Doing a reliable backup that doesn’t rely on my host.
https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/backup-wordpress
https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-backups/
https://wordpress.org/plugins/updraftplus/
Back in the day I used to just use WS_FTP for everything. Times change.
She is brilliant. Here is what she had to say:
Permits part 1: What happens if all the “good start dates” are taken when it is your turn?
OPTION ONE: Take any available date. You will very likely be able to change your permit start date later. Let’s say you want to start April 15 at the Mexican border, but when you get in the queue the earliest available date is May 15. Take May 15.
You have May 15 locked in to start at the Mexican border. During or after the January 5 Permit Release Date, you will be able to log back into the Permit Management Portal and change your starting date IF OTHER DATES ARE AVAILABLE. Why would dates become available? Because other hikers cancel their permits. AND, 15 more spaces for each date open up on Jan 5.
The permit system is basically a three-step process:
— Register
— Get a permit
— Print your permit
You MUST have a paper copy of your permit with you on trail. Once you print your permit, that permit space is completed. If you cancel after printing, that cancelled space DOES NOT OPEN UP FOR ANYONE ELSE. Here’s the tricky part: you only have a three-week window to print your permit. That window begins three weeks before your start date and ends the day before your start date. You must print your permit BEFORE your start date. If you do not print it before your start date, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PRINT IT which effectively means you don’t have a permit. But you can’t print your permit any earlier than three weeks before your start date.
You’re thinking, “that’s crazy, why can’t I print it immediately?” Because, as stated above, once a permit is printed, that permit space cannot be allocated to anyone else. Plans change. Life happens. Requiring permit holders to wait until three weeks before their starting date allows a cancelled permit to become available to anyone else.
Trust me, hundreds of people cancel their permits each year. You just have to be diligent and watch the Permit Management Portal closely for cancellations. You’ll also see people post on FB about permit spaces opening up.
OPTION TWO: Take any available date but select a starting location further north up the trail. Let’s say you want to start April 15 at the Mexican border, but when you get in the queue the earliest available date is May 15. Take May 15 BUT choose Agua Dulce CA as your starting location instead of the Mexican border.
You’re thinking, “WHAT?!?!? Why would I do that? I want to hike the WHOLE trail!!!”
Stick with me and read carefully:
Let’s say Jake wants to start at the Mexican border on April 15, but he’s “forced” into a May 15 start date because when he gets in the queue the earliest available date is May 15.
The 50 permits per day covers ALL starting locations south of Sonora Pass (mile 1016). So if Jake starts May 15 at the Mexican border (mile 0), Lisa starts May 15 at Big Bear City (mile 266), and I start May 15 at Kennedy Meadows (mile 702), that’s THREE of the FIFTY May 15 permits.
Backing up a bit, in the first 702 miles, there are only two places where ANY permit is required AT ALL.
FIRST is the Cleveland NF (mile 13-53 and 112-124). A permit is ONLY required in the Cleveland NF if you disperse camp. If you use campgrounds (EASY), NO PERMIT IS REQUIRED in the Cleveland NF.
It’s EASY to hike using campgrounds in the Cleveland NF.
SECOND is the San Jacinto Wilderness / San Jacinto State Park (mile 167-190 and 193-205). HOWEVER, you can hitch into Idyllwild at mile 151 and get a local permit that covers you for those miles at the Idyllwild Ranger Station. EASY.
Remember above where the earliest PCT Long Distance Permit date available for Jake is May 15? Well, if Jake thinks he will hike 100 miles per week, he could still start at the Mexican border on April 15 like he wants WITHOUT a PCT Long Distance Permit for that part of the trail. He can use campgrounds in the Cleveland NF, then he can go into Idyllwild and get a local permit for San Jacinto. The next place on trail where ANY permit is required is at Kennedy Meadows (mile 702). Yep, you read that correctly: from nobo mile 205 to nobo mile 702, there are ZERO permits required on the PCT.
Jake can take that May 15 PCT Long Distance Permit, but select a starting location on THAT permit at approximately the nobo 400 milepoint instead of the Mexican border. Remember, Jake estimates he’ll hike 100 miles per week. It’s reasonable to assume he’ll do 400-ish miles from April 15 to May 15. Agua Dulce CA is at mile 454, so that would be a good starting location for Jake to use on his May 15 PCT Long Distance Permit.
My addition:
Here are the rough locations for mileposting: Campo to Kennedy Meadows South.
Good information to know.
Can’t wait for Yogi’s Handbook in the new edition. I’m still sorry I left my 2019 edition in storage.
I now have a table of contents broken down so it is easier to find posts.
Which got me to thinking about my hiking Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/WinandSteveontheTrail
Table of Contents. Includes links to other blog entries I wrote before this blog.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1062577317745157?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V
Fog. Fifteen minutes of Utah hail. Wind. Rime ice. A break with sunlight. More fog. And a field full of wild turkeys.
Many of these links are a little heavy on recapping what cold soaking is, and some of them duplicate each other’s recipes, but this is a good set of links to recipes for cold soak meals.
The truth is that with town food everysooften cold soaking (or other no cook meals) just isn’t so bad.
It saves time and weight.
In fact, as I think about it, no cook and no soak meals are great.
Bagels, cheese, pepperoni, pastry, tacos, chicken salad, beef sticks, and other foods can all be eaten without soaking or cooking.
I need to think more. Gormet approach—too much work and going the wrong direction (for me) but pretty neat.
