[pct-l] pct-l Digest, Vol 35, Issue 12

dc.nc dc.nc at verizon.net
Tue Sep 12 21:21:53 CDT 2006 

Subject: [pct-l] The  JMT  ''a love affair''

While those are fast times, how do you know those are records?  There are
lots of people out there doing incredible things, and don't talk about it.
In the early 1970's I spent a lot of time in Yosemite climbing.  Bored with
the climbing late one fall I walked over to Curry Village and picked up some
supplies and in 6 days and xx hours later was in Whitney Portal.  No
planning, no training, no big deal. I wasn't trying to set a record, I was
just bored with climbing and needed a week off.  Even in the early 1970's I
can't imagine that I was the fastest guy around.    

-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 10:00 AM
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Subject: pct-l Digest, Vol 35, Issue 12

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Today's Topics:

   1. Tuna/Shrimp/Chicken pouches in Vancouver (bluebrain at bluebrain.ca)
   2. thru-hiker sightings 9-10 near Snoqualmie and alternate	route
      musings (Connie Davis)
   3. The  JMT  ''a love affair'' (Reinhold Metzger)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:00:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: bluebrain at bluebrain.ca
Subject: [pct-l] Tuna/Shrimp/Chicken pouches in Vancouver
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID:
	<35421.64.114.27.59.1158019226.squirrel at mail.wedohosting.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1

Has anybody up here had any luck finding them in any Vancouver stores?

- Paul



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:10:36 -0700
From: Connie Davis <conniedavis at earthlink.net>
Subject: [pct-l] thru-hiker sightings 9-10 near Snoqualmie and
	alternate	route musings
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Cc: cheers at pocketmail.com
Message-ID: <6e774846ccfbe7d6f0854aeb18a36d3b at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=US-ASCII;	format=flowed

My son and I (other son, Tristan, not Mongous) hiked north on the PCT 
up to Ridge Lake from Snoqualmie Pass in the mist on Saturday and day 
hiked above Joe Lake on Sunday in the brilliant sunshine. On our hike 
out on Sunday morning, we met the following thru-hikers:
Cheers
Paul
Giddy-Up
Swiss Miss
Pang
Sugar Daddy
Mike
Chert
Grizzly Adams
They are very bummed about their fire detours/PCT closure.  They almost 
universally expressed a wish for a monument photo.  Some of them 
wondered if they could get across to Canada on the Ross Lake detour, 
then hitch up to Manning and hike into the monument.  I told them that 
unfortunately, the PCT is closed from Manning to the border, too.  Info 
  on Manning Park is at 
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/manning.html  (The map 
is not very helpful, you really can't tell what is the PCT, but 
basically all the backcountry trails in Manning are closed.)  The RCMP 
late last week also asked people to not drive on Hwy 3 east of Hope due 
to poor visibility from smoke.

The inci website is good for updates on the fires.
http://www.inciweb.org/state/49/

I've been trying to collect up some information about the alternate 
route suggested by the Methow Valley Ranger District (on 
http://www.pcta.org/planning/during_trip/Trail_con_W.asp?sect=L):
"the alternate route begins about 5.5 miles north of Methow Pass. 
Hikers can either take trail 756 over Mebee Pass and down Boulder Creek 
Trail 729 to the junction with Chancellor Trail 754. Alternately, 
hikers can take the Mill Creek Trail 755 from the junction with the PCT 
over Azurite Pass and down Mill Creek to the junction with Chancellor 
Trail 754. The route continues west on trail 754 to the East Bank Trail 
on the eastern shore of Ross Lake. Thru-hikers can then continue north 
on the East Bank Trail and the Lightning Creek Trail to Hozomeen 
campground and the Canadian border. The road from Hozomeen connects to 
Highway 3 in British Columbia west of Manning Park."

The road from Hozomeen campground on the US side to Ross Lake 
campground (on the BC side) is a 39 mile road, most of which is 
apparently gravel.  I don't know how well-traveled it is to the end.  I 
will try and find out in the next few days. One option would be to just 
turn around and head back down to North Cascades highway instead of 
actually coming back through Canada--Apparently, you can make 
arrangements with the water taxi on Ross Lake to take you back to the 
Ross Lake Resort (206-386-4437).

