PCT Class of 2010

**mattabbotts** · 11-15-2009, 10:36

Hey everyone,

My fiance and I will be hitting the trail sometime in the first week of May. I hike the AT in '08, trailname Marathon, and am itching to get back on a long hike.

Hope to see you all out there. Good luck in the planning process.

**guthook** · 11-21-2009, 09:15

I'll also be starting the PCT at the kickoff party. This will be my introduction to West Coast backpacking... can't wait!

**Mad Hatter 08** · 11-28-2009, 21:31

Well I was hoping to do the border to warner springs but the need to take a loa so i can care for my grandma and then probable hernia surgery early in the new year I won't have any PTO to take off for the week or so i was planning to take but as long as the ko lands on my weekend off i will be there for sure so hope to meet all of you who will be there. once i know for sure if i'm going i'll post info to shuttle people to or from the ko.

**Butch Cassidy** · 12-11-2009, 00:15

Hi PCT hikers, I plan to be there for the kickoff then start north. I will do a month or so on the AT starting Mar. 1st to tune up. I have Thruhiked the At twice. As Paladin GAME 05 and as Butch Cassidy in 07 but unless I am just having too much fun I will go west for the PCT Adventure. See Ya up trail.

**chiefdaddy** · 12-20-2009, 17:52

I'll be there in April and going back to the kick off for some fun!

Time Traveler It will be good to see you again also. I'll be bringing my Lady for two months in the summer while she is not teaching

CHIEF (boston terrier) Will also be thru hiking this time! Not like the AT where he left and went home in the smokies.

**handlebar** · 12-20-2009, 19:57

Originally Posted by Fire Marshall

\... thinking of starting in early April......Maybe the first week of April. ... Any advice?

You can do it, but there will be hazardous trail and snow skills and serious route-finding skills will be needed. A lot depends on the snow pack in the mountains this winter. There will be snow around Idyllwild in the Fuller Ridge area and possibly on Mt. Laguna. When I went through in mid-
April '08 the section north of Wrightwood over Mt. Baden Powell was buried in snow and in other portions the trail sidehill was filled with frozen snow sloping to cliff side dropoffs into deep canyons----very hazardous. Also starting that early, you'll be to Kennedy Meadows (start of Sierras) around May 15 which is probably too early to start through --- unless you've got really good map and compass navigation skills and don't mind walking on snow for miles before and after each pass. This will be aggravated by a likely long trail closure between Wrightwood and AguaDulce due to a fire last fall that could knock a week off your time unless an alternate walking route is designated by then.

My 08 thru-hike started sobo from Walker Pass on April 4 with some skipping around due to plans to attend my nephew's Memorial Day weekend wedding. The trail was lonely and there were some pretty cold nights. Dangerous snow as mentioned above. Even after taking 12 days off for the wedding, I reached Kennedy Meadows on May 31. I started into the Sierras on June 3 after a day's delay due to a fire. I understand that '08 was a somewhat lower than average snow year, so the early start was OK and there was a reasonable number of people heading out at that time, but there were long sections approaching and descending from the high passes that were buried in snow. I was glad of the footprints of the brave souls who'd crossed ahead of me!

**chiefdaddy** · 12-20-2009, 20:14

Sounds great Handlebar! I'm a guide in upstate New York and am working out winter skills all season until april

thanks man.

**ATbound** · 12-20-2009, 20:19

Chiefdaddy, Viewfinder here from AT 08. It'll be great to see more familiar faces out there, though I won't be starting until after the kickoff, but perhaps our paths will cross again non the less. Best of luck in the planing and hiking!

Viewfinder

**shaggy2004** · 12-20-2009, 20:49

If things fall in place, hopefully I'll be out there this year.

**Big Daddy D** · 12-22-2009, 21:10

I will continue north from Ashland and finish the trail this summer in July and August.

**sbhikes** · 12-22-2009, 22:23

Oh Boy, Big Daddy. Bring some DEET. You're gonna need it. I did Oregon and Washington this year in July and August. Mosquitoes in Oregon in July are insane.

**Dogwood** · 12-22-2009, 22:52

I wish all a very Merry Christmas and many thrills and laughs on a great trail this upcoming year.

**Johnny Appleseed** · 12-29-2009, 16:43

Johnny Appleseed will be there. I will start mid april.

**Spirit Walker** · 12-29-2009, 17:57

Viewfinder, were you on the PCT last year? I think we met a woman by that name near Baden Powell.

**ATbound** · 12-29-2009, 20:43

SpiritWalker: Nope, haven't stepped a foot on that trail yet. Must have been my evil twin

Bwahahahaha

**Time Traveler** · 12-30-2009, 12:57

Awesome Chief Daddy, maybe I'll see you out there. I'm starting pretty late though (May 14) due to finals week at Cobleskill. So what the heck are you doin in NY. We should do a shakedown hike or something.

**chiefdaddy** · 12-31-2009, 08:16

I'm guiding new yorkers every weekend upstate. Sounds like a plan TT
hit me up on face book or chiefdaddy08@gmail,com

**nopain** · 12-31-2009, 08:32

Things did'nt work out for a few of my friends to do the CDT so the rest of us are going to do the PCT again....we are going to start after the kickoff....The kick off is a great way to meet most of the people you will be hiking with...great time...A low key Trail Day's...

**leaftye** · 01-01-2010, 02:26

I'm planning on leaving early to mid April, but leaving Kennedy Meadows around the same time the early group does.

**cheeks** · 01-05-2010, 09:36

My wife and I are starting after KO. We met on the AT in 2007 and can't wait to get back out there.

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