[pct-l] Etna

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, John,

I did much the same thing last year before I left my car and hiked between
Etna Summit and the Cal/Or border.  The road distance between the PCT at
Etna Summit and the town of Etna is approximately 10 miles.  The road is
paved but infrequently traveled by locals and light commerce.  When clear of
snow it is easily drivable even in my low-slung little passenger car, but
its mostly steep – peaking at 6,000 ft. -- and it has many low-speed
switchbacks.  I did not see any of the typical closure gates.  I haven’t
been there in this high-snowpack season but I expect it will be open; a call
to someone – such as the local police or Hiker Hut – would probably verify
its condition.

Rides to and from Etna and the PCT were greatly appreciated because while
the local civilian traffic is friendly and often willing to pick up
hiker-trash, there just isn’t much traffic, and most of the
commercial/governmental traffic is not allowed to pick up hitch-hikers.  I
suppose some hikers have walked part, or all, of the road but that would be
a real dose.

I car-camped in the area of the summit but at that time there was no
snowpack.  Along the upper portion of the road there are turn-outs and
little side roads where one could camp.  I made 2-3 trips per day, hanging
around the summit, Hiker Hut, or any of the local hiker attractions, i.e.
restaurants, internet library, etc.  Etna is a small town; if someone is
providing rides the word soon spreads within “the family”.

Bless you for being willing to help.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

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

-http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 6:00 AM, John Abela <abela at johnabela.com> wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> Really considering heading up to Etna (from my place in Eureka) either
> tonight or sometime later this week.
>
> My thought was, if it is possible, to drive hikers down/up the road
> that I understand is there, that they normally would have to hike to
> get down into Etna. Does anybody know if that is a road that is open
> and drivable? I have a 4wd truck and know how to drive it, but what I
> just have no idea of is whether or not it is gated off, or if its not
> actually a drivable road, or what the deal is.
>
> So, does anybody know if that is the kind of road I could get my truck
> onto and than drive hikers up/down, to save them some serious miles
> into/out of Etna??
>
> If it is a road that I can drive up, I was thinking of camping out up
> there, does anybody know if that is possible/legal?
>
> If anybody has done this type of thing before, how often should I
> drive up and down to check on hikers at the trail waiting to come
> down, and than to get those hikers who are down in town back up to the
> trail? How does that whole aspect of such things work?
>
> And, if anybody would like to join me in doing some trail angel work
> there in Etna, by all means, drop me a email asap and let me know when
> you could help out. I would love to have some other folks there
> helping out.
>
> John
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