Re: [pct-l] PCT Maps

[Ben Schifrin <benschif@sonnet.com>]

Well, I drew many of the "barely adequate" maps that you mentioned in 
the PCT guidebook, and I'm not even a little bit offended by your 
characterization-- I hate 'em.

I have always been amazed that anyone would feel secure enough to 
hike the trail using only those maps (though most do). I am not 
surprised that so many have made route-finding errors, while relying 
on them.

What surprises me more, however, is why anyone would want to hike 
without a full set of topos-- don't you want to know what you're 
looking at? Don't you want to know how to bail out, if a big storm 
hits? Don't you want a sturdy piece of paper to write your journal 
on, or to sketch the sunrise over the shoulder of Glacier Peak? I 
consider another 4 ounces of maps to be an indispensable addition to 
my politically-incorrect overweight pack.

I'm going to re-hike the Oregon PCT this summer (after a 27-year 
hiatus), and I just happily ordered 4 times as many topos as we used 
in '73 (used 15-minute quads, then, some from 1947)-- I can't wait to 
start daydreaming about the terrain! ...and planning for another 
"incorrect" overweight pack, laden with all those topos, plus a 
wildflower guide, Oregon history books, a climber's guide, a fly rod 
and my (then) 1-year-old daughter. (I'll make my wife carry the poopy 
diapers, as pennance!)

>
>	I was wondering if a) any PCT'ers from previous years have had good
>experiences with better maps than what's in the guidebooks, and b) if any
>of them were interested in selling any used-but-legible maps.
>	On a completely unrelated note, I was wondering if there 
>existed anywhere
>a roster of people who plan on thru-hiking in 2000.  Getting pretty excited
>about the hike-- less than five months now!
>
>Ezra Freeman
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* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

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