[pct-l] RE: Trail towns

[john@frozenpoodle.com (John Brennan)]

>Can anyone who has thru hiked the PCT provide a list of the best trail
>towns to take a layover day?
--
Neil,
Sometimes how you are feeling, what the weather's been doing, angels you
meet along the way, or who you are hiking with will determine where you take
a zero.  You can still plan them, but stay flexible for maximum enjoyment.

Here's a lean list of town stops:
-Big Bear City (This seemed to be the first big place where most people
stopped in S. CA)
-Agua Dulce (Jeff & Donna Saufly in S. CA.  You might consider two days
here.)
-Kennedy Meadows [Gateway to the Sierra.  Rest up, eat and find out who'll
be around you in the Sierra. (There are two Kennedy Meadows.  This is the
southern one.)]
-Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR) (A great place to regroup and eat and spend
$.)
-South Lake Tahoe (Get off at Echo Lake/Echo Summit, Highway 50?)
-Dunsmuir near Castella (N. CA) (hard hitch)
-Ashland (S. OR)
-Cascade Locks (OR/WA border)
-Stehekin (Last stop in WA)(Split the room)

Add these towns if you have more days:
-ADZPCTKO at Lake Morena (Hike one day and take a layover day.  What a way
to start.)
-I heard that there are some great trail angels in Burney.  I didn't meet
them, but everybody raved this year.
-Etna was a great stop.  The hitch could be hard, but we had no problem.
Stay at the Hiker Hut at Alderbrook Manor (888) 780-0283 or(530) 467-3917.
-I didn't have a favorite mid-Washington stop.  Others may have input to
help you decide between White Pass, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish.  I took zeros
in each.

Additionally, here's some great towns to spend a night at:
-Warner Springs-split a room and enjoy the hot pool early in the trip.
-Chester - It's very near the halfway point, but not mentioned in the data
book.  Nice central town.
-Quincy -Breeze through Belden and spend your time in Quincy instead.

The towns are weighted to the south.  That's when I found I benefited more
from zero-mile days on a S->N hike.

John B./Cupcake
http://www.cupcakewalk.com