot days is pretty much how it is.
I agree with whoever said don't believe all the hype about the dangers. I was scared by people so much that I missed some sections and had to come back later. Yes, it can be dangerous and you should be prepared, but some people would have you believe you have to carry 90lbs of winter gear and learn survival snow camping skills to hike in the Sierras in June and that you have to continue hauling your winter gear because a freak storm could happen at any time. It's just not true.
Plus you learn you can get by with less than you need. That's what happened to me. I really needed something warm to wear during the day in Washington. I was so cold I had to walk as fast as possible and never stop for more than a couple of minutes. I didn't have anything warm to wear but I did okay. And since I did okay, I just kept going without the warm clothing. Discomfort and danger are two different things.
Retsuzen
11-04-2010, 17:34
Thanks for all this info. I soaked it up like a sponge and am more excited now than before. I am thinking going to Campo and just starting north as far as we can go, the weather seems very doable for us. We are prepared for autumn temps to slightly colder temps and will have about 2.5 gallons of water between us 2 adults and 1 child. The terrain is easier than the AT and we actively hike the AT which is as most know a lot rougher terrain. I printed out the water reports, thanks to burntoutphilosopher for the ASABAT info. (didn't know about that site). I will also call the PCTA to talk about the area reports if they eventually answer their phone. Can anyone tell me if there is a place online where I can download something like the AT Companion?
burntoutphilosopher
11-04-2010, 18:03
retsuzen,
20 mile days with a child is going to be a LOT harder. be sure you have enough water for overnights, cooking, etc.
goodluck on your hike though i'm sure it will be a very strong bonding experience for all of you.
i went to college in PA, and yes, the AT is a LOT harder terrain mile for mile in that stretch than it is in the first bit of the PCT.
what kind of miles can you kid do? how old is he / she ?
If you're driving out here I highly recommend you cache some water for yourself. Maybe only in one place if you're lucky...at least at Scissors Crossing. 3rd Gate is a valuable cache, but may be empty and it's tough to cache on your own. Please be sure to properly dispose of your empty bottles.
I'm not familiar with the AT Companion, but check out:
Asabat's water report
Halfmile's website for maps and gps info
Postholer for weather, data book and another map option
YoungMoose
11-04-2010, 20:58
I haven't heard from princess in a while but I think that her and lip service were on track to finish up the last I'd heard. I'll see if I can get in touch with them and post again.
thanks for the info
I'm not familiar with the AT Companion, but check out:
Asabat's water report
Halfmile's website for maps and gps info
Postholer for weather, data book and another map option
The water report and Halfmile's maps will be enough. You might be able to check out the Wilderness press guidebook at the library and make some xerox copies of relevant sections.
Water report:
http://www.4jeffrey.net/pct/
Some of the info may be out-of-date. What you need to do is not rely on any caches at all and assume that most creeks marked on the topo with dotted blue lines are dry. Tanks will probably be empty, too. Plan to visit any reliable spring/cattle trough even if it is 1/4 mile or more off the trail. Bring a water filter so that you don't have to pass up any water source. You might have to drink some pretty green water. As a life-long So Cal hiker I can tell you it won't hurt you one bit.
Here's a water tip of my own:
Rodriguez Spring is usually noted on the water report as a tank near the trail. Walk 1/2 mile or so down the road past the tank. Keep an eye out on the left. You'll find a spring with water dripping from a pipe into a bucket. This will be the last reliable water until Barrel Spring.
Maps:
http://www.pctmap.net/
Enjoy your trip and please report back. I want to go for a hike on the PCT down around San Jacinto this Thanksgiving. So I'd love to hear how your trip is going to get an idea of the conditions.
You might also consider taking water report notes of your own so you can report back to AsABat. He'll put your info into the water report.
Here's a water tip of my own:
Rodriguez Spring is usually noted on the water report as a tank near the trail. Walk 1/2 mile or so down the road past the tank. Keep an eye out on the left. You'll find a spring with water dripping from a pipe into a bucket. This will be the last reliable water until Barrel Spring.
I don't know why I've never noticed that. Well, I guess it could be because Pie Town Gear had set up shop just we my group arrived. I'll definitely check that spring out next month.
Enjoy your trip and please report back. I want to go for a hike on the PCT down around San Jacinto this Thanksgiving. So I'd love to hear how your trip is going to get an idea of the conditions.
I'll be out there next week. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to check out.