[pct-l] A little input needed.

[cmkudija at earthlink.net]

"Now there was no snow, well a dusting of snow, or desserts on the AT, will
this or other factors create a need for Gaiters on the PC"

One word: foxtails.

For the uninitiated, "foxtails" is a generic term for either the common
weedy grass, "foxtail grass" or any other grass or grass-like plant that is
just past bloom and ready to distribute its seeds.  They prefer thru-hiker
season.  Foxtails are extremely attracted to hikers' ankles, the fuzzier the
sock or shoelace, the better.  Each grass floret (the little spiky thing on
the tips of the grass stems :) ) has a needle-sharp point and teeny little
recurved scales or bristles that help work the point into your socks, all
the way to your tender ankle-skin.   Every quarter mile or so, if you're not
wearing gaiters, you can enjoy the privilege of stopping, picking out the
annoying, scratching foxtail, while you watch the rest of the gaiter-wearing
pack leave you in the dust.

Well, foxtails don't really do this to torment hikers....it's really a great
seed-distribution system - foxtail attaches to animal leg, animal walks for
a while, and ultimately brushes the leg against some other object, which
causes the seed to drop and gives it a chance to germinate somewhere well
beyond the location of the parent plant.

You can also treat your gaiters with permethrin or DEET to keep out ticks.
VERY IMPORTANT.

All you really need, imho, in the chaparral and desert areas, are
light-colored ankle gaiters to cover the top part of your shoe and your
ankles.  I've seen people wearing knee-high, black gaiters on hot sunny days
and really wondered if they were comfortable.

...and because I'm in a stickler mood, probably brought on by the foxtail
discussion, the word to describe arid regions with approximately less than
10" of annual precipitation is DESERT.   The sweet stuff you top off a meal
with is DESSERT.

To quote Switchback, thank you for your attention :).   I'm now thinking of
some new macro photos for my ADZ flora talk.

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
PCT partially '94

www.pcta.org
Join Now!

Ceanothus (see-ah-no-thus) or California lilac:  Shrubs or small trees,
often with divaricate, sometimes spiny, twigs...[flowers] small but showy,
white to blue or purplish, sometimes lavender or pinkish, borne in terminal
or lateral panicles or umbellike cymes.
                                                               Philip A.
Munz
                                                               A California
Flora, U.C. Press, 1973


-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]On
Behalf Of Roy
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 4:23 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] A little input needed.

I never used Gaiters on the AT and I did not see or have any need for them.
Now there was no snow, well a dusting of snow, or desserts on the AT, will
this or other factors create a need for Gaiters on the PCT?




                                        Take Care, Hike Safe, and Give Back
to the Outdoors

  Roy (aka Bayou)
   (Wanted "Hiking Partner")
  Trail Journal PCT 2007 @ http://www.trailjournals.com/bayou/

    Hiking Page @ http://geocities.com/roy_hiking/






















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