[pct-l] Can you do it in 4?

[hshires at jps.net (henry shires)]

I highly second Roy's suggestion.  Evening on the PCT is fabulous.  The
light is magical and the air is comfortably cool.  Stealth camping abounds
and when you do set up camp you're done.  The "dessert" hour or two after
dinner was my favorite part of the day and the miles felt almost sinfully
free.

-H


> Message: 36
> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 23:31:00 EST
> From: ROYROBIN@aol.com
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Can you do it in 4?
> To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <da.167da8f.2d3a1484@aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> One way to get "easy" miles, as most thruhikers eventually figure out, is to
> add one or two hours of hiking after dinner.  This has many advantages over
> hiking till dark without significant breaks.  You cook and clean up while it's
> still light.  You hike that last hour or two feeling well-rested instead of
> dogs tired.  You aren't camping where you cooked, a plus in bear country.  You
> don't have to camp near water or in established campsites (stealth camping).
> 
> In hot or dry stretches, do your cooking at any water source even if it means
> having dinner at 10 AM.
> 
> Those two to four "free" miles each day can get you to Manning Park two to
> four weeks earlier than if you just cooled your heels after dinner.
> _____
> 
> In a message dated 1/14/04 4:49:14 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> chwillet@indiana.edu writes:
> 
>> On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 barclayb@comcast.net wrote:
>> 
>>> So my real question, as a pct 2004 thru hiker who plans to attend Boston
>> University in the fall as a grad student (and who therefore has to return by
>> September), is:  can I really do the whole thing in 4 months?