[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 64, Issue 16

Thu Apr 11 13:55:33 CDT 2013

Going to be hiking Oregon in August. Which  four sections are the most highly recommended?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note™, an AT&T LTE smartphone

-------- Original message --------
Subject: Pct-L Digest, Vol 64, Issue 16
From: pct-l-request at backcountry.net
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
CC: Pct-L Digest, Vol 64, Issue 16

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: blood sucking mosquitoes (Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes)
   2. Re: GPS Usage (Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes)
   3. Trail angels in the Big Bear area (Karen Lafferty)
   4. OP Bags (John Coyle)
   5. Re: OP Bags (Diarmaid Harmon)
   6. Re: Plantar Fasciitis? (Fred Walters)
   7. Nightly food storage (Michael Badger)
   8. Re: Yogi's handbook says not to use Fedex (Mr. Los Angeles)
   9. Re: OP Bags (Jim Marco)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:19:11 -0700
From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] blood sucking mosquitoes
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID:
<EA6851D3-83AD-419D-B751-6FB75A50930C at santabarbarahikes.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

Thanks so much for the information about the midges. When I hiked  
last summer in the Winds there were swarms of what I thought at first  
were mosquitoes, but they didn't bite. They were a little larger than  
the average mosquito and resembled them. I have also seen similar  
insects near 1000 Island Lake. Annoying they are, but you can still  
sit outside your tent and watch the alpenglow.

If you wait around long enough, you finally learn all these little  
mysteries. First those weird honking birds (nighthawks), now this.  
(This is also the reason I loved the guide books.)

On Apr 11, 2013, at 4:39 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: "Keith Kurko" <kwkurko at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] blood sucking mosquitoes
>
> With all due respect Danny, the reason those "early season mosquito  
> swarms"
> in the air are ignoring you is that they are not mosquitoes.  The  
> swarms you
> are referring to are non-biting midges scientifically known as  
> chironomids.
> Their larvae are aquatic and they live in the mud on the bottom of  
> lakes and
> sluggish streams.  Chironomids do not possess the necessary  
> piercing mouth
> parts to puncture skin and bite people, even if they wanted to (and  
> they
> have no interest).  And mosquitoes do not swarm together randomly  
> in the
> air.  They swarm around people and other warm blooded prey.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:32:10 -0700
From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] GPS Usage
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID:
<A336C140-26E6-4DF2-B2C8-D57D6AF75E34 at santabarbarahikes.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

That wine really IS good chit mon. And countdown to when Trailhacker  
tells us how he managed to auction a bottle for $100 thanks to an  
awesome powerpoint presentation he gave about John Muir and his wine.  
5...4...3...

Diane

On Apr 11, 2013, at 4:39 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Scott Williams <baidarker at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] GPS Usage
> To: "Jim & Jane Moody" <moodyjj at comcast.net>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net, Anthony Biegen <ajbiegen at gmail.com>
>
> For those who just want a little taste of Muir's ranch, there will be
> several bottles of wine at the Kick Off auction table which are grown,
> stomped, fermented and bottled on a small corner of Muir's old  
> ranch.  It's
> a terrific, '09  Syrah produced by a friend of mine nearby.  The only
> caveat is that it's got some Shroomer thru hiker toe jam in the  
> mix.  Yucky
> beginning for a great wine.  Sorry about that, but we have quite a  
> time
> making it every year.  I very irreverently name it "John Muir  
> Wine."  Sold
> to the highest bidder, it's "good chit mon."
>
> Shroomer

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:12:50 -0700
From: Karen Lafferty <lafferty1 at yahoo.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Trail angels in the Big Bear area
To: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <A79710D6-2194-445F-ADD9-C7218F6C1C60 at yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=us-ascii

A group of us maybe hiking Mission Creek down to the summit on or around April 29 and would need some one to drive us up in my truck to the top, drop us off, and then leave the truck back down at the summit.  And by the way, is there still snow up there.  And does anyone know how the snow is on fuller ridge.  Thanks for your help.  Kodak Karen

