Used my first and I hope, only, water cache. 30 gallons of Crystal Geyser dropped in the desert (Did they hoof it or use a wheelbarrow? Horseback?). It's 3 pm, in the 80s (deg F), and everyone is taking a break. Marijuana in the air. I'm 18 miles from Warner Springs and I'm just fine staying here for the night. It's 5 miles uphill then 13 mostly down. No reason to tackle it head-on in the heat when it'll be nice and cold in the morning.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Day 3 mile 56 (2.1% of the trail)
A more eventful day. S (Netherlands) and I had talked about hiking together the previous night. We got up at 5:30 (easy when it's cold and wet) and drank tea with the unnamed couple (Japan). The sky was clearing and it was getting slightly warmer. We set off. In a couple hours we met up with his other hiking buddies, B and T (USA) and made it to Mt Laguna. The three of them spoke of taking an easy day at 10 miles, but my legs felt really good so I decided to press on for a 20 miler to mile 56. I also wanted to take advantage of the cooler weather at present. My feet ached (why did I neglect to buy SuperFeet blue insoles?) but I made it to camp at 6 pm.
This day's trail was spectacular. It dawned on me that the naming of the trail was specific; it really follows mountain crests most of the way. After topping out at Mt Laguna, it descends and traverses between several hills with wide views of the desert floor 4,000 feet below. I really like rugged cliffs with cracks and a lot of stuff going on, and there were a bunch of those. I knew the trail would be pretty, but right off the bat, wow.
This day's trail was spectacular. It dawned on me that the naming of the trail was specific; it really follows mountain crests most of the way. After topping out at Mt Laguna, it descends and traverses between several hills with wide views of the desert floor 4,000 feet below. I really like rugged cliffs with cracks and a lot of stuff going on, and there were a bunch of those. I knew the trail would be pretty, but right off the bat, wow.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Day 2 mile 36 (1.4% of the trail)
More rain. My outer tent plus groundsheet ultralight shelter plan was a terrible idea. The groundsheet has pools of mud in it and I just have to put my sleeping pad and bag there because there's nothing I can do to dry it. I would need a beach towel or something. My down bag is hydrophobic and rated for much colder, so, to be safety focused, I am not at risk for hypothermia. Just being damp all the time. Ugh.
Warner Springs is 74 miles away, 3-4 days. I'll take a zero mile day there. I cannot wait. I'll have to wash everything and I might send for my inner tent with its bathtub floor (this is a waterproof floor with walls that come up a few inches). El Niño could be here all summer. It's like a chilly rainforest down here. This is the Patagonia Crest Trail.
Warner Springs is 74 miles away, 3-4 days. I'll take a zero mile day there. I cannot wait. I'll have to wash everything and I might send for my inner tent with its bathtub floor (this is a waterproof floor with walls that come up a few inches). El Niño could be here all summer. It's like a chilly rainforest down here. This is the Patagonia Crest Trail.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Day 1 mile 18 (0.7% of the trail)
I vowed to take it easy on my first day, and I did. 18 miles in 7 hours, but I felt I could have gone an additional 7 miles or so. I'm camped just before Lake Morena which is the first town on the trail from the southern terminus. I won't have to pay for a campsite in town, and I can grab a "gigantic" (per Yogi) breakfast burrito in the morning.
One very interesting thing about the trail is the camping arrangement. A PCT permit gives permission to camp anywhere along the trail. Every half mile or so, you find a pocket or two carved out of the brush, usually big enough for one tent, either adjacent to the trail or down a short use path. It's pretty random, and fun to evaluate each site. Some are on rock slabs, some are next to sharp turns in the trail, some contain long abandoned gear from people who quit on day 1 (spooky).
Otherwise, not much noteworthy today. Weather was drizzly and cloudy, quite nice. Haven't witnessed any Cheryl-esque meltdowns thus far. Ran across hikers from the US, Western Europe, and Japan.
