[pct-l] Scissors Crossing phobia

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

I can sympathize.

When I "hit" Scissors Crossing, I had spent 6 hours hiking from
Cuyamaca, down into Oriflame and around Iron Mountain in the first heat
wave of the year (early Spring). The trail down into the canyon was
steep, deeply rutted and covered with fist sized loose rocks. By the
time I got to the water tank, I was worked.

I could see Scissors from the trail just past the water tank and, as it
was still before noon, I was heartened by the sight. Just within a
spittin' distance across the Borrego! Or so I thought...

The trail doesn't just `round Iron Mountain, it practically
circumnavigates it (hyperbole here)! The trail actually starts to add
distance between you and the Crossing before it heads toward it. And
then when it finally does head toward the road (and that blessed water
cache!), it's a slog through deep desert sand...

The temps were around 105 when I stumbled across The Borrego. It was 3pm
when I got to Scissors. After 16 miles of difficult walking down the
canyon and across the desert, I took one look up the switchbacks of the
San Felipes and my body refused to go further. My plan was to at least
get up to the ridge of the hills and find one of the small perches to
camp on that I was told about. There wasn't a chance that I was getting
further than across the highway to beg a ride from some off-roaders back
to my truck at Barrel Spring.

I didn't want to do the San Felipes in another 100+ degree day, so I
camped at Barrel and hooked up with Cpt. Bivy for a walk from Warner
back to Barrel the next day.

But if you started at Scissors fresh, the San Felipes can be done easily
in a day! If you're not a purist, you could slack pack to Barrel Spring
from Scissors!

When I finally got back to Scissors and crossed the San Felipes, I did
it in two days, camping at 3rd Gate. I could have easily kept going, but
I had the one weekend to do it and I needed two consecutive days to make
it to highway 74. I wouldn't recommend camping at 3rd Gate. It ain't
pretty and it's like a cat litter box around there...


Michael Saenz ,  Associate Partner
McLarand    Vasquez    Emsiek   &   Partners,   Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e  |  P l a n n i n g  |  I n t e r i o r s
MVE          MVE    Institutional         MVE    S t u d i o
w  w  w   .   m  v  e   -   a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s   .   c  o m

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Alan L
Nelson
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 3:43 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Cc: aln@skypoint.com
Subject: [pct-l] Scissors Crossing phobia


Hi All, let me explain.

I have this phobia about Scissors Crossing (S.C.)  In 1999 I was a
northbound PCT hiker who got his butt kicked in the heat of So. Cal.  By
the time I got to S.C., I took a nice detour to Julian to get out of the
heat.  Problem is - that I got seduced back into the real world after
calling back home and commiserating about the heat out in wacky
California (I hail from Minnesota.)

So I never got any further than S.C.  In 2004 I had planned on resuming
the trek from S.C. but got cold feet at the last moment.  Really cold
feet - as in the last moment before heading out to the airport. So I
never went.

On many business trips out to So.Cal., I'd drive out to S.C. and do some
exploring.
I'd tell myself that it would be easy to start again (in the future)
given that I'd be starting out "fresh" with lots of water and a new
attitude.  But the phobia remains.

(On one trip in July - I stood outside my car on highway 87 and marveled
at the heat.
If I stood into the wind - the front of my shirt was blown dry but the
back side was immediately soak in perspiration.  If I turned around, my
back would dry and my front would get soaked. Now THAT is what I call
HOT!)

So my question to the good folks on the PCT-L:  What do you think about
me doing a southbound mini-snippet hike from Warner Springs to S.C. just
to get this phobia out of the way ... and then return some other year to
start anew at Warner Springs?

I'm picking a southbound direction because downhill always seems easier
than uphill.
Please confirm that I'm reading my topos correctly.  :-)

If I were to do this, what months in the Spring and/or Fall would you
recommend?

Thanks for all your input.

-Al "album" Nelson



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