[pct-l] Highlights of the Socal PCT? Best 2 day segments?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I would recommend for you getting some books. Perhaps the good old  
Wilderness Press Guidebook which you can buy at the PCTA.org store.  
The guide books are good because there is a lot of detail about  
permits and things you will need. Another good one would be Day Hikes  
on the PCT (not sure the exact title.) Since you are limited in time,  
this book will tell you places you can park your car. Thru-hikers  
have no idea of that and the Wilderness Press books assume you're  
doing whole big sections at a time.

Another resource you might find helpful is Asabat's water report.  
http://www.4jeffrey.net/pct/. Although the information may not be  
always up-to-date if you hike in the off-season, you'll at least get  
some tips on HOW to find some of the water. It's not always right on  
the trail.

You might also want to get Halfmile's maps. They are free but you  
have to print them yourself.
http://www.pctmap.net/. They make estimating your distance really  
easy because there's a dot every half mile and lots of stuff is labeled.

I wish I could recommend some good two-day trips but my mileage is  
much greater than yours so it would be hard for me to estimate  
something that is doable for you.

Diane

On Oct 18, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Mixalot, Special K, my last 3 big (heh) hikes have been about 5  
> miles up a
> hill and 5 miles down, and on the last couple I camped out in  
> between.  I'm
> averaging about 2.4 miles per hour.  No clue how far I can go when  
> things
> are relatively flat, but will probably get a handle on this on my  
> next one.
> My big limiting factor I think, is water.  I went through a liter  
> and a half
> in just 5 miles up on a nice day on the last one.  I'm beat enough  
> to stop
> for the day after climbing 2500 feet over 5 miles.
>
> http://www.everytrail.com/my_trips.php?user_id=376042
>
> Will need to study the available material more closely to see where  
> all the
> dependable water sources are.  Between Mexico and the Sequoias,  
> this really
> worries me.  Thanks to Dennis, Marion, and Anita too for suggesting  
> "Day
> Hikes Of The Pacific Trail" and to you and everyone else for the nice
> welcome and interest.