anyone familiar with pacific crest trail?

**Law Dawg (ret)** · 09-28-2010, 14:13

A good link for our area...

http://homepage.mac.com/hshires/pcthike/section7.html

**lori** · 09-28-2010, 15:04

Originally Posted by TZBrown

This is good to know.

I figured I would end up on the ground again

Well, you might. Any time you go out more than a few days, you got to plan for anything, weather, lack of trees....

Also - the elevation. Read some webmd articles about altitude sickness and be planning to do some acclimating if you choose a section over 7,000 feet, just to be safe. Not something to take lightly. You are around sea level... the PCT is not... The passes in the central Sierra, particularly around the Whitney Zone, are upwards of 11,000 - 13,500 feet in elevation and trudging up them can make four miles seem like 100.... The oxygen gets scarce and you will be working a lot harder than usual to get you and your pack up there. Build some time at low and middle elevation (5-7,000) into your itinerary, hike high and camp low, try to hit high passes in the morning to avoid late afternoon thunderstorms if you go in summer.

**TZBrown** · 09-28-2010, 15:34

Originally Posted by lori

Well, you might. Any time you go out more than a few days, you got to plan for anything, weather, lack of trees....

Also - the elevation. Read some webmd articles about altitude sickness and be planning to do some acclimating if you choose a section over 7,000 feet, just to be safe. Not something to take lightly. You are around sea level... the PCT is not... The passes in the central Sierra, particularly around the Whitney Zone, are upwards of 11,000 - 13,500 feet in elevation and trudging up them can make four miles seem like 100.... The oxygen gets scarce and you will be working a lot harder than usual to get you and your pack up there. Build some time at low and middle elevation (5-7,000) into your itinerary, hike high and camp low, try to hit high passes in the morning to avoid late afternoon thunderstorms if you go in summer.

In the past I have been OK at 12K after acclimating to it. I have not hiked for long distances above that though.
Just have to be flexible. The late afternoon thunderstorms are more what I worry about on the exposed ridgetops.

**Nojack** · 09-28-2010, 18:37

Me and a buddy just completed a loop in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and the were some beautiful areas the PCT from Sonora Pass to Ebbets Pass. Its a 25 mile thru hike... passing many meadows and lakes. Check it out.

**johnnyboy** · 09-28-2010, 23:58

I have only been on the PCT in the San Gabriels but its beautiful up there. Might want to check out the section from Big Bear to Mt Baldy.

**geoffrey** · 10-03-2010, 11:47

thanks for all the help! i wanted to try something in california hoping late oct but maybe to late i hve been caught up there before in alot of snow in the tahoe area hard hiking thru 4 feet snow!