Re: [pct-l] Questions about the John Muir Trail

[ROYROBIN@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/28/99 9:25:31 PM EST, DrakeMcD@aol.com writes:

<<  ... counterbalance bearbagging is totally ineffective on most of
 the JMT.  Is this true?   He recommends using bear resistant food canisters.
 Are these canisters big enough to hold 8 days of food (enough to get me to my
 resupply stop)?  Do you have to chain the canisters to trees so that bears
 wouldn't drag them off in their attempt to open the canister?

+ Pretty smart bears up there.  Either use a cannister or stealth camp.  No
guarantees.  We counterbalanced and had one incident near Glen Aulen, just
north of Tuolumne Meadows.  Didn't lose any groceries, but Yogi knew all about
hanging food and how to get to it.  No need to pack a chain, but a good idea
(from someone on this list) is to paint the cannister orange or yellow so
it'll be easier to find if it wanders off.       
 
<<  Does anyone know if the following campsites are open: Shadow lake and
 Grouse Meadow.  When you're hiking the JMT and the campsite you had planned
to
 stay at is closed (and the next campsite is many miles away), what do you do?

+  Find a comfortable rock, away from the crowd.  The last place you want to
camp on the JMT is where the bears are used to making their nightly rounds.   
 
 <<  On the JMT is treating stream water with iodine sufficient or do I need
to
 lug around a water filter?  

+  Personally, I prefer a filter to the taste of iodine.  On a long hike
(months), I would be concerned about iodine buildup in the system.  In the
high country, where the water supply is running directly off the snowpack, I
don't bother filtering it.  Again, no guarantees.   
 
<<  Is the JMT well marked?  Will I be spending a lot of time figuring out
 where the proper trail is?

+  Very well marked.  In places, the boot and hoof traffic has worn the path a
foot deep or more.  In the interest of those who will follow, try to walk on
rock or where the damage has already been done.  
 
 <<   I'm traveling alone.  Will I have any major problem with stream
crossings
 this year?

+  So far, the snowpack has been at or a little below normal.  That doesn't
mean you can't get yourself killed by being foolish.  Find a place where it's
safe to cross.  If you're alone, this adds a risk factor.  On the JMT its not
usually a long wait for someone to come along who can keep an eye on you (and
vice versa) while you cross.  By mid- to late-July, the streams should be
pretty tame compared to early- to mid-June.        
 
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================