[pct-l] PCT past

[Ned Tibbits]

In 1974, all I had was the trail guide book and my USGS topo maps. The route 
was different than the one followed today such that I was often on roads, 
whether dirt or asphalt, and they usually led through towns or by gas 
stations and 7-11 stores. Occasionally I followed the "California Riding & 
Hiking Trail," but they were short segments and sufficient water was not a 
concern.

Keep in mind that I started in mid-March and still had freezing nights in 
SoCal when my canteens froze, so I don't recall having a problem with water. 
Up high, I still had lots of snow (San Jacinto, San Bernardinos, Mt. Baldy, 
etc.) from which to melt water on my Svea 123 white gas stove. Yes, I 
remember some long, water-less road walks where my feet became numb from all 
the boot-slapping, but I got through.

>From Acton on I was directionless, really. I recall choosing to road-walk 
into the town of Tehachapi so that I had a water source that night. I 
remember camping outside of town in a flash-flood creek wash that was 
totally dry. Mojave was no different. Once I road-walked to it, I pitched 
outside of town and waited for my resupply box to arrive at the local post 
office. I believe I got water from a local Motel.

The route out of the desert, up Jawbone Canyon, and back into the pines was 
dry as well, but we found water once we saw houses and campgrounds.

Once on the Kern Plateau out of Weldon (stayed in the KOA campground there, 
also, Monte!) and Lake Isabella, far west of Walker Pass, I was back on 2-3 
feet of snow, so I had no more issues with water all the way to Canada 
(well, NoCal wasn't very friendly with all its heat and dry canyons).



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education, Inc.
www.mountaineducation.org
ned at mountaineducation.org


Mission:
"To minimize wilderness accidents, injury, and illness in order to maximize 
wilderness enjoyment, safety, and personal growth, all through experiential 
education and risk awareness training."
-----Original Message----- 
From: Leslie LaRocca
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 5:54 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] PCT past

Just out of curiosity, when was the water report implemented, and how did
the hikers of the past hike the trail without it?

   Thanks
_______________________________________________
Pct-L mailing list
Pct-L at backcountry.net
To unsubscribe, 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.