[pct-l] Water & Trail Report Big Bear Area

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Apr 21, 2008, at 4:09 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> What did all the hikers do before there were the modern  
> conveniences and
> mail drops ??
>
> PCT MOM
I was wondering that, too. I have a book from 1975 and was browsing  
it to see if I could find out.

It sounds like they went into town for supplies, even mail drops --  
sometimes way far away compared to now because towns were smaller  
then, stayed with friendly people along the way, and in the Sierras a  
friend hiked in with supplies every now and then. They also carried  
50-60lb packs and it sounds like they ate mostly regular food, not  
powdered this and energy-bar that. They averaged 10 miles per day,  
but they carried heavy camera equipment. They also did only 1600  
miles of what was then a 2400 mile trail.

Pictures show them wearing denim shorts, cotton shirts, wool sweaters  
and heavy boots. Not the high-tech stuff people wear now. And it sure  
looked colder back then, too.

Diane