[pct-l] Thru-hiker on Hwy 74 (Pines to Palm)

[eyakel at earthlink.net (Eric Yakel)]

I met up with George and his wife (can't pronounce her name) near Lost
Valley
Spring on Thursday.  They are from Switzerland and may be the first
thru-hikers
on the trail.  They looked like they were prepared for the snow and were
having
a good time.  He did mention it was kind of hot which I thought was funny
because
it was only 68 degrees according to my watch.  Donna, they said they would
be
coming to your place, so look for them in about 3-4 weeks.  Eric
----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda jeffers" <gottago@lindajeffers.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 8:31 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Thru-hiker on Hwy 74 (Pines to Palm)


> While driving from LA to Palm Springs I detoured up very windy Hwy 243 to
> Idyllwild hoping to find a hiker or two.
>
>
>
> Stopping in at the newly renovated Idyllwild Forest Service Office I was
> told that no hikers had come into town as of yet. I was informed that
hikers
> would encounter 3-4 feet of snow (if not more) on the PCT and that a bit
of
> snow was expected to fall tonight. In Idyllwild (around 5000') it was
about
> 55 degrees but quite windy. The ranger recommended snow shoes for the snow
> in the mountains.
>
>
>
> After driving around town a bit (before checking out the boot store!), I
> headed for Palm Springs. On Hwy 74, as I drove past the southbound road to
> Anza, I spotted a lone hiker in the distance hiking along the south side
of
> the road westward, not far from where the PCT crosses Hwy 74. Yippee.
>
>
>
> I pulled over and asked where the thru-hiker named Bob (Yom Tom) was
headed.
> He said to Anza. But later changed his mind and took me up on an offer to
> drive him into Palm Springs. He really didn't know what to do about
> continuing his hike because of the high levels of snow in the San Jacinto
> Range. He mentioned taking some time off and flipping heading southbound
> from the northern border. As Bob lives in San Diego he was going to call
his
> wife to come pick him up.
>
>
>
> Bob had thru-hiked the PCT back in the mid 80's with some college friends.
> On this hike he said that the weather had been ok from the border
> (successfully weathering a couple of rainy days sleeping under his tarp)
> until a day or two ago when high gusting winds made standing upright
> difficult.
>
>
>
> Bob took a zero in Mt Laguna completing the Campo to Hwy 74 section in 8
> days. He said that he is going much lighter than he did when he hiked the
> PCT the first time in the 80's. I believe his base weight is 12 pounds. He
> looks like a very seasoned, strong hiker.
>
>
>
> Bob had seen some weekend backpackers around Mt. Laguna but had only seen
> two other thru-hikers - two girls with heavy packs that he believed where
a
> day behind him. Bob said that they were going to brave the trail through
the
> snow.
>
>
>
> Meeting Bob was great fun for me. After dropping him off at a motel in
Palm
> Springs, I wondered what he would decide to do. Decisions! Always
decisions.
>
>
>
> Gottago
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> pct-l mailing list
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> unsubscribe or change options:
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>