[pct-l] Water Caches

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Jane,

Water caches on the PCT are a convenience and a treat rather than being a
functional necessity.  They save many miles of off-trail hiking – sometimes
on roads and side trails, and sometimes while bushwhacking cross-country.  Many
hikers of varying experience, talent, and degrees of good sense made the
hike not only before there were caches and trail-angels, but before there
were maps anywhere near as good as we have now; and certainly before the
introduction of GPS.

When hiking with AsABat’s fine water list I first edit its text to delete
upwards of half the entries; those I know I’ll never need.  Many of water
opportunities that then remain on the list I just don’t visit; walking by
those that are off-trail an inconvenient distance because I’d sooner carry
some extra water than take the time and possibly risk not finding them.

Before departing on a PCT hike with the intention of being cache, support,
and angel-free it would be a good idea to sit down, put a pencil to it, and
define exactly how “pure” one intends to be.  At each point and with each
choice the question will be gray and the answer will both gray and foggy.

Does being pure mean passing up the Snow Creek fountain?  It’s really only
there for hikers – a self-service cache.

Does being pure mean not leaving Mojave or Tehachapi with a full load of
tap-water from a hotel or restaurant, instead relying upon the next spring?

Does being pure mean eschewing any developed water source that has a pipe
or sunken tank by instead dipping scant ooze-water out of a muddy
hoof-print?

Is the purest ready to pass up the jugs at the road crossing; instead walk
5-6 miles, round-trip, down to the valley to get some mossy, cow-slobber
water out of a rancher’s stock tank?

I suggest making a detailed examination of good 7.5-minute maps to identify
water chances in critical areas.  Then, it would be good to honestly
evaluate how well we can find an off-trail water source with a map and
compass, and possibly a GPS.

When evaluating options it is very human for us to draw two lines: One line
is just below our own feet and the other line is just over our head.  Any
other person who falls below our foot-line is the pitiful, uncommitted
sort; while anyone who is above the head-level line is wildly fanatical and
unrealistic.

We all get to choose.

Steel-Eye

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

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

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
 <http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/>