[pct-l] Hiking alone?

[Ralph Alcorn]

As section hikers, we have found that much of the California pct can be
quite isolated when hiking at a different time than the "herd". You can go
for several days without seeing anyone, and you can go a week without cell
phone coverage, depending on your carrier.

By August most of the herd will be in Northern California and Oregon. One of
the most beautiful parts of the pct is the John Muir Trail segment between
Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. On that segment, you will see people
every day. The biggest safety issue on the pct, including the jmt, is a
trail accident, falling, etc. The only woman oriented incident I can think
of is that our friend Grace, who llama packs on the jmt all summer every
summer, said that one year there was a naked guy who popped out several
times on the trail over the course of a couple of days. It sort of weirded
her out, and she upped her walking pace to leave him behind.

A very nice one week trip would to be start from Red's Meadow (by Mammoth)
on the jmt/pct and go south on the pct, exit the pct at the Bishop Pass
trail junction in Le Conte Canyon, and go out thru Duzy Basin and Bishop
Pass. Don't hold me to the exact number of days, but map it out first.
-- 
Ralph Alcorn
http://www.backpack45.com/pct.html
http://timecheck00.blogspot.com