PCT Oregon

[Feral Bill]

I'm considering a few weeks of section hiking in late-August to maybe early October. I'm planning on low miles and relaxing.

A few questions: a. Is hammocking a reasonable choice, or will I be on the ground much of the time? b. When is the weather likely to get nasty? c. PCT resupply information suggests that white gas may be tough to get. Is it available by the quart where it can be found? And no, I do not want to use another fuel.

Thanks for any helpful information.

FB

[Miner]

Most of the trail through Oregon is forested, so you can hang most of the time. Beware you will hike through stretches of old forest fires and lava fields. Rain is always possible, but you should have good weather more often than not, at least til sometime in September. While you may see some minor snow, the winter stuff most likely will hold off til sometime in October. Your time frame should be fine though you can expect to get wet at some point. When I did the PCT in 2009, I hiked Oregon from Aug. 15 through Sept.6 (finishing in a 3 day rain storm after having mostly dry conditions). The state seemed wetter the further north you go, with the area near Mt. Hood suggesting it gets a lot of rain, while the southern part of Oregon seemed pretty dry. Mosquitoes were mostly gone by the time I went through except the Sisters Wilderness, but if they end up with more snow than average, you could still see some big swarms.

The issue with resupplying in Oregon is the trail stays so far from civilization compared to the rest of the trail. Many of the typical resupply points are backwoods seasonal resorts that close after summer. The later you go through, the more likely they'll be closed; though the southern half uses them more often then the northern half. This will be compounded by taking a slow pace. Most PCT hikers do high miles through Oregon, because the terrain is easy compared to most of the trail, its late in the hike so they are in excellent shape, and the need to cover long distances between the convenient resupply points.

[Feral Bill]

Most of the trail through Oregon is forested, so you can hang most of the time. Beware you will hike through stretches of old forest fires and lava fields. Rain is always possible, but you should have good weather more often than not, at least til sometime in September. While you may see some minor snow, the winter stuff most likely will hold off til sometime in October. Your time frame should be fine though you can expect to get wet at some point. When I did the PCT in 2009, I hiked Oregon from Aug. 15 through Sept.6 (finishing in a 3 day rain storm after having mostly dry conditions). The state seemed wetter the further north you go, with the area near Mt. Hood suggesting it gets a lot of rain, while the southern part of Oregon seemed pretty dry. Mosquitoes were mostly gone by the time I went through except the Sisters Wilderness, but if they end up with more snow than average, you could still see some big swarms.

The issue with resupplying in Oregon is the trail stays so far from civilization compared to the rest of the trail. Many of the typical resupply points are backwoods seasonal resorts that close after summer. The later you go through, the more likely they'll be closed; though the southern half uses them more often then the northern half. This will be compounded by taking a slow pace. Most PCT hikers do high miles through Oregon, because the terrain is easy compared to most of the trail, its late in the hike so they are in excellent shape, and the need to cover long distances between the convenient resupply points.

Thanks, I'll be going southbound, which should help. Rain I can live with. I expect to carry more than the 25 mpd crowd. Worst case, I'll cut the trip short.

[Venchka]

I'm considering a few weeks of section hiking in late-August to maybe early October. I'm planning on low miles and relaxing.

A few questions: a. Is hammocking a reasonable choice, or will I be on the ground much of the time? b. When is the weather likely to get nasty? c. PCT resupply information suggests that white gas may be tough to get. Is it available by the quart where it can be found? And no, I do not want to use another fuel.

Thanks for any helpful information.

FB

Bill,
Every Walmart I have been in during the past year+ has had white gas by the quart/liter on the shelf below the gas canisters. I hope this helps. I have no idea where there are Walmarts near the PCT in Oregon.
Wayne


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