[pct-l] mini-report from section A

[Judson Brown]

Hello, folks-

Just got back from an abbreviated attempt at section A. Ended up getting
off trail at Mt. Laguna on the 3rd morning. Used last year's shoes- big
error in judgment- and after 42 miles, my feet needed more rest than I
could give them during my one week off. Still a great hike.

Here are some impressions from the trail:

Water:

   - nothing across trail at 6.5, but did note stagnant pools below the
   trail there
   - good amount of poison oak lining the creeklet at 4.4.
   - heard there were pools available in Hauser, but nothing was visible
   from the crossing
   - 1st crossing of Cottonwood Creek- by the bridge- had plenty of water,
   but it was algae-filled- the second crossing 1.4 later is much nicer- but
   with Boulder Oaks only 0.5 past that, you shouldn't need either
   - Kitchen Creek had plenty of water, none of it conveniently close to
   the trail
   - Fred Canyon is indeed dry as a bone, but the campsite there made for a
   lovely nap spot=)
   - Long Canyon was fine; didn't get a chance to check Lower Morris Meadow
   - drinking fountains (mi. 42?) were off, but one of them had standing
   water in it- however, reliable water from several sources is only 0.5 ahead
   at the Desert View Picnic Area

Trail conditions:

   - nothing as bad as parts of N Cal- worst brush probably on the descent
   from S. Boundary Rd. into Hauser Canyon. Nowhere was the tread bad enough
   to be worth mentioning. As for staying on trail, though I've heard many
   reports of people having difficulty in this first section, I never had a
   problem

Other trail users

   - yep, I saw bikers. And they lied right through their teeth, claiming
   they didn't know they were on the PCT. Saw them at about mile 7 or 8, where
   you're switchbacking up to the top of the plateau. I pointed out that there
   were road crossings only about a mile behind them where they could get off
   the trail. They said they would elect to just keep going- which the lying
   bastards wouldn't do unless they had a car at Campo and knew where they
   were going. I resisted the urge to be openly confrontational about it, but
   I can't say I was exactly civil with them.

I look forward to getting back out there- next spring?- with NEW shoes this
time. Good luck and happy trails to those who will be beginning soon.

Judson/bunnyslayer