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[pct-l] Glacier Peak bypass

Giving the low-down about the wide swaths is the least I can do for Pete Fish, Doris Peddy, Don Bennett, Jerry Stone, and Matt Maxon to name a few (some hard core Trail Gorillas and all around great folks).  I know Doris especially would appreciate your efforts toward her special trail maintenance talent, grooming.  Every time I worked with her, she trimmed all the way on the way up, and all the way on the way down. She's one of my heros.

I saw on some travel program some folks that have it all figured out (AZ or NM; can't remember).  The have a "trail work dude ranch" of sorts.  People actually pay money to spend their vacations living in spartan accommodations, doing hard physical labor out on the trail.  They not only paid money to do this, they were happy with the experience.  

-=Donna Saufley=-

-----Original Message-----
From: j rhoades <yawho_hiker@yahoo.com>
Sent: Jan 24, 2005 5:09 PM
To: dsaufley@sprynet.com, "pctl (E-mail)" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Glacier Peak bypass

Thanks for the explanation.  You won't hear any more
complaints about wide swaths out of me.  

I did some "maintain as you hike" type maintenance
(clear small limbs and rocks) during last year's trip.
 I would certainly do more if I lived near the trail
(I am in Ohio).  So I have tried to  to help out by
supporting the PCTA for several years.

Jeff

--- dsaufley@sprynet.com wrote:

> A quick comment on the width of the swath cut for
> the trail.  I had the privilege of working with Pete
> Fish's trail crew a few times this past year (and
> looking forward to doing more of the same going
> forward).  Given the small number of volunteers and
> professionals that do trail work, and the vast
> number of miles that they must keep clear and
> maintained, (and this I'm sure goes for any trail,
> anywhere) trail workers can't get back to each
> section each year to manicure the vegetation to be
> "just right." Consequently, to make it last until
> they can get there again, they have to whack it way,
> way back, or the trail will be swallowed back up
> within a year or two.
> 
> Last year, I worked (read, tried to keep up) with
> the crew in Hauser Canyon (during the ADZ).  We were
> cutting and throwing brush in a section they'd
> worked just the year before.  Already, the width of
> the branches of the new growth was a thick as the
> branches that had been cut the year before.  It's
> utterly amazing how fast and thick the underbrush
> grows.  This same crew (and some wonderful
> thru-hiker volunteers) did work up on the Sierra
> Pelona ridgeline, above Agua Dulce.  They aren't
> scheduled to come back to this section for years; so
> what they did has to last -- so it has to be
> extreme.
> 
> What's even more amazing is the amount of ground the
> trail crews have to cover -- Pete's crew of
> volunteers covers the first 750 miles of the PCT. 
> And, at least with Pete's crew, some of these folks
> are old enough to be your grandparents, and they're
> out there working their tails off (working much
> younger folks into the ground to boot!).  
> 
> How about  all those out there suffering with
> cabin-fever and miss-the-trail-itis, to find a way
> to help the trail crews, either physically or
> monetarily, this year?  The heavy storms, after
> drought and fires, have done a lot of damage, and
> any and all help would be welcomed!  Contact the
> PCTA to find the crew near you.
> 
> -=Donna Saufley=-
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: j rhoades <yawho_hiker@yahoo.com>
> Sent: Jan 24, 2005 11:55 AM
> To: Judson Brown <judson@jeffnet.org>, 
> 	"pctl (E-mail)" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Glacier Peak bypass
> 
> I took the official detour.    The first part of
> that
> route was probably the worst. Although you could see
> a
> "trail" it was a giant mudhole for  awhile.  Later
> it
> went away from Indian creek and I wasn't sure if I
> was
> on the right path.  
> 
> By the time I got  to the lower part of Indian creek
> it was quite scenic with lots of yellow fall color. 
> 
> My only complaint was that when they cut the brush
> and
> trees to clear the trail they made such a wide swath
> that you could have moved a double wide trailer
> through there.  Maybe they were making a fire break
> at
> the same time as I saw that kind of wide cutting on
> other parts of the PCT and the only thing that could
> explain it was someone wanted a firebreak.
> 
> But back to the deour:  Hiking up to Boulder Pass
> and
> down into the Napeequa River was beautiful.  I
> didn't
> have hiking poles and I couldn't see how deep the
> river was so I picked up some sturdy sticks laying
> around in case the crossing was rough.
> 
> It was a little over knee-high on me (23 inches/59
> cm).  I had no problem but the cold water numbed my
> lower legs so I kept moving to warm them up.  (This
> was mid October after some rainy days)
> 
> The trail is flat for a little while on the other
> side
> of the river and then starts going very very steeply
> up to Little Giant Pass.  I could see where I needed
> to go but I won't use the word "trail" (well maybe
> animal trail)  for this part.  From the top I
> remember
> the trail getting much better and then varying in
> quality down to Chiwawa River Road.  The Chiwawa
> River
> was wide and cold but not very deep and was easily
> crossed.
> 
> >From Chiwawa River the trail was in good condition.
> 
> Buck Creek Pass was beautiful but I didn't linger
> bacause it was snowy and cold.
> 
> So, I can say the official detour is beautiful and I
> would do it again rather than do any road walking. 
> The phlumf route also includes the Napeequa River
> Valley (and maybe more of it) but you don't get the
> pleasure of scrambling up to Little Giant Pass.   
> 
> Jeff
> 
> --- Judson Brown <judson@jeffnet.org> wrote:
> 
> > I'm curious to hear the reviews after the first
> > season of hikers doing the
> > bypass around Glacier Peak. I noticed on Yogi's
> > website that there are 2
> > possibilities: the official Forest Service detour,
> > and another suggested by
> > Jonathan at http://www.phlumf.com/pct/pctalt.htm.
> I
> > would love to here some
> > feedback on either or both of these routes. Is the
> > bushwacking on Jonathan's
> > route as intimidating as it sounds?
> > 
> > Judson
> > Ashland
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> 
> 
> 
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