2012 Trail Fears

Yesterday I made it safely down the Devils Slide Trail into Idyllwild for my first shower in 8 days which was wonderful. This last section I have been meeting a lot more hikers and trail angels as I go. Its great to hear stories from trail angels or former PCT thru-hikers but one of the things everyone loves to do is warn you about what they see as the hardest thing on the PCT. This is fine if they are all saying the same thing but you start to get concerned when everyone has their own warning. Below is a list of the larger overriding fears I now have that are always lingering in the back of my head. Many may be real, some may be exaggeration, but only time will tell.

Definitely do not want to disturb this guy.

Before I start I must clarify these are overarching worries not the day to day worries in the back of your head. I have already had many days were I run short of water just before the next water source and am afraid the next stream may be dry. Every time I take out my stove I worry that that I will accidentally grab a drink from the alcohol which fuels my stove (which will not get you drunk but put you in a permanent state of intoxication, i.e. death). Then there are the rattles you may heard as you walk or the poison oak lying in wait by the water sources. That is not what we are talking about here. These are things that may stop your hike or keep you from making to Canada.

1) Snow in the Cascades- This has been my worry from day one. There is a little window of time one can complete a thru hike and I am a late season hiker which means I am flirting with the snow up in Washington. We are not talking about a little flurry (my stubborness will prevail and get me through that) but snow starting to pile up so that you simply cannot pass into Canada. To prevent this I hike 20+ miles a day and try to beat my schedule as much as possible. Its tough because each of the late season hikers I pass who are only pushing 15 mile day I got to wonder if they will make it in time.

I did find some snow between Warner Springs and Idyllwild, which was delicious!

2) Poodle Dogbush- This I learned of just before leaving. Apparently there is this terrible plant that sounds like it could be used for biological warfare. It takes over areas just after they have burnt down and is now covering the area just around where the Old Station fire was (I believe around mile 300 or 400). This plant will give you a nasty rash like poison ivy or poison oak. I have heard of people who have had to leave the trail because they had such a nasty case. Knowing my history with poison ivy I don not want to mess with this plant.

3) Mojave Sand and Heat- I had recently been warned by a former PCT thru hiker how brutal this sand can be in the Mojave. It is not the same as the sand we are used to because this sand comes from the granite in the Sierras which is apparently tough and will tear apart you feet and socks leaving you nasty bloody blisters. Then throw on the fact that you are hiking through a relentless sun and 100 degree + weather. I may pick up some gaiters which you can put over your shoes to keep the sand out and will do some midnight hiking because hopefully there will be a full moon when I reach the Mojave. Also more justification for me to go crazy.

4) Downed Trees in the Sierras- This was another one that I had heard of by did not fully grasp until being given the low-down by a trail angel. This winter a terrible windstorm crushed the Sierras leaving thousands of downed trees and even closed down one of the resupply towns for at least the start of the summer. I can hike over or around a single tree but when you have a giant Sequoia or Douglas Fir with all its branches covering over the trail then repeat by 1,000 it could be near impossible. He warned that no PCT hiker may make it through that section this year and it may take 10 years to clear out that section entirely. I really hope that was an exaggeration.

The whole trail covered in this would not be good.

Well this is the list of trail enders for now but I feel every new PCT alum or trail angel I meet has a new warning for me. Luckily I am not letting this get me down or too worried about finishing. I will just have to face these sections when they come. I am trying not to look at these as fears but instead see this as preparing myself for the worst so I am ready to battle it out when the time comes. Hopefully none of this will keep me from reaching Manning Park.

Thank you Angels!