One very interesting thing about the trail is the camping arrangement. A PCT permit gives permission to camp anywhere along the trail. Every half mile or so, you find a pocket or two carved out of the brush, usually big enough for one tent, either adjacent to the trail or down a short use path. It's pretty random, and fun to evaluate each site. Some are on rock slabs, some are next to sharp turns in the trail, some contain long abandoned gear from people who quit on day 1 (spooky).
Otherwise, not much noteworthy today. Weather was drizzly and cloudy, quite nice. Haven't witnessed any Cheryl-esque meltdowns thus far. Ran across hikers from the US, Western Europe, and Japan.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Resupply
I put together six gear resupply packages before embarking on the trail. In no order:
- Gore-Tex gaiters
- Northern Terminus Package (passport, entry to Canada permit, car keys)
- Hiking pants (in case it gets cold, wet and my running shorts and long johns don't cut it)
- PNW Package (headnet, baseball cap, bug repellant - only as a package because I'm worried this bug season will be bad, and stores tend to run out of these things)
- Backpack hipbelt, size small (weight loss is expected)
- Kennedy Meadows Package (ice axe, bear canister, trekking pole, sundries)
I also made zero food resupply packages. I plan to resupply wholly from the trail, by buying in towns and shipping ahead as well as online ordering via Amazon Prime, Zero Day Resupply, and Sonora Pass Resupply. What a time to be alive.
Monday, March 21, 2016
On Gear
My gear list is pretty conventional, but I think some of the rationale is worth describing.
Shelter: TarpTent Moment DW
It's a pretty small shelter, just big enough to be "roomy" for one person. Advantages are that it is a true double wall, with ample space between the outer and inner tents for ventilation, and it pitches in a minute with two stakes. You unfurl the tent, insert the one pole, plant stakes, and it's up. From my longer camping trips, I've learned to appreciate easy setup/takedown with shelters. It gets old fast day after day, siting a tent with enough clear ground for each stake, repositioning them due to rocks, and tightening guylines. The Moment DW minimizes the fuss.
As a double wall tent, you can pitch the inner or outer tents separately. In the desert, I'll only be carrying the outer tent for rain and as an siesta shelter. North of there, I'll have the inner mesh tent as a bug screen. In fair weather I can pitch the inner tent alone with a clear view of the stars above me, though detaching the inner from the outer tent is a bit of a hassle.
I'm taking two titanium shepherd's hook stakes and two carbon stakes. The shepherd's hooks are easier to insert in dry, rocky soil, while the carbon stakes' thickness holds better in softer soil. I have two extra guylines attached to the tent, so I can use all four stakes in high winds.
Electronics
I figure I'll need enough power for my phone and headlamp to last between zero days, because on each zero day I can recharge everything in a motel. Per my research (Halfway Anywhere 2015 survey, and Yogi's guide), thru-hikers take zeros on average every 8 days, with a longer gap of 14 days for faster hikers. The frequency of zeros decreases through the hike as people adjust to the physical demands. I made a ballpark estimate that 13 days of power will be enough for me. Using a 6,700 mAh battery pack, a 2,850 mAh battery case for my phone (which will be in low power and airplane modes most of the time), and three extra AAA batteries for my headlamp I should have more than enough power. I might send home the extra AAA batteries after the desert as I will no longer be using the headlamp for night hiking. I'm not sure how much I will night hike as I will have a sun umbrella, but past experience has shown that I become miserable in high heat.
Going Lighter
I could spend more to buy lighter gear. This would mean more cuben fiber stuff, higher fill power down quilt, lighter ice axe and bear canister. I'd rather use stuff I already have though because I don't think the expense for optimized thru-hiking specific gear is justified. Compared to my current loadout, I'd have to spend $50-100 per ounce saved. The JMT hiker survey and personal experience suggest a low correlation between pack weight and hiking speed (except for record breakers e.g. Andrew Skurka), with a pound or two not making a large dent in daily mileage, so I'd mostly be spending to gain some subjective upper body comfort. I've found my pack pretty darn comfortable in past trips so I'll risk this. Pre-existing physical fitness seems to be a much larger factor in hiking speed.
