[pct-l] You need to...

[Vic Hanson]

Scott said: "There is only so much you can plan for on the trail. There are too many
unknowns." 
 
Then he said:
 
"You need to plan well enough ahead of time to insure..
You need to plan well enough a day..
You need a rough idea how long it will take you to hike to the next..
You need to know where the next few..
You need to know if you have arrived..
You need a rough idea how long it will take..
You need to know what portions of the trail..
You need to know about closures and re-routes..
you need to have information about the trail between.. 
You need to know whether there is water in Hauser Creek..
You need to know whether two days worth of food..
You need to have a general idea how fast.. 
 
That's a lot of "Need to's" !!
 
I read most all of Yogi's book before the hike. I carried those pages, Guidebook pages and Data Book pages, went over them the night before. "I" needed to keep them handy while hiking, it they were in my pack I wouldn't stop to look at them. I finally started carrying them in a quart baggie with a shoelace around my neck. Looked like a dork but it worked.
 
It's hard to know how much food you will need until you are actually hiking day after day. I planned to buy as I went, usually every 5 or 6 days. My basic meals stayed about the same but I ate a lot more snacks in between as time went on because I was losing too much weight. It's easy to supplement with buying extra snacks as you go (but more expensive in resorts and convenience stores).
 
I was in good shape to start with so planned for 20-22 mile days. It worked well to get me started, then adjusted after Big Bear. The only problem was my feet, was wearing liners and medium weight socks, my feet were too hot and got blisters, so went to light weight ankle socks.
 
Water isn't that hard to figure out, especially with the water report, Data Book and Yogi's, lots of info there.

Plan as much as you like but be prepared to adjust.
 
Sugar Daddy