[pct-l] [Fwd: the Tale of Grider Creek]

[Tortoise]

This was one of many messages that didn't get thru when the list was down.
I've been home now 3 days and my legs have almost stopped aching.

Definitely need to get some lighter gear. estimated total pack weight -- 
35 lbs. / 16 klog.

With the list up, happy days are here again.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	the Tale of Grider Creek
Date: 	Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:45:08 -0700
From: 	Tortoise <Tortoise73 at charter.net>
To: 	Pacific Crest Trail List <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>,

The Tale of Grider Creek

Yesterday (Thursday 08/09/07) I drove over to Seiad Valley via Happy 
Camp and then up to the Grider Creek trailhead and campground.

On the road up to the campground I met two pairs of trekkers.  I stopped 
and talked briefly with the second pair. They were Eddie & Meeghan; and 
they said the pair ahead of them was probably Wilderness Bob & Max.

About 11:30 I started up the trail. In the first hour or so I met Gus, 
Deacon, and 2 pairs (one was Bohemian?). Then no one else on the way up. 
Trail was good from the trailhead to the "third bridge" (the first one I 
encountered hiking up the trail after the bridge at the trailhead). I 
saw a little poison oak, but all easily avoided. I had lunch alongside 
Grider Creek where the trail was close to the creek. I got to "Third 
Bridge" around 15:00 and took a short break.

Shortly after resuming my hike, I started having leg cramps. I had to 
stop a couple of times to sit and stretch my legs before resuming hiking 
and then was able to hike thru the cramps. The trail from Third Bridge 
to Second Bridge had a lot of bushes intruding on the trail to where the 
trail was almost out of sight at times. There is a lot of poison oak in 
this section and difficult to avoid it all. This area needs a good 
brushing. However there were no blow downs blocking the trail.

I arrived at Second Bridge around 17:00. I spent about an hour looking 
around for the campsite mentioned in the PCT guide (5th edition, 1995) 
and couldn't find it. Heavy brush growth all around. So I decided to 
turn around and hike back to the campground. I made better time going 
down hill. Crossing Bark Shanty Creek my foot slipped and I fell into 
the creek. Flooded both shoes. So I hike around the corner; took off my 
shoes and drained them, put on dry socks, had a snack, and resumed by trek.

I was hoping to make the trailhead before dark but didn't. About 20:30, 
Zen Quake caught up with me. He had been looking for a camping spot but 
hadn't found any and he wanted to avoid the campground since he wasn't 
bear bagging. We hiked together for about 15 minutes when it became so 
dark we had to put on our head lights. Zen Quake took off ahead at a 
faster pace and I hiked on down the trail and finally reached the 
campground and my pickup about 22:00

My legs were so sore and likely to cramp that I didn't want to risk 
driving down and seek a motel. So I rinsed off my legs with water and 
went to bed. I had 10 gallons. I have a camper shell on my pickup so 
this was like car camping.

This morning I drove down to Seiad Valley store to have breakfast and 
then on home. So far no poison oak rash! (fingers crossed)




Tortoise

<> He who finishes last, wins! <>

I switched to Mac OSX rather than fight Windows
Using Mozilla Thunderbird  http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/



-- 
Tortoise

<> He who finishes last, wins! <>

I switched to Mac OSX rather than fight Windows
Using Mozilla Thunderbird  http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/