I could also leave out some items, sacrificing some comfort in camp for hiking comfort. Going stoveless and ditching the silk sleeping bag liner are alternatives I'll be testing on the trail. I could also use disposable batteries instead of rechargeables, and a titanium cook pot instead of my aluminum one with a heat exchanger. Maximizing energy efficiency appeals to me though so I'll be bearing the extra ounces.
Shelter: TarpTent Moment DW
It's a pretty small shelter, just big enough to be "roomy" for one person. Advantages are that it is a true double wall, with ample space between the outer and inner tents for ventilation, and it pitches in a minute with two stakes. You unfurl the tent, insert the one pole, plant stakes, and it's up. From my longer camping trips, I've learned to appreciate easy setup/takedown with shelters. It gets old fast day after day, siting a tent with enough clear ground for each stake, repositioning them due to rocks, and tightening guylines. The Moment DW minimizes the fuss.
As a double wall tent, you can pitch the inner or outer tents separately. In the desert, I'll only be carrying the outer tent for rain and as an siesta shelter. North of there, I'll have the inner mesh tent as a bug screen. In fair weather I can pitch the inner tent alone with a clear view of the stars above me, though detaching the inner from the outer tent is a bit of a hassle.
I'm taking two titanium shepherd's hook stakes and two carbon stakes. The shepherd's hooks are easier to insert in dry, rocky soil, while the carbon stakes' thickness holds better in softer soil. I have two extra guylines attached to the tent, so I can use all four stakes in high winds.
Electronics
I figure I'll need enough power for my phone and headlamp to last between zero days, because on each zero day I can recharge everything in a motel. Per my research (Halfway Anywhere 2015 survey, and Yogi's guide), thru-hikers take zeros on average every 8 days, with a longer gap of 14 days for faster hikers. The frequency of zeros decreases through the hike as people adjust to the physical demands. I made a ballpark estimate that 13 days of power will be enough for me. Using a 6,700 mAh battery pack, a 2,850 mAh battery case for my phone (which will be in low power and airplane modes most of the time), and three extra AAA batteries for my headlamp I should have more than enough power. I might send home the extra AAA batteries after the desert as I will no longer be using the headlamp for night hiking. I'm not sure how much I will night hike as I will have a sun umbrella, but past experience has shown that I become miserable in high heat.
Going Lighter
I could spend more to buy lighter gear. This would mean more cuben fiber stuff, higher fill power down quilt, lighter ice axe and bear canister. I'd rather use stuff I already have though because I don't think the expense for optimized thru-hiking specific gear is justified. Compared to my current loadout, I'd have to spend $50-100 per ounce saved. The JMT hiker survey and personal experience suggest a low correlation between pack weight and hiking speed (except for record breakers e.g. Andrew Skurka), with a pound or two not making a large dent in daily mileage, so I'd mostly be spending to gain some subjective upper body comfort. I've found my pack pretty darn comfortable in past trips so I'll risk this. Pre-existing physical fitness seems to be a much larger factor in hiking speed.
I could also leave out some items, sacrificing some comfort in camp for hiking comfort. Going stoveless and ditching the silk sleeping bag liner are alternatives I'll be testing on the trail. I could also use disposable batteries instead of rechargeables, and a titanium cook pot instead of my aluminum one with a heat exchanger. Maximizing energy efficiency appeals to me though so I'll be bearing the extra ounces.
Monday, January 4, 2016
PCT: A Quick Overview
Here I attempt to distill what differentiates a PCT thru-hike from typical 1-5 night backpacking trips.
General
The 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail runs north-south through the states of Washington, Oregon, and California, touching the borders of Canada and Mexico. Most people complete it in 4.5-5 months, giving an average mileage somewhere around 18-20 miles/day. As of this writing, slightly more people have climbed Mt. Everest (4,093) than have thru-hiked the PCT (4,018).
North or South?
The vast majority (90% or more) of hikers tackle the PCT heading north (north-bound/NOBO). This is the less strenuous approach, as it starts in the flat desert of southern California before hitting the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. The elevation gain in this direction is about 490,000 ft, giving an average grade of 3.5% or 2°. While an average, this is much lower than the typical grade of hiking trails up to major peaks in the southern California Transverse Ranges, which I've found to be around 10%. Any training for the PCT should probably emphasize distance over elevation gain. The highest point is Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada at 13,153 ft.
