[pct-l] leaving the trail for weddings

[Alden Dale]

Laura,

I've been off and on the trail more than any other person this summer  
(pulled off 3 times, back twice, and going back for the third time in  
a day or two) for various reasons, the most recent being a  
scholarship I had to fly back east for.

My best luck has been to just hitchhike to where I need to get. In a  
day, with some luck, I can usually hitch from a side highway  
eventually to I-5 and then go north of south as needed. LAX,  
Sacramento, and I think Seattle are three airports right on I-5.

Or you can hitch to get close and then catch greyhound to go up or down.

Hitching is the cheapest way, and if you give yourself a few days of  
extra time, you should be able to make any appointment.

Good luck!

Alden

On Jul 24, 2007, at 4:46 PM, Donna "L-Rod" Saufley wrote:

> Laura,
>
> This is more common than you think -- lots of hikers get off trail  
> and return for a variety of personal reasons, weddings and  
> graduations being the most common.
>
> Your June exit may well put you in the Agua Dulce area, in which  
> case there are a number of different options for getting to and  
> from the trail to the airport.  For info on these options, you can  
> check out the info on our website, www.hikerheaven.com.  Burbank,  
> aka Bob Hope, airport is the easiest to get to and from, though LAX  
> has more (and and often cheaper) flights.
>
> August will put you much further north, and much depends on where  
> you are planning to exit and re-enter the trail.  We are  
> discovering how difficult logistics can be to get to and from the  
> trail at various points through our experiences section hiking.   
> Once you have an intinerary (that is, if you do), you'll have a  
> better idea of where you'll exit/enter.
>
> As to cleaning up -- it's only dirt and it washes off.  Keep "town  
> clothes" for traveling, either in your bounce box or in your pack.   
> You'll feel better, and so will others near you.
>
> The biggest thing is:  plan as best you can and don't worry about  
> it.  Looking forward to seeing you next year!
>
> L-Rod
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Laura Fox <laura.fox at yale.edu>
>> Sent: Jul 24, 2007 2:25 PM
>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> Subject: [pct-l] leaving the trail for weddings
>>
>> Hey, what do people usually do when they know they're going to  
>> have to leave the
>> trail mid-hike to attend some pre-existing far-away obligation?   
>> Like, one that
>> involves getting to an airport and flying cross-country?  How much  
>> of a
>> pain/expense is it to get to airports from different sections of  
>> the trail?  Or
>> to make sure you get near an airport in time to catch a flight  
>> you've reserved
>> in advance?  (Or to make your dirty grubby hiker self look  
>> respectable for a
>> formal event, for that matter??)
>>
>> I'm thinking about thru-hiking in 2008 but I already know I'm  
>> going to have to
>> attend weddings back east in June and August.  Weddings of close  
>> friends that I
>> totally can't skip.  It sounds like a hassle to deal with, but I  
>> don't think I
>> should call off a many-month hike on account of two days worth of  
>> obligations.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any advice! :)
>>
>> Laura (aka Everest, AT GA->ME '01)
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