[pct-l] Scissors Crossing phobia

[scourtway at bpa-arch.com (Steve Courtway)]

One potential strategy is to just GO FOR IT MAAAAN !!!!.......the key to 
scissor's in hot weather is get an EARLY start - wait out the heat midday, 
then finish the miles (or most of them) in the evening.  It's only a 23 mile 
proposition.

Your tester trip in July just reaffirmed your fears, going earlier in the 
season you've got a better chance of cool weather.

Hiking southbound in hot conditions could be just as daunting as 
NOBO......it's a long climb out of Barrel Spring to the summit of the S.C. 
trail in shadeless conditions.  -   Your proposed strategy could just 
reafirm your scissor's crossing funk and ruin that section for you 
forever....

Steve in San Diego.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan L Nelson" <aln@skypoint.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Cc: <aln@skypoint.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 3:43 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Scissors Crossing phobia


>
> Hi All, let me explain.
>
> I have this phobia about Scissors Crossing (S.C.)  In 1999 I was a 
> northbound PCT hiker
> who got his butt kicked in the heat of So. Cal.  By the time I got to 
> S.C., I took a
> nice detour to Julian to get out of the heat.  Problem is - that I got 
> seduced back
> into the real world after calling back home and commiserating about the 
> heat out
> in wacky California (I hail from Minnesota.)
>
> So I never got any further than S.C.  In 2004 I had planned on resuming 
> the trek
> from S.C. but got cold feet at the last moment.  Really cold feet - as in 
> the last
> moment before heading out to the airport. So I never went.
>
> On many business trips out to So.Cal., I'd drive out to S.C. and do some 
> exploring.
> I'd tell myself that it would be easy to start again (in the future) given 
> that I'd be starting
> out "fresh" with lots of water and a new attitude.  But the phobia 
> remains.
>
> (On one trip in July - I stood outside my car on highway 87 and marveled 
> at the heat.
> If I stood into the wind - the front of my shirt was blown dry but the 
> back side was
> immediately soak in perspiration.  If I turned around, my back would dry 
> and my front
> would get soaked. Now THAT is what I call HOT!)
>
> So my question to the good folks on the PCT-L:  What do you think about me 
> doing a
> southbound mini-snippet hike from Warner Springs to S.C. just to get this 
> phobia out
> of the way ... and then return some other year to start anew at Warner 
> Springs?
>
> I'm picking a southbound direction because downhill always seems easier 
> than uphill.
> Please confirm that I'm reading my topos correctly.  :-)
>
> If I were to do this, what months in the Spring and/or Fall would you 
> recommend?
>
> Thanks for all your input.
>
> -Al "album" Nelson
>
>
>
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