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[pct-l] Southbound start date (plus thoughts from last year)
Good evening,
Some people say, "Goodbye God, I'm going to Missouri!", but that is not
correct. What they really mean is, Good, by God, I'm going to Missouri!".
Ft. Leonard Wood? I spent a month at one week. Fortunately they shipped me
on to Ft. Lewis, and I fell in love with the Northwest before the tires even
chirped-down at McCord. I don't want to tell you how long ago that was, but
the plane was a Lockheed Constellation.
Steel-Eye
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob@comcast.net>
To: <dsaufley@sprynet.com>; "Pat" <athiker@cboss.com>; "Eric Allen"
<eric.allen@comcast.net>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 4:25 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Southbound start date (plus thoughts from last year)
> I was born and raised in Missouri. That was our state-wide toxic waste
dump
> (although we didn't call it that in 1961).
>
> fort Lost-in-the-woods
> aka Little Korea
> and other unprintable names for those of us unfortunate enough to do basic
> training there.
>
> Wandering Bob
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <dsaufley@sprynet.com>
> To: "Pat" <athiker@cboss.com>; "Eric Allen" <eric.allen@comcast.net>;
> <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 3:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Southbound start date (plus thoughts from last year)
>
>
> That's exactly where he's going (only he called it Fort Lost-in-the-Woods
in
> Misery)!
>
> Small world . . .
>
> -=Donna Saufley=-
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pat <athiker@cboss.com>
> Sent: Mar 17, 2005 3:43 PM
> To: dsaufley@sprynet.com, Eric Allen <eric.allen@comcast.net>,
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Southbound start date (plus thoughts from last year)
>
> Where is he going to boot camp at. My son in law is a Drill Sergent at Ft.
> Leanord Wood.
> Pat
>
>
> BTW, my son has enlisted in the Army, and leaves for boot camp April 4
> (just in time to vacate the guest house for the nobo crowd). Having
shared
> accommodations with him for a day or two, I'm sure you can appreciate the
> irony.
>
> -=Donna Saufley=-
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Allen <eric.allen@comcast.net>
> Sent: Mar 17, 2005 11:56 AM
> To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] Southbound start date (plus thoughts from last year)
>
> Just to provide a recent data point, I left Manning Park last year for a
> SOBO on July 31st. I could have easily started in early July, based on
snow
> conditions, but other personal commitments dictated the late start. I did
> make it to Campo on Nov. 20th, but I had to walk through or around snow in
> the Sierra, Tehachapi?s, San Gabriel?s, San Bernadino?s, and San Jacinto.
I
> was coming off Whitney on October 16 when the first of a series of storms
> hit SoCal.
>
> Leaving a month (or more) earlier would have made for a different hike in
> several ways:
> * I?d have felt slightly more relaxed about my chances of making it
through
> before the snows. This probably would have translated to more zeros, naps,
> and swims.
> * I?d have had more resupply options. Most of the near-trail Sierra places
> (Toulmne, Red?s, VVR, etc.) were closed for the season. Even the caf?/shop
> at Burney Falls was closed when I was there Sept. 21.
> * I?d have had more light. With the cold short days, hiking time went
down,
> bag time went up. I love my bag, but I?d rather be moving.
> * It?d have been warmer. It was freaking cold much of the time.
> * I?d have had more bugs. I touched DEET only once or twice. That?s nice.
>
> Then there?s some of the other realities of SOBO:
> * I met, though usually only briefly, most of the NOBOs. Very cool.
> * The sun is in your eyes a lot & you?re often facing the shadowy north
> faces of the mountains. My better photos were taken facing north.
> * Even if the snow comes & goes, the last place it clings is the north
> faces, so you often slog up (instead of slide down) the passes.
> * In late season, you might be alone. I personally love that. I had about
a
> 50-mile stretch in the heart of the JMT, with crisp clear weather, to
> myself. It gave me goosebumps.
> * If you?re not in a pack of folks, you just might get some undivided,
> generous attention from the beloved angels. I did, undeservedly so.
> * Late season desert is nice, but awfully brown. Flowers are rare, and the
> few snakes are real slow.
>
> Sorry for being a tad random, but I just thought I?d share. NOBO/SOBO,
it?s
> all good. It?s all incredible, in fact. I?ll probably do this trail again.
> (But first, I?m off to the CDT in May ?- this time with the sun at my
back.)
>
> savant
>
>
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