[pct-l] Early start on PCT on 2013 and then back to Morena for AZDPCTKO

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Usually in the weeks before kick-off there are lots of people on the  
kick-off ride board asking for and offering rides, plus emails to  
this list offering rides, plus people on their way stopping by  
various places such as Scissors Crossing or Julian or wherever, just  
looking to see if there's anybody they can pick up spontaneously. So  
I'd head out and just walk at whatever pace you want and expect to  
get a ride wherever you end up (within reason, of course, I wouldn't  
expect a ride on Chihuahua Valley Rd or somewhere like that.) I've  
even offered rides and living in Santa Barbara I would have been able  
to pick up someone as far north as Hikertown.

As for your slow pace, before I attempted the PCT I had never been  
able to hike more than 16 miles in a day without incredible  
debilitating pain. So I figured that was my absolute upper limit and  
I better stay below that. The PCT was so easy to hike 15 miles a day  
without any pain (other than eventual blisters.) So don't worry too  
much about your pace. It'll probably be faster than you think.

On Aug 5, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Subject: [pct-l] Early start on PCT on 2013 and then back to Morena
> 	for	AZDPCTKO
> Hello all

> ...

> So I thought to hike Campo-Warner Springs right before the kickoff.? 
> Then hitch-hike back to Lake Morena for kickoff and start again  
> from Warner Springs after kickoff.
> ?
> I will walk this very first part as slow as a desert turtle, I know  
> that. I don't think that I will manage more than 10 miles per day.

> ...

> Has anybody started PCT in this way? Like slow mo hiking to Warner  
> Springs and back to kickoff?
> Is it realistic?
> ?
> Please tell me your experience if you have done so.
> ?
> Thanks a lot for sharing :)
> Anne