[pct-l] After Action Report - PCT Training Hike

Wed Sep 16 04:01:48 CDT 2009

Beautiful, loved it!

On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 6:48 AM, carol bruno <carolwbruno at yahoo.com> wrote:

> An excellent account of extreme adventure.  I was glad you were on your own
> for this one, Switchback, those hormone shots had me a little worried (no
> woman would be safe). :) /cq
>
> --- On Sat, 9/12/09, hiker97 at aol.com <hiker97 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: hiker97 at aol.com <hiker97 at aol.com>
> Subject: After Action Report - PCT Training Hike
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 6:52 AM
>
>
>
> Yes, Switchback, your intrepid PCT hero has defied Mother Nature and
> cheated death once again. This time in the rugged and dangerous Springs
> Mountains National Recreation Area. This was at 8,500 feet and 45 minutes by
> car from my house in Las Vegas. On my scared honor as a mountain man, this a
> true and faithful account.
>
> My Mariposa Plus pack and I start up the infamous Bristle Cone Pine Trail
> on the lookout for mountain lions and bears. I never want to miss the
> opportunity to chase them through the woods. Bear baiting is great fun and a
> longtime mountainman pastime for us old timers. This is similar to my old
> hiking pal, Rattlesnake the Macaroni (out of Show Low, AZ) and I chasing hot
> Neanderthal babes in the old days in the Sierras. I realize that the hiker
> is no longer at the top of the food chain in these environs. You are out of
> cell phone contact with civilization. You are alone, on your own and help is
> only a wishful dream.
>
> Weather at this altitude can be furious and unforgiving. Humble backpackers
> never know what climate changes will attack them with death by exposure. The
> wind blows through the trees and I wonder if the weather will challenge me
> on this Friday evening. I am ready. I take a macho bite of my teriyaki
> turkey jerky and grimly press on, determined to not to be denied my campsite
> goal up the torturous trail.
>
> The purpose of20this adventure was to test out a new gear set up for my
> upcoming PCT expedition to the Cottonwood Pass area. It was a shake down
> cruise of a new hiking kit. Everything worked out great. It was a new level
> of comfort and light weightiness. It was palatial and luxurious. Months
> could be had on the trail in complete satisfaction. Restful and peaceful
> nights are now guaranteed no matter what the weather - no matter how hard
> the hiking day.
>
> I hope that Mother Nature will flex her weather muscles. Not necessarily on
> the trail, but certainly in camp. Lying in my 2.5 pound Hubba free-standing
> tent watching a fierce storm outside is sweet. Especially, if a bunch of
> backpackers are being wiped out. I like to watch them try to set up their
> tarps and non-free-standing tents in a blowing wind and driving rain. Too
> much fun. It just seems to make my tent warmer and more comfortable to watch
> this agony. A cold blowing fog or sand is good too.
>
> As I arrive in camp I quickly lay out my 2 ounce spinnaker cloth ground
> sheet as my porch area and my Z-Rest foam. I then set the tent on top of the
> foam - complete installation and no cold spots. A dark and foreboding night
> alone in the woods is just around the corner as the sun closes in on the
> distant ridgeline. I know the pesky wood elves will soon be attacking Fort
> Switchback. Then I partially blow up my 8 ounce NeoAir mattress and throw it
> inside along with my=2 0soft down pillow - I also use an inflatable neck
> pillow. Nice. Then I put in the other gear for the coming goblin filled
> night full of dark shadows and strange noises. I am getting scared, but will
> tough it out like all hard core hiker trash - undefeated and defiant.
>
> I check my weather instrument for a wind chill reading. It reads 65
> degrees. I have my 8 ounce Sea-to-Summit Reactor ThermoLite super soft bag
> liner and the 20 ounce Western Mountaineering Tamarack bag. I use the liner
> as overbag and it adds 10-15 degrees of warm to my sleeping bag. A warm
> sleep is no problem no matter how cold it gets. I can wear my down jacket to
> bed and I can laugh at any wind chill outside from inside my netting tent.
> In fact, I might be a little too warm at 8,500 feet. I wonder what it would
> be at 12,000 feet on top of Mt. Charleston. May be I could get a challenge
> sleeping up there with a nice strong wind. With all the neat light gear
> available today, this backpacking thing is getting to be for sissies. May be
> I should take up ultimate kick boxing or sky diving. Or ultimate kick boxing
> while I am sky diving.
>
> My supper is some tuna and crackers, plus some tasty Trader's Joe cookies
> to finish off a great meal extravaganza. I wish I could be out on the trail
> for weeks to enjoy all the meal varieties I have. What a blast. I figure I
> would put on about 15 pounds on a thru or yoyo hike.
> One of my doctors recently said I had low hormone levels. I had my second
> shot Thursday. She said it would reduce fatigue levels and build up my
> muscle mass with exercise. As the cute nurse gave me the shot in the
> posterior, she quietly listed all the potential benefits and side effects. I
> think about all the hikers who have kicked trail dirt on me the last few
> years. Who have made fun of me and picked on me. May be the dust cloud
> blowing by them on the trail will now be me as they cough and gag. Revenge
> is sweet. Plus, I wonder what will happen now if I run into a hot hiker babe
> on the trail. Who knows, I might have to change my trailname to Sequoia
> Giganteum.
>
> But I do not have time to think about that. Of more immediate concern is
> finding a nice level campsite for my small footprint Hubba tent. That is one
> things I like about the Hubba. It has a ground footprint of about size of a
> bivy. It is amazing out on the trail how hard it is sometimes to find a
> level campsite and the Hubba can squeeze into tight spaces. I bought some
> carbon fiber poles a long time ago from www.fibraplex.com to put the tent
> trail weight under 3 pounds. I like 360 degree views in the Hubba day and
> night. No nylon prison for me. I do not want to m iss Big Foot or an
> earth-ending comet streaking across the night sky to smash into some distant
> trailtown.
>
> As I lay in my tent in the dark forest, I listen to my radio and read my
> Louis L‘Amour paperback. What a life out on the trail; food/drink,
> entertainment, fresh air, scenery, no crowds, adventure, and a comfortable
> warm bed. How does it get any better than this? All I need are some
> backpackers to pick on. You would have to be nuts to want anything more than
> the life of the hard core backpacker. The backpacker who asks for no quarter
> from Mother Nature and gives no quarter --- bayonet the wounded and full
> steam ahead is his/her motto.
>
> Like all professional backpackers, the next morning I get up at 5 AM well
> before the 6:15 AM sunrise and start my second day of adventure. It is
> Saturday. I am excited as I hit the trail. Soon I arrive back at the world
> of weak candy pilgrim car campers. Another 2 miles have been added to
> Switchback the Trail Pirate's historic hiking resume. Not bad. Not bad at
> all. With a snarl on my face I mumble the governorator’s famous, “I’ll be
> back.”
>
> Respectfully and faithfully submitted.
>
>
>
>  _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>

-- 
And That's All the Goat Wrote