[pct-l] Night Hiking in the Mojave / Vagrancy Issues

[Sue Kettles]

In 2011, I hiked alone thru that section - in 20 years of hiking, that is
one of two places I felt fairly frightened. I had a man in a water truck
drive by and warn me that this section has a lot of drug traffic and was not
safe for a woman to hike alone.  He told me he was glad I was hiking in
daylight.  Of course, that set me on edge... so when a suspicious looking
guy (would he have felt suspicious had I not just heard to be wary?) on a
motorcycle drove up and wanted to talk for awhile, asking me questions about
my hike.  I couldn't enjoy it where I normally love to visit with anyone
about the PCT.  I pretended I was talking to my husband on my cell phone...
so he finally road off.

That section is really easy to get thru if you stay the night at Jack Fairs
old place....why can't I remember what its called now??  I've stayed there
the past two years  - it’s a crazy place but I've enjoyed it both times.

HJ/SS

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of sarah estrella
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 6:23 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Night Hiking in the Mojave / Vagrancy Issues

I camped alone in a grove of Joshua trees in the Mojave.  Around 12:30 am, I
heard a truck drive by, stop, turn around, drive past me again, stop, turn
around, drive past a third time.  I peaked out, fairly terrified, and saw
that it was a circa 1960s pickup truck piled high with old tires. They drove
around for about an hour.  I couldn't figure out why they didn't just dump
the tires and leave.  Then I thought maybe they were collecting them.
 Someone suggested later that they were planning on setting them on fire in
an attempt to signal a plane for a narcotics drop.  Another suggestion was
that they were setting up some sort of ORV course.  All I know is that I
didn't get much sleep that night.
FreeRange 
>In 2005, H, Whistler and others were night-hiking across the Antelope 
>Valley
when a truck (without a driver's side door)
>slowly approached them. They were
all a bit apprehensive. When the driver
>pulled up next to them all he
uttered, in a an apparently
>somwhat Southern accent, was.... 
"Dummmbasssss".


>Squatch
>www.squatchfilms.com


On Tue,
Nov 27, 2012 at 1:21 PM, Gary Wright <gwtmp01 at mac.com> wrote:

>
> 
On Nov 26, 2012, at 2:28 PM, BF wrote:
> > I was thinking that
hiking
> > under the full moon for a couple of night might be a way to
conserve
> > moisture.  Anybody ever done this out there?  I know that
Mojave Greens
> > may be an issue.  They're usually bright green during
that time of year
> > and pretty easy to spot during the day, but at
night, that might be a
> > different story.
>
> I'm not a
big night hiking fan but did hike for a couple hours under a
> very full
moon around Kelso Valley Rd. in 2007. At one point I was
> hiking directly
into the rising full moon and it required the use of my
> hat as a 'moon
visor' because the glare/contrast was so great.  There
> was absolutely no
need for a headlamp.
>
> I found Joshua Trees to be quite spooky in
these lighting conditions!
>
> The trail is pretty open in the
Mojave area and I doubt that many
> snakes would be out in the open at
night. I never had a encounter with
> snakes at night.  During the day
though...
>
>
> > I was wondering if the
> > 
opposite ever happens: have any of you PCT thru hikers ever had any
> > 
problems with being confused being homeless during your travels on and
> 
off
> > the trail?
>
> I was viewed as a 'hobo' by the
driver who picked me up outside Mojave
> on that same trip. Some people
don't seem to even comprehend what
> backpacking is never mind the more
esoteric experience of long-distance
> hiking.
>
> 
Radar
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L
mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To
unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> 
List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> 
All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is
prohibited without express permission.
>

_______________________________________________
Pct-L mailing list
Pct-L at backcountry.net
To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

List Archives:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.