[pct-l] Walker pass to Kennedy Meadows - advise

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Moshe,

According to the SIBBG map at
http://sierrawild.gov/bears/food-storage-mapa bear ‘can isn’t required
until approximately Cottonwood Pass which is
more than 50 PCT-miles north of Kennedy Meadows.  I’ve not seen a bear
south of Kennedy Meadows although I did once see a fresh set of tracks in
the trail dust.

In addition to one’s mileage, water to carry depends much on the
temperature, one’s personal preference, and one’s appetite for risk –
meaning whether one is willing to arrive at the next water source empty and
thirsty.  On the average, in round numbers, I get about 10 miles per
gallon, however, I may not have to carry that much if I can hydrate well
before leaving one water point, then rehydrate well once I arrive at the
next.

A bit more care must be taken if one must make a dry camp before reaching
the next water.  I generally want to have at least one additional liter for
overnight compared to what may be indicated by the mileage to be covered.

My hikes in that area have been in late May -- the typical thru-hiker
season -- and I haven’t found water to be a problem.  Walker Pass itself
really doesn’t have readily-available water so I would tank-up before
arriving at the trail head.  I once approached the only car-camper at
Walker Pass and asked if he could supply me with some water to which he
said, “No problem” but he gave me one little 4-ounce DixieCup about ¾ full.

I would plan to start early in the day if possible because the first few
miles north of the Pass into the Owens Peak area are on a steep, wide-open,
southern aspect which can get a bit warm in the afternoon.

Specific water conditions – aimed mostly at early season hikers – can be
found in HalfMile’s water report at:  http://www.pctwater.com/

Enjoy your hike,

Steel-Eye

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

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

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


On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Moshe <myalo at yahoo.com> wrote:

> First time hiking this section soon.
> Is bear canister needed? Bear activity in this section?
> Slow hiker about 10-12 miles a day. How much water to carry from water
> source to water source?
> Is there snow already in this section?
> Thanks
> Myalo
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