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[pct-l] Up date on Lost Hikers
They have so much loose rock on Vivian Creek that it could just be bad foot
placement or bad luck.
Eric
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Saenz" <msaenz@mve-architects.com>
To: <CMountainDave@aol.com>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 2:32 PM
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Up date on Lost Hikers
I heard that at least one of the fatalities WAS an experienced and equipped
hiker.
Not ever had the experience of wearing snow/ice gear, I wouldn't even WANT
to go up San G.
Heck! I'm not a big fan of the Vivian in the summer!!!
I'm a Fish Creek sort of guy ;)
On another note, I WAS on the PCT between Morena Res and Mt Laguna last
weekend.
We passed the scout troop that found the body (one of two) on the trail. We
passed them going North as they were headed South, about a couple miles
north of the 8 freeway. One of my partners talked to one of their leaders
who told him about the body. I though they said they "heard" about a body,
but my partner confirmed that they found it.
Funny thing though: the weather wasn't really that bad. It was suppose to
rain in the afternoon on Saturday, but it held off until about 7pm that
night. We retired to our tents and continued up to Mt Laguna the next day.
The rain stopped about 7:30am and by the time we ate breakfast, packed up
our wet gear and got on the trail at 10:30 am, the blue sky was peeking
through the clouds here and there. Later in the day, the sky kept getting
better and better. By the time we got to Horse Meadow, it was sunny...
And we didn't see anything out of the ordinary up to the point where we left
the PCT at Burnt Ranchiera campground.
I DID see a helicopter flying low while we were about 1/2 mile from our
finish, but that in itself didn't seem strange considering Mt Laguna has an
airfield.
So there were two... and one was partially eaten (ugh). By what could have
been a mountain lion (yikes!)
I wonder if they were illegal immigrants.... I didn't see ANY trace of
illegal immigrants from the southern terminus to Mt Laguna, except for a
couple discarded sarapes (those rug-ponchos you can buy in TJ) off the
trail, and those could have been tossed by anyone.
BIG COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT: Damn if there isn't a ton of trash on the trail
between Morena and Mt Laguna! I started to pick up bits here and there at
first, but if I picked up everything, I'd have doubled my pack weight! I
even saw a child's daypack in Long Canyon near the ford.
It was in good condition, so I left it, thinking that the owner might be
nearby. It was empty, though...
We saw everything from EMPTY WATER CONTAINERS, wrappers, beer cans, even
women's underwear!!! No kidding! There was a bra hanging from a bush and a
couple pairs of panties with some shorts and what may have been the rest of
her clothes on the trail just east of Yellow Rose Spring (there was a fork
in the trail just north of here, but I can't find it on any map).
M i c h a e l S a e n z
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e P l a n n i n g I n t e r i o r s
w w w . m v e - a r c h i t e c t s . c o m
-----Original Message-----
From: CMountainDave@aol.com [mailto:CMountainDave@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 1:52 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Up date on Lost Hikers
It would be interesting to know if any of them carried any crampons. I'm
betting not. Very few people in S. Cal would own them. Would be one of those
anticipation things, since most of them had most likely hiked those trails
before
not thinking that ice would be a problem. Gotta be versatile and anticipate
problems before hand and LISTEN when experienced rangers warn you about
potential
problems. They weren't saying not to go, but to consider the conditions.
Crampons, even instep ones, would most likely have saved their lives. But
hey,
Monday morning quarterbacking is easy
David C
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