Trail directions

imported
#1

Just when some folks have deceided to start in MP the PNW gets major snow and now we got hit here in the sierras and we are expecting more rain in so cal this coming week, whats a hiker to do!!!Even if we do getmore snow its only in a few places where it gets snow on the pct.If you still come to the KO and plan on mid june to KMS thats 6 weeks away.The high desert will be snow free for over half the hike. For those who have heard about the problems regarding water at highway 138 in section E it appears there will be lots of water cashed at the fellers house you walk right by, this allows you to NOT have to stop at the old Jack Fairs place and get hasseled…
Its also not a bad idea for folks getting to campo early think about the ride board on the adz site as to getting rides back from Mt. Laguna or MABY warner springs but check the boards for arrangements. You can count on rides in both directions all day fri and sat/sun for sure. Walking back from MT. L its downhill .

MEADOWED

#2

My favorite statement regarding snow is from Little John PCT’04. When he sent his comments for the next edition of my book, here’s what he said about snow:

When I met Freefall (PCT’03) in Belden the year before my thru-hike, I was curious about the amount of snow in the High Sierra. He left Kennedy Meadows early and spent a lot of time hiking in the snow. Here is what he told me: “You are going to hear at least a dozen times between now and the time you get to Kennedy Meadows about the record snowfall, the most snow in history, and the worst year to hike the PCT ever. Don’t pay any attention to any of it. Because you will be hearing it from people who will NOT be standing with you at the top of Forester Pass. There WILL be snow and you WILL hike over it to get to where you need to go. It’s not that bad.” He was right on both counts.

Here’s the thing with the snow: EVERY year this snow panic happens on PCT-L and TrailForums. Everyone freaks out. Eventually, there WILL be a year when all the scary snow predictions are correct — and that could be this year. The truth is that nobody knows what the Sierra will be like when the thru-hikers get there in June.

Go to Campo and hike north. Meadow Ed is right. The Sierra are 6 weeks away from the beginning of the trail. Calm down, and start your hike. If you have to make changes along the way, so be it. On the trail, nothing works out as planned anyway.

You WILL have a good hike. You WILL have to adjust your schedule for unforseen reasons. That’s the nature of the trail. Once you get out there, it will all make sense.

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#3

Pay attention to what she says. She is the smartest hicker I know.

Little John

#4

Little John knows even better. He is the smartest hiker about other hikers I know.

brown noser

#5

There are normaly good reasons not to hike south, and there is a reason (mostly a social reason) that most of the “serial” PCT hikers who have hiked the trail many times never did a Sobo.
This year looks differnt. Not because of the snow in forrester - evry year poeple with pre-hike jitters due to to much planing time get panicked about walking through snow, and evry year the same people discover that hiking through the snow in the sierras isn’t realy that bad, and tends to be the most memorable part of the hike.
Whats differnt this year is the drought, which means a high chance of the forests in oregon and washington closing for hikers by mid-summer. It sounds much less dramatic then waist deep snow on forester, but it turns out a problem to many more hiker. 100 miles of trail were closed on my 2003 hike, and right now it seems an even longer section might be closed this year.

Personaly I changed my plans to hike the pacific northwest trail this year, which would have put me in washington in August and insted I plan to start in Manning around June 1st or 2nd and hike south, hoping that as many other hikers will be there…

Roni

roni

#6

A lot of chatter on PCT L about the 98 hikers and folks trying to retrive Johnathan Breems journal. I spoke by phone yesterday with Jim Horan, class of 98 who was one of 9 to do a complete SO/NO hike.His comments regarding deep snow was “not much difference to hike in 2 feet deep snow or 10 feet, the trail still can be buried” Now i know we all could argue that point but it serves a purpose…Out side of postholing some maby the depth of snow really doesn’t matter. Maby if you do go past trail pass its a good idea to get off at kearsarge pass to get out of the snow for a few days. In 98 i was camped for 4/5 night s in Inpendence with the folks who did the hike that year.
The other thing to consider is when is reds, vvr and TM going to be open this year…and as Scott says they may be closed when you do a sobo too!!!

MEADOW ED