[pct-l] June 1st 2011 start date

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Oct 15, 2010, at 9:10 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> Hi all,? new to the forum.?Looking for advice on how to hike the  
> trail if I have a june 1 start date?and plan on taking about 4.5  
> months.?I don't know if that is too late to go Northbound.
> ?
> Thanks,? Dale

Ray Jardine's PCT Hikers Handbook has a 4.5 month itinerary starting  
on May 7 and ending Sept 21. And a 4 month starting May 11 and ending  
Sep 10. If you can keep up that kind of pace you might be able to  
make it starting June 1, but you'll be a wee bit hotter than most  
folks experience in the southernmost part of the trail and you'll  
really be racing winter as you get toward Canada.

You might consider starting the trail in Agua Dulce or thereabouts on  
June 1. You'll be in with the herd and might have to suffer some of  
the same trials and tribulations that normally crop up on the regular  
northbound thru-hike schedule (too much snow/high creeks in the  
Sierra, chance of being late to Canada.) But you'll stand a much  
better chance of reaching the Canadian border. You can always flip  
back down to Agua Dulce for a southbound trip to the Mexican border  
to finish it all up. Maybe you'll even get lucky and they'll open up  
the closed portion of the trail through the Angeles National Forest  
by then.