[pct-l] RE: PCT questions to you post

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

Response to: I'm interested in finding out more about your thoughts below.
Are you
limiting your So. CA mileage to ease into the trip?  Because of the heat?

The mistake most people make in the early going is walking too far too soon.
The people at Camp ANZA, in Section B, run a sort of thruhiker hostel where
they treat injury. Almost all injuries are foot related due to making too
many miles before your body, your gear and your footwear have adjusted to
the regimin of multiple days hiking.

The problem with the ultra-light approach is that a spartan camp is
unattractive. Reading thruhikers journals, several times it is reported that
thruhikers stopped and camped, then restarted the same day because they were
bored sitting around. Also, these journals relate how the thruhike becomes a
series of goals to reach -- the next town, the next water etc. This all adds
up to a tendency to overstress your system and your footwear. Unfortunately,
once your feet go it takes a long time to recover.

There is, in fact, no rush to Kennedy Meadows. You can simply leave Campo
earlier to make up for the slower pace. Plus, Kennedy Meadows is a BAD place
to take an extended break and lose your conditioning just before snow and
the high sierra passes. My proposed solution is to treat the miles to
Kennedy Meadows as a conditioning hike and slowlely build up your miles as
you work out the kinks in your pack, footwear and you body adjusts. 

My personal plan would be 7 miles per day to Lake Morena [many people do
this in one day], 10 miles per day to the Palms-to-Pines Highway, then 12
miles per day to Ca 14 [Agua Dulce]. Then, maybe 15 miles through the
Mojave.  However, even a cursory analysis of this approach means that you
will wind up stopping just before or just after a town or water. Therefore I
would allow myself to vary somewhat but would see that this general pace was
maintained. Further I would adjust my pace [slow down] to make sure that I
took no significant break oncve I entered the Sierra [Ca 178]. whatever the
indicated day to leave Kennedy Meadows turned out to be, I would adjust my
pace to walk on through Kennedy Meadows and not lose conditioning.

It is also obvious that one will spend a great deal of time in camp with
this approach. I personally would carry a Stephenson Tent and my trusty
Slinglight chair and relax and read. I would certainly carry a change of
clothes and camp shoes to make the camp time more fun. All this adds up to a
heavy pack -- sort of the reverse of the Ray Jardine thing. 

You should also know that I have never tried this and probably never will.
In particular I can't see why I would want to hike the Mojave. However, I do
plan to use this approach on a 1000 mile hike in 2002 {starting in KM]

Response to: Also, what would you carry between Kennedy and Tuolumne?
Presumably the
Nomad.

I would take the Nomad unless I thought the possibility of a late storm was
high. Frankly, I would still not rush and would limit my mileage thru the
Sierra and leave time to dry out my feet and footwear. That means I would
still carry a change of clothes and footwear and my trusty Slinglight. Since
resupply constitutes a problem througt the Sierra I would pay whatever it
took to get resupply from Cottenwood Pass, Kearsarge Pass, Muir Trail Ranch
and Mammoth. This approach will put you 2-3 days behind the pack through the
Sierra. Perfect! Let the hot dogs knock down the cornice. 

In response to: Have you done the ultra-lite tarp I've been reading about?

I hate bugs! Usually I use DEET. I find the aerosol spray actually more
weight effective than the 100% stuff because I can lightly dust my clothes.
However, on an extended hike DEET use is risky. Therefore no tarp for me.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Brennan [mailto:john@frozenpoodle.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2001 9:43 AM
To: "Reynolds WT"
Subject: PCT questions to you post


Hi,
I'm interested in finding out more about your thoughts below.  Are you
limiting your So. CA mileage to ease into the trip?  Because of the heat?
Also, what would you carry between Kennedy and Tuolumne?  Presumably the
Nomad.
Have you done the ultra-lite tarp I've been reading about?
Thanks for your insight.
John Brennan
JMT 2001; PCT 2002

<slice>
BTW I do NOT agree that the above scenerio is the best way to thruhike the
trail. I would LIMIT my mileage during the southern section and save my
body. To really do this properly I would want a comfortable camp because I
could be spending several hours a day cooling my jets.

What I would do is carry a Stephenson 3RS and a few camp niceties to Kennedy
Meadows. I would lighten my pack and up my mileage after Tolumne Meadows,
switching to a Nomad.