In the rest of this article, a northbound direction is assumed.
Timeframe & Weather
The usual timeframe for the trail is starting in late April and finishing in August. This is due to weather. A spring-summer hike avoids most of the snow in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades, which can transform an extended wilderneress walk into treacherous, technical mountaineering (only two people have completed the PCT in winter). The temperature range across the entire trail during this time, ignoring windchill, appears to be around 25-95 °F. Precipitation is generally infrequent due to mild Pacific weather, but snow and rain have occurred in every section of the trail (including the desert ones) and rain gear is always carried.
Food Resupply
Resupply is done in towns and post offices along the trail, about every 3-5 days. Generally you must hitch-hike in and out of these places, which is safe and easy (drivers are accustomed to thru-hikers). If a resupply point has a post office but no store, hikers will mail packages to said point by addressing them for general delivery. Many other commercial venues (some lodging, stores) will also receive and hold packages for hikers for a small fee. For any package pickup, it's important to confirm operating hours of the venue and to try to arrive there on time. More recently, some hikers have used Amazon Prime to reduce dependence on whatever is in-stock in a given town.
The hike is often described as a series of 3-5 day trips, and planning is usually only done for the next few days at a time. Day-by-day resupply planning months in advance is unnecessary, and probably futile. A resupply person off-trail is helpful but not necessary (international thru-hikers usually avoid it due to shipping costs).
Water
The only portions requiring special attention is the desert. Water reports must be consulted. Most people treat their water with a Sawyer filter; Aquamira drops are also popular. The desert and Oregon parts of the trail are known for turbid standing water.
Gear
Gear on the PCT is generally standard 3-season ultralight backpacking gear. The typical PCT outfit might be a ULA Circuit backpack, Brooks Cascadia shoes, and a TarpTent ProTrail shelter. Better-heeled hikers go for cuben fiber gear, notably from Zpacks and Hyperlite Mountain Gear.
You must like your gear enough to use it for 100+ (mostly) consecutive nights. This is a lot of use; many non-thru-hiking backpackers will not spend this many nights in the backcountry in their entire lives. Extra attention paid to reducing weight is warranted given the length of this trip, as a small excess encumbrance may accumulate a large cost as the miles reach into the hundreds. One might also consider placing extra importance on usability of gear. A cramped tent or temperamental water filter could be maddening on day 68 on the trail.
PCT-Specific Gear (Stuff Thru-hikers Like)
A few items have a disproportionate presence on the PCT. Short running gaiters, particularly Dirty Girl, keep pebbles out of shoes and prevent blisters. Lightweight trekking umbrellas reduce dehydration in the desert, substantially increase hiking comfort, and block precipitation in the northern parts of the trail. Some type of rechargeable battery pack is often used with electronics. These seem to work out better than solar panels, which are among the most frequently discarded items. SmartWater bottles are preferred over Nalgenes, weighing several ounces less as well as having threads compatible with the screw-in Sawyer filters.
Gear changes
As the biome changes, hikers switch out various pieces of gear. Many carry an ice axe when entering the Sierra Nevada, and a bear canister (required by law). Some ditch the umbrella after the desert, others keep it for precipitation in the northern part of the trail. Warm clothing is usually sent home after the Sierra Nevada.
Resources
The most popular PCT references are Yogi's PCT Handbook, Halfmile's maps, the PCT Water Report, and Craig's PCT Planner. Yogi's is part an intro to backpacking, and part a guide to resupplying in the towns along on the trail. It contains little narrative information about the trail itself.
General
The 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail runs north-south through the states of Washington, Oregon, and California, touching the borders of Canada and Mexico. Most people complete it in 4.5-5 months, giving an average mileage somewhere around 18-20 miles/day. As of this writing, slightly more people have climbed Mt. Everest (4,093) than have thru-hiked the PCT (4,018).