Has anyone thought about an alternate route further west?   I am just 
looking at maps and checking the WTA website http://www.wta.org  I 
considered a hike earlier this year from Ross lake dam, up the west 
bank to Big Beaver creek, then over Beaver Pass, up Little Beaver Creek 
  to Whatcom  Pass (VERY BRUSHY on a July trail report), then north on 
the Chilliwack river trail to Chilliwack Lake in BC.  Chilliwack Lake 
is much closer to Hwy 3 and probably more heavily visited.  Remember, 
this is all paper tripping, I have no personal experience.  Has anyone 
on the PCT-L hiked in this part of the North Cascades?

Bad news is that I will be out of town from Sept. 16th to the 23rd.  
Harriet is also away. Any other folks nearby who could help hikers who 
come into Canada via an alternate route?

It's time to do a rain dance for a major downpour on the Tatoosh fire 
and hope the PCT from Rainy Pass north will re-open soon.

Lookout
Abbotsford, BC



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:01:16 -0700
From: "Reinhold Metzger" <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
Subject: [pct-l] The  JMT  ''a love affair''
To: <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>, "Deems" <losthiker at sisqtel.net>,
	"Monte Dodge" <montedodge at msn.com>, <Hiker97 at aol.com>,	"Rex Spaith"
	<adventuresierra at yahoo.com>,	"Al Shaver"
<alshaver2000 at yahoo.com>,
	"John Stamstad" <JOHN_STAMSTAD at patagonia.com>,	"mat masterson"
	<lsmbam at netzero.net>, <clair234 at cox.net>,	<jmbilly at wans.net>,
	<jimgroark at cox.net>, <archer1933 at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: karenmetzger at cox.net
Message-ID: <000601c6d684$ae2ab760$a700a8c0 at sd.cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

It started as a challenge in the summer of 1996.
The challenge became a puppy love; the puppy love turned into true love and
every summer since she has been calling me.

So here it is, 12:15 AM on top of Mt. Whitney........She is calling me.
I try to sleep, but I can't.    My mind is on the John Muir Trail instead.
I see Forester Pass, I see Muir Pass, I see the Palisades, I see Rae Lake,
Garnet Lake, Thousand Island Lake, Banner, Ritter, and the Minarets.
I try to resist but the lure is too strong...I MUST GO...I MUST GO...I
MUSTGO.

And go I did,  faster than I ever did.
At 12:45 AM, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, I step out of the Whitney hut on to
the John Muir Trail heading north to Yosemite in quest of a sub five
unsupported trek of the JMT and break the current unsupported record of 5
days 7 hours, 45 minutes.
At 9 PM,  two mountain passes and 45 miles  later, I arrive at Wood Creek.
On my prior JMT marathons I always stopped at Wood Creek the first night.
Not this time kido.  You have to make it over Pinchot Pass and keep on
going.
11:30 PM - disaster, almost at the top of Pinchot, I step on a loose rock,
take a nasty fall and sprain my ankle, bruise my thigh, and bloody my knee.
I decide to stop for for the night and access my  condition in the morning.
6 AM - I can walk but not very fast and jogging is out of the question.  My
sub-five JMT is over.
I decide to bail out via Sawmill Pass, the closest exit route.

I promised my wife this would be my last JMT marathon......"You said that
the last time....and the timebefore that....and the two times before
that,"...
my wife counters.
"We'll see"......but I tend to agree with her that at one month shy of  66,
I'm getting too old for those JMT marathons and it's best to leave it to the
younger generation to improve upon  my time.

Oh, I will still hike the JMT, after all....IT'S MY BABY....but at a slower
pace.

Even though I failed in my attempt of an unsupported sub five JMT, my
records of 5 days 10 hours set in 2003 and 5 days 7 hours 45 minutes set
in  2004 still stand

THE  CHALLENGE  HAS  BEEN  MET...............THE  LOVE  WILL  LAST
FOREVER................HER  CALL  WILL  NEVER  END.

JMT Reinhold
Your hopelessly in love with the JMT trail companion







------------------------------

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