[pct-l] Entering PCT at Castle Crags from Dunsmuir

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Clipper,

I haven’t walked from the rail station in Dunsmuir to the PCT -- instead I
resupplied south at Castella – but I’m generally familiar with the area.  The
walking distance you would face is about 4 miles.  I-5 takes most of the
traffic off the secondary roads, but according to lyrics in an old C&W song,
“…the road gets crooked on Saturday night.”



Gather information before expecting to camp that night at Castle Crags State
Park where the PCT crosses.  That’s a holiday weekend and the regular
campgrounds will likely be fully subscribed.  When I was there in ’08 there
was a separate, semi-official PCT hiker’s camping area just north of
Castella, but it I didn’t stay there.  It may not even been part of the
Park.  I was told about it by the Castella Postmaster.  From Castle Crags SP
the trail climbs significantly and the camping opportunities are limited.  I
camped about halfway up, but I only require a 2’ x 7’, semi-flat space for
my bed.



According to:
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/westwide/snowpack/wy2010/snow1005.gifthis
is a very heavy snow year in N. California, and I expect significant
snowpack to remain on the higher elevations until well into July.  Your hike
will begin about 2,200 ft. elevation and within about 12 miles will be over
6,000 ft. on the way to 7,500 ft.



Good luck; that’s a rewarding section of trail.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Fri, May 28, 2010 at 7:10 AM, CClark <dr_carolyn at yahoo.com> wrote:

> We plan to take Amtrak, disembark at Dunsmuir, and hike north from there.
> That means we'll be getting off the train during the night.  Have any of you
> readers done this? What route should we follow from the train station to the
> PCT?  Can we hike this in the dark, or does traffic make it too dangerous?
> Should we try to book a room in Dunsmuir?  If so, any recommendations?
>
> And finally -- given this year's snowpack, does July 2 look like a
> reasonable start date to avoid hiking through a lot of snow?
>
> Thanks,
> Clipper
> dr_carolyn at yahoo.com
>
>
>
> P   Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
> Carolyn Clark, Ph.D.
> Dept. of Communication
> Salt Lake Community College
>
>
>
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