I read an article in Backpacker 3 years ago about a project to bulild a Trail connecting Point Barrow AK to the PCT. That gave me the idea of doing a Point Barrow Alaska to Baja Mexico hike. Anyone have any info that may be helpful?
BooBoo
Point Barrow to Baja
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#2
ill give you the number of my shrink, hes great.
jeez, good luck, you would be the story of the year.
milo
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#3
Ya know what Milo,people said the similar things to Earl Schaffer before he went to do his first hike. I should know because my brother Yogi and I hiked with him for close to 1200 miles on our ‘98 hike. I figure that Point Barrow to Baja will be about 6-7,000 miles. People also said similar things to Nimblewill Nomad about his Florida to Cap Gaspe’ hike. I’ll be doing Point Barrow to Baja instead of my oringinally planned Point Barrow to The Cape.
BooBoo
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#4
If you look at a map, there isn’t a real town for 100’s of miles south of Barrow Alaska. My question is, how do you resupply?
I would feel the timing of the seasons would make this impossible. The only time you can hike safely in Barrow is in the summer. Let’s put it this way, they haven’t even built a public road that leads to the south out of Barrow.
At least in the summer up there, you get daylight 24/7.
007
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#5
i was only joshing. plus earl and nomad benefited from the fact that they were crazy. jardines a looney toon. thoreau was nuts, keroack was beyond hope.
crazy people rock.
that short hiking season in the sierra is a tough one. a crazy persons window is june first to mid-late september. i looked at jardines 4.5 month southbound itinerary and he suggests starting in canada jun 15, arriving in the sierra (tuolomne) sept 9th. push your sierra debut back a crazy 2 weeks and assume you can cut a crazy week off of crazy ray’s time, and that would mean youd need to be at the u.s.a. by july 7th. (follow?) assuming the trek from ak-wa would be two grand+ and you could hike it in a crazy four months, that would have you earnestly setting out in february sometime. sounds, well, crazy. if there is a warmer rainbelt on the coast, like there is in B.C., it would be doable, and i would certainly send you a care package to your first maildrop at manning park.
if you want rays itinerarys (out of print) ill send them to you.
god love ya.
milo
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#6
Boo Boo, check out George Meegan’s book “The Longest Walk”. He walked from the tip of Argentina to Point Barrow, Alaska. You could get some good information about the section from the Canadian Border to Point Barrow, AK.
He pulled a little two-wheeled cart behind him most of the way. I think you will enjoy the book!
Take Five
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#7
It has been done, but I think it would be hard, if not impossible, to do it in one year. As others have said, the season in Alaska is too short and the state too big.
When we hiked the CDT we ran into register entries from people who said they intended to continue down into South America - but I have no idea whether they did. Go on the internet and read some of the Y to Y reports (Yellowstone to Yukon), they cover part of the journey, and make interesting reading regardless. Walkin’ Jim Stoltz walked from Yellowstone to the Yukon over about a four year period. Then there’s Karl Bushby’s website (http://www.earthtrekuk.net/Intro.htm). He has walked from Tierra del Fuego up into Canada, so far and plans to cross Alaska and the Bering Strait, then continue around the world. Like George Meeghan though, most of his walking is on highways. Several people have biked from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. That would be interesting.
Ginny
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#8
Thanks for the imput ya’ll. Take 5 thanks for the info on George Meeghan book I’ll check it out. I’m figuring that on the parts where I’m crossing tundra I could cross country ski which would make it easier to do big miles. Also pulling a sled through the section that have snow and maybe a 2 wheeled cart in the sections with no snow is an idea. As for resupply: I’m thinking about bringing a hunting rifle with me through Alaska and Canada. If worst comes to worse I could bag a deer or elk. I’m gonna ask Lonewolf for advice as what would be a good rifle to bring with me. i.e. weight,takedown power,ease of use etc…This trip won’t be happening for another 3-4 years so there plenty of time to plan. Goody (GA-ME’98) Lives up in Alaska so I’m getting info from him. Thanks for your input.
BooBoo
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#10
You’re gonna hike south from Barrow in the summer? Better strap a 12-gauge to your pack and know how to use it in a HURRY.
steve hiker
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#11
There’s lots of sharks in the sea. Don’t let them scare you out of the water;)
Tha Wookie