Sent from my iPad

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:23:52 -0700
From: John Coyle <jcoyle at sanjuan.edu>
Subject: [pct-l] OP Bags
To: "'pct-l at backcountry.net'" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID:
<BA88A7B46BF31C4FA68E8DEDDCDB92F3486CB46B0D at MAIL4.sjn.sanjuan.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I have a subscription to Backpacking Light and here are some details from their test of OP Bags.  The test was done by an emergency and critical care veterinarian at a university hospital.  The test was conducted in a large woman's locker room at the university, with the targets being put in certain lockers. Four trained police dogs were used. The dogs were trained to find illicit substances, so that was used for the test instead of food. The OP bags were tested against ordinary supermarket Ziplock bags, not freezer or heat seal bags I think. Of the 32 searches conducted the dogs failed to find the target only 4 times.  I got the impression that this is normal because sometimes the dogs get distracted for various reasons.  Average search times to find the target were 86 seconds in the OP group and 84 seconds in the control (Ziplock) group, which is not that much of a difference. There are a lot of pictures of the dogs in the locker room in the article. I am leaving out a lot 
of details, so if you want more information, you will just have to buy a subscription to Backpacking Light.  To me it the $25 yearly subscription is well worth it for a backpacker.

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:56:49 -0700
From: Diarmaid Harmon <irishharmon at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] OP Bags
To: John Coyle <jcoyle at sanjuan.edu>
Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <3C280113-D79F-46E0-8D10-E33278A90C45 at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=us-ascii

That is disturbing. Why does the university separate women by size 

>  The test was conducted in a large woman's locker room

Irish

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 11, 2013, at 8:23 AM, John Coyle <jcoyle at sanjuan.edu> wrote:

> I have a subscription to Backpacking Light and here are some details from their test of OP Bags.  The test was done by an emergency and critical care veterinarian at a university hospital.  The test was conducted in a large woman's locker room at the university, with the targets being put in certain lockers. Four trained police dogs were used. The dogs were trained to find illicit substances, so that was used for the test instead of food. The OP bags were tested against ordinary supermarket Ziplock bags, not freezer or heat seal bags I think. Of the 32 searches conducted the dogs failed to find the target only 4 times.  I got the impression that this is normal because sometimes the dogs get distracted for various reasons.  Average search times to find the target were 86 seconds in the OP group and 84 seconds in the control (Ziplock) group, which is not that much of a difference. There are a lot of pictures of the dogs in the locker room in the article. I am leaving out a lo
t 
> of details, so if you want more information, you will just have to buy a subscription to Backpacking Light.  To me it the $25 yearly subscription is well worth it for a backpacker.
> _______________________________________________
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> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.

------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:08:11 +0100
From: Fred Walters <fredwalters2 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Plantar Fasciitis?
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID:

<CAOMa4nBE0sC=VT20Fd5e-Z3-a5hkdq4Ah5x3za8MgCLaNnC0YA at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

If people are interested a video describing possible causes of various heel
pain.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO93WP0QIpc>

On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 11:52 AM, tom aterno <nitnoid1 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Wearing some type of shoe at ALL TIMES when PF was flaring up was an
> important piece of the advice from my physical therapist, in addition to
> all the other recommendations already posted.  It is important to support
> the tendons at the bottom of your foot.  Surprisingly, my PF lasted only
> three weeks thanks to my physical therapist, and I haven't had another
> occurrence in the last 4 years.
>
> The Incredible Bulk
>
>
>
> --- On Tue, 3/5/13, Rebecca Cummings <Rebecca.Cummings at csulb.edu> wrote:
>
> From: Rebecca Cummings <Rebecca.Cummings at csulb.edu>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Plantar Fasciitis?
> To: "A.C. Scott " <acscottthefirst at yahoo.com>, "Brittany Nunnink" <
> bnunnink at gmail.com>, "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 5:41 PM
>
> I understand your fears.  Got it last year and was certain my dreams of
> long-distance hiking were over.  Sharp pains after a long day on my feet,
> and when rolling out of bed in the morning.  Hiking was excruciating.  Read
> that it'd take at least a year (if I'm lucky) to heal.  Out of panic and
> despair, I did everything the podiatrist (a close friend) told me to
> do--ice baths, massage, gentle stretching, heat, more ice baths, and shoes
> with arch support.  I finally threw away a pair of cushy sneaks that
> invariably made my feet ache after a couple hours.  As Brick Robbins urges,
> I never put any weight on my feet unless I had shoes with arch support. And
> yes, even in the shower (I wore tevas).
> After three months I actually forgot I ever had PF. It just vanished.
> --Becky
> ________________________________________
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] on
> behalf of A.C. Scott  [acscottthefirst at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 1:45 PM
> To: Brittany Nunnink; pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Plantar Fasciitis?
>
> The. Answer is yes I an many others. Ninja. T
>
> Sent from Samsung Mobile
>
> Brittany Nunnink <bnunnink at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi All,
> >
> >So I'm dealing with Plantar Fasciitis -- from what I gather a relatively
> >mild case of it, but even so... I went for a non strenuous walk yesterday
> >and that flared it up enough to feel soreness in my heel for the evening.
> >I'm really really nervous now with only about two months to go before the
> >hike (planning a NOBO thru-hike).  I've spoken with friends, doctors, and
> >PT's and the treatment I know is rest, ice, heat, stretch, and massage --
> >all of which I'm doing, but I hear this can take many months, and I'm
> >nervous if it's not 100% healed before I go, has anyone heard of
> >thru-hikers doing this with plantar's fasciitis, or is it guaranteed to
> put
> >a stop to this big walk?
> >
> >Would love any feedback, suggestions you may have!!
> >
> >Thanks!
> >Brittany
> >_______________________________________________
> >Pct-L mailing list
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> >All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> >Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
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>
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------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:08:16 -0400
From: Michael Badger <mbadger at mbadger.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Nightly food storage
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <-3603238778155734260 at unknownmsgid>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi everyone,

