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[pct-l] Class of 1970



Good morning, Switchback,

I was on the PCT in '70, but I won't contest your claim on that year because
I prefer to be the Grand High Omnipotent Guru of PCT-65.  Unfortunately, the
PCT wasn't officially born until late '68 so I guess I'm out of luck.  What
I had been tromping around on was the old Oregon Skyline Trail that was
incorporated into the PCT.  I had been on portions of what is now the PCT
since '61, but I best remember '65.  That summer during college years I
earned a few bucks . a very few, $1.93 per hour actually . working for the
Chemult District of the Winema National Forest on an engineering crew.
Among other things, we surveyed the realignment of a road from Hwy 97 near
Chemult, up to Miller Lake just northeast of Mt. Thielsen.  There had been a
primitive road for years, but the flat-landers couldn't hack it with their
RVs so it was brought up to recreational road standards.

On weekends that summer I hiked around Crater Lake and Mt. Thielsen.  I
climbed Thielsen once, and that is the most satisfying mountain I have ever
been up.  Often, mountain summits are sort of rounded-off, and maybe an acre
or so in size, but not Thielsen!  There is literally not enough room to park
a VW up there, and it is hand-over-hand the last 50 feet or so, with very
great exposure.  As a lightening rod, L-Rod is an amateur compared to
Thielsen.  The rocks on the peak are covered with patches of what looks like
obsidian as the result of fused rock from lightening strikes.

We had keys to the Forrest Service gate locks, so one day we snuck my pickup
into the Crater Lake NP on a little side road from the east until we got to
the Rim Road, and we spent all day hiking.  One hike was up Mt. Scott, which
is a few miles east of Rim Road, and has a great view down onto the whole
Crater Lake area.  By the way, the May 2005 issue of Reader's Digest
magazine has a feature article on what they claim are the five best hikes in
America.  No. 1 is the AT.  No. 4 is the 2.5-mile walk up Mt. Scott.
Baloney!  It's just an interesting day-hike.  Nothing else on, or around,
the PCT made the cut.  After that high perspective from Mt. Scott we hiked
down from the rim to the edge of the lake for the low perspective.  The only
problem with the day was, when we tried to leave the park through the north
checkpoint they asked to see our tickets.  Bummer.  As it turned out we
wouldn't have had to sneak in anyway.  Since we worked for the USFS it was
free.

One weekend, I had someone drop me off at the Diamond Lake trailhead and I
hiked north past Thielsen up to the side trail that goes east from the PCT
down to Miller Lake where my ride met me again.  That shuttle service cost
me after-work beer for a week.

One lasting impression of that area in June and early July is of the
mosquitoes, and trying to concentrate on reading a surveying instrument to
1/100 of a foot through a black cloud of them.  I logged data in a book with
a plastic mechanical pencil, and in a week the DEET from my hands would eat
through the plastic enough that the pencil would break.  The thought of
slathering that stuff on my skin bothered me at the time, but there was no
question about whether I would use it.

Anyway, enjoy your rein as Primo-70.

Steel-Eye


"If you get lost it will be on ground between two adjoining maps...printed
at different scales."
- Universal Military Quotes, Comments, and Axioms


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Hiker97@aol.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Cc: <carolwbruno@yahoo.com>; <J.Hannah@marelich.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 7:15 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Class of 1970


> I am officially declaring myself president of the Class of 1970.
> Thank you for your support.  Your friend, Switchback