[pct-l] Traversing the Sierra

[Tom Reynolds]

This is a clear roadmap how to legally traverse the Sierra on the PCT without undue hassle.
   
  The problem for a thruhiker is how to get enough food in a bear canister to get from Kennedy Meadows to VVR without resupply. I personally can pack 18 pounds of food in a bear canister. However, it takes me all day, AT HOME, to do so and the food I carry requires significant fuel to reconstitute. Obviously, I carry a much more powerful and efficient stove than the typical alcohol stove carried by thruhikers.
   
  It is, IMHO, rather difficult for a thruhiker to get that much food in a canister and rather unlikely that s/he will. I therefore propose the following. 
   
  First, pack enough food to get you from where you stop north of Woods Creek in the canister. Second, do not open the canister until told to do so. (There will be a test.) This means that you may need to split some essentail supplies, toothpaste for example. Store allthe food required to get past Woods Creek in two, equally balanced stuff sacks and carry 100’ of nylon rope. Learn to bear bag. You will bear bag the first few miles leaving KM. Obviously this will require some planning. Only you know your daily hiking range. Remember, however, that Sierra hiking means hiking at high altitudes and significent elevation changes.
   
  From Kennedy Meadows to south of Trail Pass you can legally and rather easily hang your food that is not in a canister. There are lots of cool tricks that make counterbalancing easier. However, the best tip IMHO, is to start looking for a suitable tree 2-3 hours before you plan to stop. It may well take 6-9 miles of trail to find a suitable tree.
   
  Once you reach the restricted area around Cottenwood Pass you must either reach the bear box at Rock Creek or hike into Cottonwood Campground where hopefully you can bum a beer from campers.
   
  From Trail Pass north you must stop at bear boxes.  Recommended thruhiker stops:
   
  1-Lower Rock creek/PCT. The first bear box except in Cottonwood Campground.
   
  2-Lower Crabtree or Crabtree Ranger Station . Toss excess food in bear box, then proceed towards Mt. Whitney camping on the flat 300’ above Guitar Lake with no excess food.
   
  3-Tyndall Creek/JMT. Summit Whitney very early, then return, pick up your food and pack and make Tyndall Creek if possible. If not, kick back at Crabtree Meadow. Tyndall Creek is the last box south of Forrester and no suitable trees near the base of Forrester Pass. Alternatively, you could try Forrester from Wallace Creek, planning to find the box at the Center basin Trail junction. That shortens the Whitney day but means more climbing the next day.
   
  --cross Forrester Pass—
   
  4-Center Basin/JMT or Vidette Meadow or Charlotte Lake. From Tyndall Creek it is a few miles to the base of Forrester. North of Forrester you descend to a large flat with, unfortunately, no box. The first box is at the Center Basin Trail and relatively hard to find. It is a gentle downhill to Vidette. The boxes are off trail nearer to Bubbs Creek. This is serious bear country. I don’t recommend trying to make it to Charlotte. To make it to Charlotte Lake requires a serious uphill.
   
  --cross Glen Pass--
   
  5-Middle Rae Lake or Arrowhead Lake or Woods Creek (Rae Lakes is one of the prettiest locations in the Sierra. However, it is only 8 miles, downhill to Woods Creek, the last bear box. Scenery or miles, you choose)
   
  6-Eat everything left outside the canister where you camp. Essentially, you leave the last bear box with one day of food outside the canister. From Woods Creek you traverse the Kings River’s headwaters and one or two passes depending on your range. Depending on where you camp you eat everything.
   
  7-Open the bear canister for the FIRST TIME to eat breakfast. For some reason it seems impossible to repack a canister on the trail as efficiently as one can do at Kennedy Meadows. If you open the canister before this point, somehow it won’t all fit back. At this point you are a far north as Palisades Lakes (3-4 days from) VVR or maybe a day behind. Anyone but a weekender can get 5-6 days in a canister.
   
   
  List of applicable Bear Boxes (North to South)
  ------------------------------------
  Woods Creek crossing/John Muir Trail (2)
Arrowhead Lake
Middle Rae Lake (2)
  Charlotte Lake
  9900' Elevation/John Muir Trail
Vidette Meadow (2)
John Muir Trail/Center Basin Trail
  Tyndall Creek Frog Ponds
  Tyndall Creek/John Muir Trail
  Wallace Creek/John Muir Trail
  Crabtree Ranger Station
  Lower Crabtree Meadow
  Lower Rock Creek crossing/Pacific Crest Trail


AsABat <asabat at cox.net> wrote:  http://www.pct77.org/adz/archive/2002_photos_02.htm


> NOW the ADZ is starting to sound like a real circus! =-)
> 
> Do you know what kind of bears will be attending the ADZ? 

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