[pct-l] Help. Southern CA December hiking.

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

For some strange reason, the PCT from the Southern Terminus to Mt Laguna
is freaking cold in December and January. I did Morena to Mt Laguna in
January and wore a jacket while hiking and had to put on every layer I
had while camped at Cibbetts Flat. Southern California, in general is
quite pleasant in the winter, but this stretch, in particular, can be
very cold even during the day! Expect snow around Mt Laguna.

Hiking down into The Borrego and through the San Felipes, however, could
be delightful during the relatively low temps of winter. Water should be
more plentiful as well.

Expect snow in the San Jacintos. Crampons are recommended on Fuller
Ridge when it's iced and snowed over.

Crossing the Banning Pass (I-10) would be better than trying to do it
now, where triple digit temps are the norm (though there are a few crazy
section hikers who contemplate doing this.....eh, Mindreader?).

>From San Gorgonio Wilderness until you begin the drop into Agua Dulce,
expect snow with the exception of crossing the I-15 at the Cajon Pass
(but the freeway shuts down sometimes because of snow as well). Along
the higher ridgelines above Wrightwood and in the San Gabriels, the ice
and snow can become dangerous too.

If you could hop-scotch to the desert portions in the winter, you'll
miss the oppressive heat that kicks up as early as late March. We had a
heat wave to kick off the herd this year just as they had to get past
Scissors Crossing. It was brutal.

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: Kurtz, Jerid [mailto:c-jekurtz@state.pa.us] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 12:01 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Help. Southern CA December hiking.

I'm a potential member of the 2005 PCT thruhiker class. I hiked the AT
in 2003 and over the summer of 2004 I am serving as a Ridgerunner for
the southern PA section of the AT. 

In May I will graduate from college allowing my first possible date to
start from Campo around May 16th. Because I don't want to be chasing the
pack the entire summer and trying to avoid the snows up north, I am
considering doing a large section of the PCT during my December-January
break from college. I am curious if conditions from Campo to near Big
Bear City are too extreme and cold to allow winter hiking. I have been
tentatively thinking about trying to get between 200-300 miles in during
December and January so that I could start near Big Bear, or farther
north, when I get out to the trail for the duration of the summer come
May. Any help or advice in this area would be much appreciated.

-Butta'
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