[pct-l] extra water caches this year

[dsaufley at sprynet.com]

I heard on the news that it was the driest winter in 130 years in Southern California.  Add that to the list:

-  driest winter in 130 years
-  coldest January on record
-  warmest winter on record

This closely followed 2005, which was the wettest winter on record in So Cal, with record snowfalls in the Sierras in both 2005 and 2006.

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: roni h <roni_h3000 at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Apr 9, 2007 4:28 AM
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: [pct-l] extra water caches this year
>
>I just checked this site:
>  http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/current/PlotSWC
>   
>  and realized this isn't going to just another drought year in southern california.
>  This might just be the wors't drought year in decades.  The lower grath actualy shows that its drier there, than the driest year.
>   
>  The debate wether pct thruhikers should depend on water caches or just on natural water sources is a legitimate one, but it looks like this year depending solely on natural sources
>  would just be dangerous.  Two people have died on the southern california section of pct last year, and it looks like theres an even bigger potential for that this year.
>   
>  I know some would say that people that aren't prepared for the desert on the pct, shouldn't hike it, but truthfully no one can be prepared for evrything. I don't think there is a single hiker who didnt blunder in their life. Even exprienced hikers blunder, and if we are unlucky, our blunder might develop to a life thretening situation.
>  If indeed, as someone posted here, there is going to be a 34 mile waterless strech on the trail, carrying extra water for safty would be nearly imposible for most hikers. On such a strech on a hot day carying  3-4 gallons would be needed.  What most hikers will do would be to  carry less water and hope nothing bad happens. If they find another hiker out of water, they just won't have enough water themselfes to asist him.
>   
>   
>  Therefore it looks like DEPENDABLE water caches are necesriry this year, not only to make the life of hikers easier, but mostly to make it safe. even with water caches the pct in soCa will probebly be much more misrable and diffcult than any of the previous years, so argument about chaches spoiling hikers might not be valid this year.   Water caches won't be there to help spoiled hikers stay spoiled, but to help them stay alive.  Spoiled hikers will quite anyway, caches or not.
>   
>  I'm not sure how these caches can be done, but cheap as I am, I'm willing to give a few $$$ to anyone whose thinking of putting them out there
>   
>   
>  Roni (in Israel)
>   
>  P.S.
>   
>  Night hiking is one possiblty to decrease the amount of water needed, but I found it more diffcult to follow the right path at night in the exposed section of southern california than in almost any other trail I hiked. That means that night hiking is not a safe option for many hikers, and hiking in the cooler hours would leave much fewer hiking hours in realy hot days, hence decrease the daily milage and increase the amount of water needed to safly hike.
>
> 
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