[pct-l] Section Hike Report

[Jim Banks]

I just got back from a little 65 mile section hike in Southern Oregon.  I
hiked from mile 1705.7 (Grouse Gap Shelter, which is a few miles south of
Mt. Ashland) to mile 1770.9 (Fish Lake/Highway 140) from June 18th to the
22nd.  It was a long way to go (from Southern California)  to hike just 65
miles, but it is the only part of the trail I have not done that is not
covered with snow and I was itching to take a hike.

 

There were snow fields across the trail south of mile 1705.7.   The Mt.
Ashland road (Road #20) has a locked gate where the pavement ends at the end
of the parking lot for the ski area.  From 1705.7 north to mile 1770.9 there
was no snow on the trail.  This was a very easy and beautiful hike.  The
elevation gains are very gentle and water was no problem.  I sent a report
to the PCT water report.  I saw a few through hikers, but not that many.  As
always this time of year, there are a lot of trees across the trail because
the trail crews have not had time to clear them.  However, in this 65 mile
stretch only two trees were not an easy step over or around.  Between miles
1763 and 1764 there are two huge trees across the trail.  One I climbed
under the other I climbed over, not that big of a deal for a hiker.  But
because they are located where the trail goes through one of those huge
volcanic bolder fields, there is no way a horse could get around them.  So
equestrians beware!  The mosquitos were not bad at all until about mile
1759, north of that they get pretty bad.

 

I-Beam