[pct-l] Heights

[Arliss]

While most folks will say there's really nothing to it, I'll have 
to admit that I found crossing the bowl and completing the final 
few feet to the top of Forester Pass rather intimidating. It's 
not so much due to a fear of heights (I routinely climb and work 
on radio towers over 100' high without a problem), but more of a 
problem with fear due to exposure, such as looking over the side 
of a tall building or approaching the edge of a steep drop off. 
It's not rational, but that's the way it is for me.

Nevertheless, I made it across the bowl at the top and the final 
ascent by following behind a friend (close, but not too close) 
and just focusing on the trail. I had an ice axe and microspikes 
for that little section and was glad I did.

The good news is that the top of Forester and a couple of spots 
on the climb up Mt. Whitney were the only areas on the PCT that 
gave me any problems re: exposure (and Whitney isn't actually 
even on the PCT, of course).

The rest of the story: we went over Forester on midsummer's day. 
After descending below the snowline, we found a spot to set up 
camp. Not long thereafter, a young woman came along and asked if 
she could join us while she waited for her friends to catch up 
with her.

She subsequently went on to point out that it was Hike Naked Day 
and volunteered that she had hiked naked up Forester Pass with no 
problems. When asked if we had hiked naked, my friend and I 
commented that it was best for everyone concerned if older 
gentlemen such as ourselves kept all of our clothing on. She said 
she got dressed for the hike down the other north of Forester 
because she was afraid of post-holing. She obviously did not 
share my fear of exposure.

Iceman



On 12/7/2017 11:25 PM, Sabrina Harrison wrote:
> Hey friends!
>
> Let’s talk about Forester Pass. Tell me stories that’ll make my fears go away -
>
> I’ll start you off -
>
> “Ah, it’s all tricks of the camera”
> “Not as bad as it looks”
> “You can pay a local to knock you out and carry you across it on a donkey”
>
> ~GoGo the section hiker, creeping north
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone