[pct-l] 100 mile race on the PCT

[mardav@charter.net (Marion Davison)]

Last weekend we decided to do an easy 20 mile loop, with the first half
on the PCT.  So here we are hiking southbound from Three Points to
Little Rock Creek on the Angeles Crest (D8-D7) with our three llamas. 
Headed northbound, from Wrightwood to Oak Grove Park in Pasadena, are
about 150 people competing in a (gulp) 100 mile footrace on the PCT. 
What they call an ultramarathon.  The first runner passed us about 11:40
and the second came along 20 minutes later.  I was told they had 13
hours to do 100 miles with 22,000 feet of elevation gain.  Yoikes!
  
 The first 40 or so runners were really focused and seemed to barely
notice us, but some of the later ones were pretty amusing.  One said,
"Do you take Visa for one of these llamas?  Another muttered to me as he
passed me at the end of our line "Those were llamas I just saw, weren't
they?"  I assured him he wasn't hallucinating, yet.  
    
We were hiking between the 35 mile and the 25 mile mark of this race and
were still being passed by runners at 4 PM ( they had to finish by 6 PM)
so obviously there were some who entered without ever having the
intention of finishing, but hey, they had already run a marathon by the
time they got to us!  One of the last ones we met wondered why he'd ever
taken up this sport when he could be golfing instead.  

We returned to Three Points by going through Buckhorn camp on the
Burkhardt Trail, and taking the Mt. Waterman trail all the way back to
Three Points.  I highly recommend this loop route as a weekend 20 mile
shakedown overnight or day hike for So. Cal hikers.  I am sure it would
be even better in the Spring when the falls are running on Copper
Creek.  There is still a good amount of water flowing in Little Rock
Creek, much to our amazement. There are one or two tiny campsites on
Little Rock Creek, and a very large campsite on the far side of the
creek a little ways up the Burkhardt trail, (close to the PCT junction)
heading for Buckhorn camp.  Of course none of these sites would be legal
in the Sierras, as they are too close to the water, but in the Angeles
Crest they are very typical.  
You don't need a wilderness permit but you do need an Adventure Pass to
park at any of the PCT trailhead parking areas here.   
  Any 100 mile runners who are lurking and want to comment or gripe,
have at it!  The trail is there for all of us, hikers, runners,
strollers, horse riders, and llama packers.  God bless America and the
PCTA!

Marion Davison