[pct-l] section E in great shape

[David Hough reading PCT-L]

I dayhiked from Lake Hughes Rd to Hwy 138 May May 20-22.

The trail is in great shape as far as logs - there are none.     The 
SoCal Green Trench is always growing with a vengeance and is particularly
fierce between the Horse Camp and Pine Canyone Rd, where the trail is 
pretty rutted due to the recent rains which also made for many miserable
hikers going through the soggy brush.    All the on-trail seasonal water
sources are running, so the caches are empty.     The last one just north
of Pine Canyon Rd is pretty feeble, but much better water is just before
it on the south side of the road.

The stretch from Pine Canyon Rd to 138 looked completely unfamiliar, though
I was pretty sure I had hiked it before.    Sure enough, I had been there -
right after a fire.

http://pcnst.oakapple.net/photo/sc-pct/e/2005-05-29-e09/


I have now relocated to work on Oregon section B between storms.
I walked a little bit around Hwy 140 on May 24.    There were a few trees
down on either side of the highway.    Snow looks to start about 6000'.


I heard that Hikertown was actually full at the height of the rain.
I saw about two dozen through hikers on the trail who passed me as I hobbled
along northbound.

Palmdale, Medford are great beer towns and Ashland looks good too.    I stopped
in Legal Weed and in Turlock too, which have good brewpubs, though less
convenient for  hikers.