[pct-l] PCT - Mission Creek update

[jas8313 at adelphia.net (JAMES)]

Here is a update from "The British Trail Blazers" who arrived in Big Bear 
tonite - Wednesday 5-4. - James

Thanks for that and for posting the fuller ridge update. We've heard that 
sierras will be getting another foot of snow over the next 2 days! I've not 
heard of anyone following us over fuller, although one solo hiker waited 
half a day at the trailhead in the hope someone else would come thorugh to 
pair with, but when there was nobody, had to roadwalk round.
We're still relatively close to the front of the hiking group (about 12 
ahead of us), but the lead group has expanded considerably as people skip 
around idyllwild. A fair number of people have hitched or road-walked around 
Idyllwild; we've met the other people who hiked fuller ridge ahead of us - 
turns out there were 4 of them, but they skipped a short part of it (went 
into idyllwild by devils slide, came out on deer springs) so AFAIK we're the 
only people to have hiked the trail completely thus far. Some people skipped 
all the way from before idyllwild to cabazon.
Mission Creek was the toughest section of trail so far - washed out, few 
bridges, and we (& everone else!) got lost for ages and had to bushwhack. 
There's a trail crew in there at present so it should improve soon. Snow 
after that was pretty easy (we felt) but others have reported it as 
challenging.
The snow hysteria continues amongst hikers on the trail - it's like living 
on the PCT list at times! We try and avoid most of it. Many people are 
planning to flipflop. We're still planning to go straight through. The 
crampons worked like a dream - we can certainly do 70degree slopes in them 
(Not that I'd recommend anyone tries it!)
Next stop Agua Dulce (currently in big bear) - will resupply at Cajon pass 
rather than trying to get into wrightwood; I hear Hwy2 is closed.
Cheers for now, 
Dave

James from Southern California