[pct-l] Re: pct-l-digest V1 #769

[Carl Mears <carl@remss.com>]

Hi Matt

We hiked CA in '97, and were pretty close to your schedule around Kennedy
Meadows.


>          If we start at Tehachapiaround June 20 we will get to the high
>Sierra in early July.  How much snow should we expect?  We have ice axes,
>will we need them in July? Will it be too early to climb Mt. Whitney?

We left Kennedy meadows something like June 27, met some friends, and ended
up climbing Langley on July 2.  It was mostly snow free.  We then left the
trail for a week (so my partner could take her medical boards!), and
continued north from horseshoe meadows on something like the 10th.  We used
running shoes (we made sure they actually had a tread pattern), and carried
no axes. The only place an axe would have been nice was crossing the chute
on the south side of Forrester Pass, and this was only for 3 somewhat
steps.  If you're going this
year, there's less snow south of Mammoth/Red's Meadow than in '97.  I
skiied the East Side two weeks ago, and there was little snow below 9000.

Also, most of the section from Tehachapi to Walker Pass is DESERT, not
mountains, even though it look like mountains on the maps.  Think Joshua
Trees and off-road vehicles.  20 miles between water is typical.  
>
>        Also, I am having a little trouble figuring out the best plan to
>resupply by mail after Kennedy Meadows through sections H & I, any thoughts
>would be helpful.

The hike out to Horseshoe meadows is much easier, but it's a LONG way from
Horseshoe Meadows to Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR), so I would resupply
over Kearsarge Pass and Onion valley, and then go to VVR.  This is still a
ways. (I think we took seven days)  VVR should not be missed!  Note --
there are no bear boxes on the east side of Kearsarge Pass (Onion Valley),
and there are many many hungry, very clever bears.  I recommend camping at
Kearsarge Lakes, and hiking over and out in the morning.  On the way back
in, make sure you get over the pass to camp.  I would not attempt a stealth
camp in this vicinity, unless it's WAY stealth, like on the top of a very
large, technical peak or something.

>
>        We plan to mail our food until we reach the Tahoe area, then take a
>short break to resupply for the rest of the trip.  Any suggestions on a good
>place to to stop near Tahoe where we could purchase a lot of food?

I'd go into South Lake Tahoe.  There's a large grocery store walking distance
from the Hiker-Friendly motel on the strip along Highway 50.  I forgot the
name of the motel (Sunset something??), but they will come fetch you at
Echo Lake, just north of Highway 50.  Added Bonus -- all you can eat at the
Casinos!

There's also big grocery stores in Truckee, east of Soda Springs at I-80. 
Hitching is good in that area in the winter -- I'm not sure what it would
be like in the summer.  
>
>        Also this sounds like a strange question, but can anyone suggest a
>natural stopping point for our trip?  As I said we want to do a long trip
>+/- 1000 miles, the exact distance does not matter but it would be nice to
>have a goal as a place to finish.

It must something like a thousand miles to Seiad Valley.  A most excellent
place to end, and have a few beers at the Wildwood Cafe!  And start
regaining all the lost weight by eating all those Pancakes.  Plus, you
don't want to miss the Trinity's, the Russians and the Marbles.  We stopped
here, hitched to the coast and down to the Bay Area.  This took two days,
and I think we were lucky with rides.  Probably easier to hitch to I-5 and
catch a bus, but we had a dog with us.

Hope this helps.  

-Carl Mears




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