[pct-l] Ryback

[losthiker at sisqtel.net (Deems)]

Many of the old timers from the '70s got their PCT dream inspirations from
reading Eric Ryback's 1970 book The High Adventure, me included.  In 1976 I
headed west from Indiana to hike from Seiad to Canada. I didn't make it, but
I stayed here on the Klamath and made a life. There were few books, no
internet, and no support groups to turn to 30 years ago to solve the many
intricate problems in solving a thru hike on the PCT. We read his book, got
maps, shopped REI, and took to the trail, sink or swim. Many sections of
the pct from the '70s are not included in the current trail, and some of
these old pct sections in northern California are incredible and seldom seen
today from the current interstate trail. In July 2003 I used my old 1973 PCT
guide book to find some of those hidden old pct sections in the Marbles and
Trinity Alps, and explored them. It was great.

One 30 year old Ryback riddle
I solved was Eric's campsite location looking at King's Castle at sunset
from the pct that shows up on page 105 of his hard bound book of the High
Adventure. After two great long dayhikes in July2003, where I met several
thruhikers along the Big Ridge pct section, "Stone" and "Glory" were two;
I found the campsite by lining up the distant peaks and many clues that I
could see in the photo. In the book, he is using a couple of large sticks
from the nearby forest for his tarp, and a few decomposed dry sections were
still there, 33 years later. In 2004 I saw the point on the old PCT 38N10
road on Mushroom Rock (SectionO) where you could see both Chalk Mtn and
Iron Canyon Reservoir where he camped, and mentioned on page 118.
In 2004 I also found the photo point for the marble gorge along the old pct,
now gone, along Grider creek where he took the photo on page 107. Whatever
has been written or said about Eric since paled by the feeling I felt from
finding a piece of his and my past along the pct on my local hikes.  Eric's
hike left an impression on those that followed, and the PCT for many
years to come. And there is some evidence still to be found if you look for
it....
Here are some links to those photos.
Four Photos: Three of his campsite on Big Ridge. The other of the marble
gorge on Grider Creek on page 107, hard bound book.
http://users.sisqtel.net/losthiker/pikastove/eric.jpg
http://users.sisqtel.net/losthiker/images/RybackCampBigRidge.jpg
http://users.sisqtel.net/losthiker/images/GriderRybackMarble.jpg
http://users.sisqtel.net/losthiker/images/RybackTarpStickRelic.jpg