[pct-l] First Thru-Hike 2012; Start Date?

[Eric Lee]

As you've probably noticed some recent threads, there are a wide variety of opinions on start dates. Mid May is very doable, though not the most popular time. It'll be a little hotter and you'll have to walk a little faster, but you'll also have less snow to deal with.

As for water caches, you should never rely on them anyway. They're never guaranteed to be stocked at any time. Think of them as a nice bonus, not a survival mechanism.

Cost can be controlled to some extent if you avoid towns, but at a minimum you have to buy food and replace worn out gear (especially shoes). Average cost is probably around 1.5 to 2 dollars per mile all up, but can vary quite a lot.

Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: Jace Mullen
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 2:52 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] First Thru-Hike 2012; Start Date?

Hey Team.

I am 17 years old and am planning on (if I can save the money) to hike
the PCT as soon as I graduate from highschool. I live in San Diego so
I can start pretty much the day after I graduate. The problem is that
I don't graduate untill mid-may. I am a little bit worried that this
might be too late to start.

One of my worries is that because of the late start, the water caches
that I have heard so many people rely on will be non-existant.

My hope is that with a May 15-17th (ish) start I can catch up to the
herd by kennedy meadows. Does this sound reasonable?

Are there any other issues that I will run into with such a late start?

Also, approximately how much should I be saving? I'm planning on
getting a job at a gear shop or something to make money. I don't know
if it will be enough though.

Thanks!

-Jace
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