[pct-l] Idyllwild Enter/Exit

[Halfmile]

Jason,
According to my GPS track, Saddle Junction to Humber Park on the
Devils Slide trail is 2.6 miles. My GPS recorded Humber Park at 6,552
feet, Saddle Junction at 8,139 feet.
-Halfmile

On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 9:55 PM, jason moores <jmmoores at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I was reviewing resupply options last night when I came to the section on Idyllwild. I know that many hikers will hitch into town on Pines-to-Palms Highway, then hike out on the Devil's Slide Trail to Saddle Junction. I hadn't thought much about it, assuming that we'll make it up as we go. Now after considering the idea I've come to a conclusion. While we don't plan on being purists, we also do not intend to skip 28 miles for no reason.
>
> While Melissa and I are doing what we can to stay in shape, we know that we will be well below our hiking "peak" when we reach the border. We are planning on shorter days for the first few hundred miles of the walk. Say, 12/15 miles, whenever water access allows. Also, we plan on resupplying as often as is reasonable to keep our pack weights down. Lake Morena, Mt. Laguna, Julian, Warner Springs.
>
> So, how do we navigate Idyllwild without loosing the miles. The obvious answer is to just buck up and carry the extra two days of food going in or out. Assuming that I do not want to carry this much weight I see a few choices: 1. Send a box with two days food to Paradise Cafe, hike on till Devil's Slide. 2. Hitch in on P-t-P, hike out Devil's Slide, head south to P-t-P, hitch back to Idyllwild, back out Devil's. 3. Hitch into and out of Town, hike 2 days to Devil's, resupply again.
>
> Paradise Cafe is closed on Tue. and does not open until 11:00 Mon,Wed & Thr. I've read in Yogi's book that the hours here may be erratic at times. Does anyone have positive or negative stories to relate? Has picking up a box here been a problem in the past? I don't care for the idea of waiting for hours in a parking lot in the desert, for a box, particularly if it's possible that the place is randomly closed.
>
> >From Pines-to-Palms Yogi sights a 33.6 mile water warning (on trail), and then lists some less than appealing off trail possibilities. Is there a cache breaking up this area or a truly reliable water source?
>
> How bad is Devil's Slide? Does anyone know how much altitude gain/loss there is per mile? Or the gradient %.
>
> Now that I think of it, is any of this area still closed after last year's forest fires?
>
> I know this may seem like a lot of thought to be putting into what should be a simple and enjoyable resupply. It's just that the first few hundred miles is all we are truly planning in any detail. After Big Bear we'll be winging it with abandon. It's important to me that we keep our miles and weight at a reasonable level as we deal with the aches and blisters associated with the first 200 miles. I'll take as much time and effort to transition into the trail as is reasonable.
>
> What have others done through this stretch? Or, what are people planning to do this year?
>
> jason
>
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