Re: [pct-l] alternate routes

[Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>]

At 03:00 PM 2/29/00 , jimandginnyo@juno.com wrote:

>I've been going over the guidebooks - a first look through. Over and over
>the authors state that this alternate is better than the pct, or that
>alternative is used by ALL the thruhikers, or the pct is a viewless
>waterless monotonous path and that most hikers would rather hike a mile
>or two off trail to see this lake or that one. 

You will get tired of Schaffer's bad attitude in the guidebook. Don't worry the trail is not that bad. The sections written by Schiffron read a bit more pleasantly. (you'll be able to tell the difference after a while....)

The PCT route is determined in some places by the expected conditions when the thru hikers get there. The section near Mammoth has already been mentioned where the JMT and the PCT diverge. (map h19). The JMT route is far superior (IMHO) but the PCT route is snow free MUCH earlier in the season, which is why it was routed off the JMT in that section.

The Tahoe-Yosemite Trail was mentioned as an alternate. The TYT keeps to the drainages to the west of the PCT, and is thus "off the crest." It has the advantages of being warmer, and going through the "other" Kennedy Meadows, but is not generally useable for PCT thru-hikers because the fords are impassable that early in the season.

One alternate I personally would take, is to road-walk Terwilliger Road (map b4-b5) instead of the trail, in order to get a maildrop at Kamp Anza, get water there, and at the restaurant at the intersection of Hwy 371 & Hwy 74, since you will need to make the 2 mile detour to the restaurant for water anyway. By resupplying at Kamp Anza, you can avoid the 2000 ft drop into Idyllwild.

The other good place for an alternate is near Hat Creek, where you can walk along the creek and visit the caves, instead of going up on the rim right away (map n13-14).

Hope this helps.

Hike your Own Hike.

-Brick

* From the PCT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================