[pct-l] Re: Section D Expedition After Action Report

[hiker97 at aol.com (hiker97@aol.com)]

Thanks Jack.  Sorry I missed you too.  Rattlesnake and I went back up to Wrightwood today (Saturday) though the Pine Canyon Hwy.  We went out on Swagartard (?) Canyon dirt road to the PCT to see if any water cashe was there.  There was none.  But we got to see the trail.  Also, went down by the I15 PCT intersection to see that too.  I was surprised how long the tunnel is under I15 and that it curved.
 
Then we went riding on some dirt roads on the other side of I15 and found the PCT again.  Lots of fun to go PCT bagging in Ratttlesnake's air conditioned truck with lots of ice water. 
 
Cheers, Switchback
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Cain <jackcain70@hotmail.com>
To: hiker97@aol.com
Sent: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 09:04:38 -0700
Subject: RE: Section D Expedition After Action Report


Sorry I wasn't around. I am in Long Beach visiting my daughter for a few days. I will be back in Wrightwood sometime next week.
Jack Cain





>From: hiker97@aol.com
>To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>CC: carolwbruno@yahoo.com, rattlesnake5648@yahoo.com, jackcain70@hotmail.com,        dsaufley@sprynet.com
>Subject: Section D Expediton After Action Report
>Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:13:45 -0400
>
>Well, I went up to Wrightwood to see about the Acorn trail up to the PCT and an attempt over to Cajon Pass.  I made almost up to the PCT before I could tell my water was not going hold up to Cajon Pass.  The problem was humidity.  I was leaking water by the tons through sweat.  I had just under 8 liters with me.  By the way, the timer for drinking, umbrella, SunPrecautions clothing, etc., all worked great.  Thank god I have all the other bases covered.
>
>The only chance I had was to have special water for just the Acorn Trail and then water for the PCT.  Live and learn.  Jack Cain had mentioned in an email to freeze some water bottles, so you can have cold/cool water from the trailhead.  Very smart idea.  I needed about 4 more bottles than the one cold 16 ounce bottle I had.
>
>So, my choice was go ahead and dehydrate and die or turn around and go back down to Wrightwood and Victorville to party.  I thought about it for awhile and then decided to retreat.  Wrightwood is a neat place.  You can easily get a nice home there for $250 per square foot.  Lots of small and large places.
>
>The only people I saw on the trail was a husband/wife team running to the PCT and back.  They live on Acorn Drive going up to the trailhead.  I had a pleasant conversation with the wife on the way down as she was behind her husband by about 10 minutes and stopped to walk with me.  There is a "No Trespass" sign about a third of a mile from the trailhead on Acorn Drive.  But my wife dropped my off at the trailhead.  No extra walking for me.
>
>As soon as I got down to the trailhead and the street I walked about 100 feet and some guys were out on a driveway.  They immediately asked me if I needed a ride.  One gave me a ride down to the Grizzly Cafe (about 1.5 miles (?) away on Hwy 2).  He was the town historian and gave me a mini tour.  Really cool.
>
>I had stopped by the hardware store to sign the register before I started my hike.  After the Grizzly Cafe tuna melt (one of the best tuna melts on rye bread I have ever had and I eat these all the time) I went over to the hardware store to call local trail angels to see if I could be put up.  No one home.  Rattlesnake arrived from Victorville to rescue me.  We went driving around the Victorville area Friday evening.  He is a field project manager for a very large industrial complex and a new power plant being built.  Very interesting tour.  Lots of fun.
>
>So, here I am in the Victorville Ramada Inn on Saturday morning giving you my latest adventure report.  Rattlesnake and I are going party all day and goof off.  We will meet my wife early Sunday morning for breakfast at the Marie Calendar in Victorville.  Any of you around come over and join us.
>
>My next expedition will be to Mt. Whitney.  I plan on failing on that trail too and partying in Lone Pine and Bishop.  But I will give it my best shot.  This is fun.
>
>Your intrepid hiking buddy, Switchback
>Survivor of the Very Steep, Hot, Humid Acorn Trail
>