It seems that there are widely different opinions on what to do with
food at night to protect it from bears and other critters while on the
PCT. I'd be curious to hear what people have done successfully in the
past. I have opsacks, an ursack, and rope as possible tools to bring
with me. It sounds like some people prefer to keep their food In their
tent while others like to tie it up well away from their tent. I'm
still trying to decide what I will do, and would love some input from
experienced folks.

Thanks!

Badger

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:56:36 -0500
From: "Mr. Los Angeles" <mrlosangeless at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Yogi's handbook says not to use Fedex
To: Jason Gray <sirjirwir at yahoo.com>
Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID:
<CAJawR8VExOtCRu-fD2gOEvUveJE5eboGQoqqdO+S6ysUB057FQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

General delivery or hiker delivery issues aside, FedEx is very reliable off
the trail.  UPS, on the other hand, loves to misdeliver.   They don't seem
to care where they leave your package.  I've had UPS frequently deliver my
packages to neighbors, someone a mile down the road, etc.

Also -- again, not hiker delivery related -- FedEx delivers fast.  UPS,
with its union mentality, deliberately holds your package until its
designated delivery date, even if it reaches your local distribution center
early.

FedEx will just deliver.  And they hustle.

On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 10:36 PM, Jason Gray <sirjirwir at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Yogi, you mention in your handbook (current edition, p. 195) "Do not use
> Fedex" when mailing packages. Can you tell us why?
>
> Have you or others found that they're not as reliable as UPS to rural
> addresses here in the Western states? I'd like to use them when I can, in
> addition to USPS of course. I get great rates with my company's account.
>
> Thanks much,
> Jason
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>

------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:56:23 +0000
From: Jim Marco <jdm27 at cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] OP Bags
To: John Coyle <jcoyle at sanjuan.edu>, "'pct-l at backcountry.net'"
<pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID:
<CCD73253EE222048A9289099BD18D3BB0F5AB185 at BY2PRD0410MB353.namprd04.prod.outlook.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Pretty good summary. The basic conclusion was
"The bags tested in this study are not 100% odor-proof as advertised and should not be relied upon as a stand-alone food protective strategy when travelling in bear country."

I would NOT sleep with my food. Even with an OP sack, this can be personally dangerous. I would not recommend this in any case. With "jaded" bears, even hanging can be unwise. 
My thoughts only . . .
jdm

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of John Coyle
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:24 AM
To: 'pct-l at backcountry.net'
Subject: [pct-l] OP Bags

I have a subscription to Backpacking Light and here are some details from their test of OP Bags.  The test was done by an emergency and critical care veterinarian at a university hospital.  The test was conducted in a large woman's locker room at the university, with the targets being put in certain lockers. Four trained police dogs were used. The dogs were trained to find illicit substances, so that was used for the test instead of food. The OP bags were tested against ordinary supermarket Ziplock bags, not freezer or heat seal bags I think. Of the 32 searches conducted the dogs failed to find the target only 4 times.  I got the impression that this is normal because sometimes the dogs get distracted for various reasons.  Average search times to find the target were 86 seconds in the OP group and 84 seconds in the control (Ziplock) group, which is not that much of a difference. There are a lot of pictures of the dogs in the locker room in the article. I am leaving out a lot 
  of details, so if you want more information, you will just have to buy a subscription to Backpacking Light.  To me it the $25 yearly subscription is well worth it for a backpacker.
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------------------------------

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End of Pct-L Digest, Vol 64, Issue 16
*************************************