[pct-l] New thru-hiking opportunity

[Scott Williams]

I agree.  The sections of this area I've hiked are spectacular.  From the
Chumash petroglyphs along the east entry to the Sisquoc, to the stark
grandeur of Hurricane Deck, and the history of Mormon pioneering to the
north, it's really a beautiful, and fascinating area.  It has great swimming
holes in the spring, snow in the winter and very rugged terrain and trails.
And you are really isolated.  I was snowed in for several days at the South
Fork of the Sisquoc in January in the late 70's, have heard cougars scream
at night, and was lucky enough to see condors in the 60's and 70's, when
there were only 50, then 40 and even fewer still living in the wild, before
the round up and captive breading.  A great recommendation for extending the
season.  The maps and website spell it out.

Right now I'm taking a breather having just finished my thru hike of the
PCT, which was so much fun, but doing a longer hike of this area in spring
sounds great.

Thanks for the information.

Shroomer

On Sat, Oct 16, 2010 at 3:05 PM, Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com <
diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:

> Anyone who is thinking the thru-hiking season is over, don't despair.
> Now's your chance to attempt the Condor Trail!
>
> The Condor Trail traverses the length of the Los Padres National
> Forest. It's about as long as the Tahoe Rim Trail. It's way more
> rugged and wild than the Tahoe Rim trail or the PCT or the JMT.
> You'll have to resupply but there's nowhere to go for that so you'll
> have to figure out how to get someone to bring food to you. It's more
> of a route than a trail so route-finding is key. The trails are on
> the map but they aren't always on the Earth, so it's full of
> adventure. It'll take you all day to go 10 miles in some places! If
> you get off the trail it might take you all day to go 2 miles! I've
> been there, done that.
>
> More information is available here:
> http://www.condortrail.org
> Click on the map on the home page. The route is color-coded based on
> trail condition/existence.
>
> Interesting article on the Condor Trail
> http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Carving-Out-the-Condor-Trail.html
>
> Pictures of an epic 10 day winter trip on the Southern portion of it
> http://picasaweb.google.com/AvocadoHunter/CondorTrailSpring2010
>
> Portions of this route are how I hiked from Santa Barbara to the PCT
> in Spring 2009.
>
> This trail is not for newbies. It's still mainly a few people's
> dream. But portions of it exist and are in good shape. So if you are
> jonesing for some great backpacking this fall or spring (fall meaning
> all the way into November and spring meaning March - May), this is
> some spectacular hiking country.
>
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