North or South?
The vast majority (90% or more) of hikers tackle the PCT heading north (north-bound/NOBO). This is the less strenuous approach, as it starts in the flat desert of southern California before hitting the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. The elevation gain in this direction is about 490,000 ft, giving an average grade of 3.5% or 2°. While an average, this is much lower than the typical grade of hiking trails up to major peaks in the southern California Transverse Ranges, which I've found to be around 10%. Any training for the PCT should probably emphasize distance over elevation gain. The highest point is Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada at 13,153 ft.
In the rest of this article, a northbound direction is assumed.
Timeframe & Weather
The usual timeframe for the trail is starting in late April and finishing in August. This is due to weather. A spring-summer hike avoids most of the snow in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades, which can transform an extended wilderneress walk into treacherous, technical mountaineering (only two people have completed the PCT in winter). The temperature range across the entire trail during this time, ignoring windchill, appears to be around 25-95 °F. Precipitation is generally infrequent due to mild Pacific weather, but snow and rain have occurred in every section of the trail (including the desert ones) and rain gear is always carried.
Food Resupply
Resupply is done in towns and post offices along the trail, about every 3-5 days. Generally you must hitch-hike in and out of these places, which is safe and easy (drivers are accustomed to thru-hikers). If a resupply point has a post office but no store, hikers will mail packages to said point by addressing them for general delivery. Many other commercial venues (some lodging, stores) will also receive and hold packages for hikers for a small fee. For any package pickup, it's important to confirm operating hours of the venue and to try to arrive there on time. More recently, some hikers have used Amazon Prime to reduce dependence on whatever is in-stock in a given town.
The hike is often described as a series of 3-5 day trips, and planning is usually only done for the next few days at a time. Day-by-day resupply planning months in advance is unnecessary, and probably futile. A resupply person off-trail is helpful but not necessary (international thru-hikers usually avoid it due to shipping costs).
Water
The only portions requiring special attention is the desert. Water reports must be consulted. Most people treat their water with a Sawyer filter; Aquamira drops are also popular. The desert and Oregon parts of the trail are known for turbid standing water.
Gear
Gear on the PCT is generally standard 3-season ultralight backpacking gear. The typical PCT outfit might be a ULA Circuit backpack, Brooks Cascadia shoes, and a TarpTent ProTrail shelter. Better-heeled hikers go for cuben fiber gear, notably from Zpacks and Hyperlite Mountain Gear.
You must like your gear enough to use it for 100+ (mostly) consecutive nights. This is a lot of use; many non-thru-hiking backpackers will not spend this many nights in the backcountry in their entire lives. Extra attention paid to reducing weight is warranted given the length of this trip, as a small excess encumbrance may accumulate a large cost as the miles reach into the hundreds. One might also consider placing extra importance on usability of gear. A cramped tent or temperamental water filter could be maddening on day 68 on the trail.
PCT-Specific Gear (Stuff Thru-hikers Like)
A few items have a disproportionate presence on the PCT. Short running gaiters, particularly Dirty Girl, keep pebbles out of shoes and prevent blisters. Lightweight trekking umbrellas reduce dehydration in the desert, substantially increase hiking comfort, and block precipitation in the northern parts of the trail. Some type of rechargeable battery pack is often used with electronics. These seem to work out better than solar panels, which are among the most frequently discarded items. SmartWater bottles are preferred over Nalgenes, weighing several ounces less as well as having threads compatible with the screw-in Sawyer filters.
Gear changes
As the biome changes, hikers switch out various pieces of gear. Many carry an ice axe when entering the Sierra Nevada, and a bear canister (required by law). Some ditch the umbrella after the desert, others keep it for precipitation in the northern part of the trail. Warm clothing is usually sent home after the Sierra Nevada.
Resources
The most popular PCT references are Yogi's PCT Handbook, Halfmile's maps, the PCT Water Report, and Craig's PCT Planner. Yogi's is part an intro to backpacking, and part a guide to resupplying in the towns along on the trail. It contains little narrative information about the trail itself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)