[pct-l] Re: Class of 2006 pre-trip training programs

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

Hi, Kathleen and Matt and future thrus!
 
There has been much interest in our training programs and we are scrambling  
to help as many aspiring thru hikers get prepared for their trip as we can at  
this point by writing emails and scheduling clinics.  Thanks for your reply  
this morning asking for more info to put up on your site. Regarding how far  
apart we are which keeps you from attending.  I would be happy to set up a  
Clinic in your area if we could work out the details.
 
Pacific Crest Builders provides clinics and trips into the backcountry to  
build your confidence and trail wisdom by teaching you the skills you'll need to 
 overcome the obstacles ahead and closely supervising how you do them so that 
 they work for you. This is totally hands-on, practical stuff.
 
We focus on making sure you are ready for your trip so it goes smoothly,  
safely, and happily by personally advising you with your pre-trip  decisions.  
Topics include snow safety, resupply, nutrition and hydration,  overexposure, 
bugs and bears, equipment and clothing, solo or group hiking,  schedule 
logistics, why you are doing it, and what you want to get out of  it.
 
Months before you leave, we offer supervised clinics and trips of varying  
lengths that allow you to test yourself at altitude in the same or worse  
conditions you may have when you get on the trail to see if you have the skills  and 
wisdom (regarding on-trail decision making) to go the distance. These  are 
called Basic Snowcamping (weekend), Deep Base Snowcamping and Mountaineering  
(4-day weekend), Trans-Sierra: The Real Deal (week long, JMT section on snow),  
and the specialized, PCT-Prep. (4-day weekend). You come with your own food 
and  gear you'll need (we help you select), as if you were heading out on your 
thru  hike, and we do the practical stuff like teach you how to do it, use it, 
cook  it, pack it, dry it, jump it, avoid it, dig it, be thankful for it, 
climb  it, descend it safely, and most of all, enjoy it so you'll revisit it the 
rest  of your life!
 
We only need to know if you are interested and approximately when you would  
like to attend.  At the moment, L-Rod's trip will be near the end of March  
which has openings.  We schedule clinics around your schedule as you don't  have 
much time left to work out the bugs in your plans.  What weekend works  best 
for you? The more students (up to a max of 10), the cheaper it is, also, so  
tell your fellow hikers.
 
We will be presenting a Trail Class on this subject at Trail Fest and at  the 
KO at Lake Morena for those future hikers not in 2006.
 
Let us know...
 
Mtnned