[pct-l] Looking for Nor Cal/Oregon/Washinton section to hike now

[Fuzz McPherson]

I crossed the PCT today near Government Camp.  The pass on Highway 26 (elevation just about 3,900) as you head North towards Government Camp (6 miles by road to Timberline lodge and ski area, elevation 6,000 feet, Govt Camp elevation 3,850 or so) looked to have snow between the trees, enough so that I'd guess the trail is covered.  It is fairly shaded between Timothy Lake (elevation about 2,900 feet) and Government Camp.  The trail from Government Camp to Timberline (I forgot the name of it, but it is at about the same elevation as that last 6 miles up to Timberline as Government Camp to Timberline is (of course) is covered in snow.  The elevation at about Timothy Lake or so (2,900 feet) looks clear.


 



________________________________
From: Robert Mittman <robert at mittman.org>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 10:11:03 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Looking for Nor Cal/Oregon/Washinton section to hike now

My daughter and I started Section A from Campo a week ago.  We made  
it to Julian on Thursday, but found the heat too much for us and  
decided to bail for another, more temperate section.  Many thanks to  
Scout and Frodo for their gracious help getting us to, and back away  
from, the trail.  We're back home in the Bay Area now, regrouping,  
healing my blisters, and cutting 7-8 pounds off each of our base packs.

(Picking up on an earlier thread on the Kitchen Creek helicopter  
crash, we were on KC Road right when they blew up the unexploded  
ordnance on Tuesday. A ranger picked us up in his truck and dropped  
us off down an embankment across the road where we'd be sheltered.  
The blast itself was anticlimactic. And more than an hour later than  
they told us it would be.)

We're looking for advice and current information on what section to  
hike for the next 3-4 weeks, so a 300-400 mile section (I'm not  
moving too fast right now).  Frodo got info from FireFly that I copy  
below that suggests the Rim is good now, but that there's not really  
a long section open.  Any ideas??  Starting from Soda Springs, maybe?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Robert

FireFly's message:

.we've had rain to about 6500 feet w/in the last week and a half.  
The PCT is clear from Old Station to Burney Falls and for probably a  
day or maybe two beyond that.  From Red's Mt. to Ash Camp, further  
north toward Castle Crags St. Pk. is probably still snowed in because  
of the last rain/snow that came thru and the east/north facing  
slopes.  The trail from Belden to Old Station reaches 7000 feet  
somewhere, I believe, again, I doubt it's open yet, tho I'll try to  
check w/ Drakesbad to see what's happening there.  This would be a  
good time to hike the Rim, in fact, I have a hiker coming in tomorrow  
from ID. to do just that.  Problem is that there's no bail out point  
beyond Burney Falls, so even tho the trail might be open for another  
day or even two, if it becomes blocked w/ snow, hikers either  
backtrack or they bushwhack thru the snow east to Hwy 89.  Hikers who  
found themselves in that position in '06 said it was tough.  Don't  
know what it's like beyond Castle Crags, but a small system came thru  
just north of us yesterday and today...we got sprinkled on, don't  
know the freezing level, but that area probably got more moisture  
than we did here.  At the same time, it's supposed to reach 105  
degrees in Redding in the next day or two.  Go figure.
But...the Rim is very doable at the moment, so depending on how long  
a section they want to do......


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