[pct-l] Vermilion, Silver Pass, Goodale Pass

["Pete Asprey" <pete@asprey.net>]

Just spent 6 great nights on the section of PCT/JMT trail north of Lake
Thomas Edison (Vermilion Valley Resort). Trail is dry (even a bit dusty in
parts <g>), weather was beautiful (frost at night above 9500 feet).  Re
earlier post about a dearth of animals.  My partner from New Mexico
commented on that too.  We saw:  1 bear (2 miles above Edison Lake), 1 deer,
2 marmots, 1 fox--in 6 days.  This is not much (OTOH, ate fish EVERY night
and some mornings).  I now use trekking poles, and they make more noise than
I'm used to, so maybe I scared them all away.  Still, seems like Greg Hummel
may be right...fewer animals.

There was a nasty hard snow bank covering a steep trail interconnect from
grassy lake to goodale pass.  Very dangerous without at least trek poles to
anchor steps.  All else was easy.

Finally, my partner brought a "backpacker oven" along.  Never used one
before, but had bacon bit/jalapeno/powdered egg corn bread...so good I'd buy
it from a bakery (and brownies another night).  Only down, is 25 minute burn
of my whisperlight.  We had two large and one small gas bottle, and used
about a small one each day, returning with an inch in the bottom...phew.
The bottom of the oven is also a good teflan fry pan with a tight fitting
lid--about 2 pounds, I'd guess, for the kit.  Also, a note of warning.  My
water filter broke (I mean the internal thrust rod BROKE) on the second day.
Thankfully, I ALWAYS carry iodine tabs in my emergency kit.  Even more
thankfully, shopping for friend's fishing license at Walmart, I noticed a
new (to me, anyway) variant:  Two bottles, one with iodine tabs, and a
second bottle that removes the iodine (taste, at least) after the I has done
its duty--and they work GREAT.  Our trip would have been ruined (or we might
have giardia) had we not had this. NB.  Another "finally" the bugs were
pretty bad, and we use netting.  It was well worth it.  I also tried the
"new" nylon long pants and longsleeve shirt and light gloves with finger
tips cut out for the last two days (we'd gone through a WHOLE BOTTLE of 100%
DEET, and still had too many bites.  My last two days, while a bit warm in
long sleeve/pants with net were much more pleasant than the earlier ones
with DEET. My partner wore the net and DEETed (new verb?) his legs and arms,
but not face.  We both had some bites, but both were better.  Unless very
hot, I'm going back to my old ways with long pants/sleeves and newly added
netting...

Thanks to all for participating in this list.  I've lurked, mostly, for over
a year.  Thought I knew a lot before, but this is an education...everything
is relative.

Pete

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