Month: July 2022

We ended up doing around 25 miles yesterday. We got to the edge of the 13 mile water carry early, then to Cache 22 (which is on Forest Road 22) where we got water and they had trail magic.

We were going to take two hours, but some sodas and snickers and we left early. We hiked on about four more miles and had a wonderful campsite come up.

That left us with 17 miles to town instead of 21. We had Win’s package with her driver’s license to pick up and the post office has limited hours.

A beautiful morning and we were on the trail by 5:40 or so. The hike went really fast. Almost three miles per hour. We had a brief stop at a privy and then the Pacific Crest Trail Cafe for sodas.

Then into town. Package wasn’t there yet so we took showers at the campground and did laundry. The package came on and a shuttle to Chester was available just as the dryer finished.

To Chester, some trail magic pastry and then on the bus to Quincy. This gets us around the burned out area following the advice of the PTCA.

We will meet Pounder at the Save-More get four days supply and head out for Sierra City on the morning.

We saw over 40 NOBOs before 10:30. They tell us the big bubble is a week away.

A lot of Germans. Lots of great hikers.

We also got some pictures from Oregon. That hundred year high snowfall is still on the trail.

So glad we did not try to wait it out and headed south to get some miles on while the weather melted.

On the other hand, we have had some wonderful weather as we head south. I’ll get my fleece and my sun hoody in time for the Sierras.

The Rab hoody I have is nice and it is light. But it is not InsectShield treated.

The Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are really different. On the AT, 12-15 mile days were good. On the PCT, 20-25 mile days are normal.

We will pass 40-50 NOBOs and they will each report basically seeing no one.

No shelters and the campsites are usually small 1-3 spots is all. As a result there is no natural social clumping the AT shelter/privy/water source/camping creates even for those who never sleep in a shelter.

So many water sources right on the trail. It seems that anything more than 50’ off the trail might as well not exist much of the time. Porcupine Lake at .2 miles off the trail is a big deal.

Resupply is further apart and often not as easy or complete. The small towns so far have been very hiker friendly and people think nothing of a 10-15 mile hitch hiking jaunt into a town.

On the AT the only reason to mail a box was for things we could not carry on in our luggage. On the PCT it is normal to mail boxes.

On the AT our only long water carry was in Pennsylvania—and it wasn’t that long. Two water caches (one at a place you could get pizza delivered at).

On the PCT we have already had a few 10+ mile waterless hikes and we are coming up on two fifteen mile stretches. Some of it hot, dry and exposed.

I’m full time in a sun hoody now. The hat/bandana/silk weight baselayer set up worked for my shakedowns but was marginal in wind and greater heat.

I’m wearing a 4 ounce Rab pulse. In the only color the outfitter had in my size. It snags but seems like it is wearing well otherwise. Sent my fleece and my baselayer (top and bottom) home along with my beanie.

The fleece never got worn more than 15-20 minutes. I just start colder.

We also mailed our micro spikes home and replaced the Wright socks with Darn Tough socks.

I keep debating getting a pair of light shorts for laundry days.

Put in metatarsal support pads. The Moab 2 mids have some built in. The lows are supposed to have the same last but lack the support—took a while but I started having a lot of pain.

I’m pretty not impressed with the loss I’m quality of shoes with what has happened with many manufacturers. I may go back to Hokas.

Also sent my mug/cup home. Used it once but we’ve adapted to the smaller lot. It turned into an “almost” gear item.

It is now 8:05 and that is hiker midnight for me today.

Win is such a great companion.

June 13 our flight had delays and problems, so when we got in it was really late. We went to dinner with Steph (“big momma”) our trail Angel and shuttle driver, Alan [1] (Ninja Mouse), Alan [2], and Anita, the Dutch hiker.

June 13 became “day 0” and June 14 was our day 1. We hiked 20 miles to a reservoir and then 4 more to the PCT hiker campground. With showers and power. Hyatt Lake Campground.

We were too late for the diner but we did get to meet the camp host.

The trail was beautiful and we did 24 miles our first day.

June 15, day 2, we hiked north. Did 21 miles. Good trail. Then we started up the mountain on day three. The trail was beautiful until we reached the other side of the saddle and there was suddenly snow.

Pretty flat. Not ice axe and crampon type snow, but melting sludge that got deeper and deeper.

When we posted and talked about it we got such macho responses from some people. I wanted to just say “nope. No where near as bad as some of the winter camping I did at twenty below during my four years in Alaska. And nope. Not as difficult as the winter mountain snow shoeing I did in California.”

“Oh the other guy whose opinion I shared. He just has his advanced winter mountain snow safety instructor certifications. Of course your experience is ‘superior.’”

But I didn’t. It wasn’t so much dangerous (other than the one storm) as a slow, painful 8–12 mile a day on snow shoes slog. Then a sprint through Crater Lake then impassable.

So we could:

• Wait around Ashland for more thawing.
• Get snow shoes.
• Hike the coastal trail instead.
• Go South to get miles in while the snow thawed.
• Go home.

People in our group took all of those options. Snow shoe man bailed out pretty quickly. The guy going home has a girl friend who wants to hike with him if he would go home. (He made the right decision).

Some of the coastal trail people have limited time to hike and that was also on their plan.

We just hit the trail head after a resupply and a night at the Ashland Hostel and headed South towards California.