[pct-l] hiking bits of the pct

[kraig.mottar at verizon.net (Kraig Mottar)]

In my training.... I've stumbled upon a great system. This works with running, hiking, weights, anything.
Increase, and the just do it philosophy. In hiking/walking I started out with minutes. Now I'm ready to go beyond minutes. Though, minutes are a good way to go if you do it everyday. Just as you graduate beyond minutes, you have to do it every other day, every week, or month. I think I will graduate to hours or half hours.

The closest access to the PCT is probably Big Bear. Graduating beyond minutes, I want to put more planning into is, other than just walking 30 or 40 or 50 minutes down the road.

Maybe I'll start hiking hours of the PCT. Any ideas or advice?
Though, if I start the PCT from Big Bear, I should probably wait for it to melt, it must be cold up there, though, I'd welcome more snow, as I like to ski, but that's probably not going to happen. Though, the snow that I see there is still there, it must be cold up there.

Is hiking solitary advisable? Any advice on doing this. I guess there might be communication considerations. Cell phones probably don't work. A 2-way FM radio would be nice, but I don't have a ham license. Is it possible to let a ranger know you're up there so that days or weeks later someone still sees that you're still alive?
I've seen discussion of bear canisters, and no, I'm not going to start an argument; are they always required? As I see it they are unneccessary for hikes lasting day up to only a week.

I guess that's it, I look forward to feedback on this.

Kraig