[pct-l] Hiking in So. OR

[Georgi Heitman]

Wolffman is hiking north from I-5 near Ashland.  He phoned this morning from
Hwy 140 and sez that the trail is good so far.  Water is where it's supposed
to be re the data book.  He's about an hour from the cache of food he left
himself, and then on to Crater Lake, he hopes.  He's seen one other PCT
hiker, that guy skipped the Sierra, Wolffman didn't get his name, but should
see him again today, they're leapfrogging.
Re fires is our area, Tthe fire between Hwy 299 and Burney Falls was said to
be 100 % contained, but reports yesterday were that the trail there is still
closed.  It's an easy skip.  Hikers reaching 299, need to walk to the
299/Cassel Rd. cross, hitch west from there to the signal lights at Hwy's 89
and 299 and talk your way into a northbound vehicle (Hwy 89) to Burney
Falls,then ask Shirley or Jason at the entrance kiosk re the trail around
Bartle Gap.  My friend Rufus said he thought it was open, but I've heard
otherwise w/in the last week.  The trail remains closed from Belden thru to
Hwy 36 near Chester. I hear that that fire is now a complex and could be a
serious impediment for a while.  North from there....I just don't know.
Things seem O.K. thru LVNP, tho there's no water to speak of at Badger Flat,
there's also no bear protecting the water hole either (unlike last year).
Yesterday the powers that be were requesting (begging for?) anything on
wheels that could haul stock (cattle) out of the West Prospect Peak area.
West Prospect is just about due east of Mt. Badger (as in Badger Flat).
That area is Natl. Forest and is leased to cattle ranchers each summer for
grazing.  It's smokier today than yesterday...West P. is barely visible and
I can't see Badger at all.  No obvious plumes of smoke, but it would appear
that something's happening there somewhere.  This isn't a good day to spend
a bunch of time trying to figure out who to call to get more info...I'll be
gone for the day before anything opens, so I just don't know.  Very cloudy
at bedtime last night, saw no lightning, heard no thunder, but I wear
hearing aids so that isn't too reliable.  Hike with care........
Eric D. slipped thru the 299/Burney Falls burn and was seen by Charlie
(Sobo) at the falls, was continuing north.  We should see Charlie in a
couple of days....the world  famous Billy Goat is expected here today or
tomorrow and so is AsABat, assuming the trail from down south is open.  BG
is driving, heading for his planned long hike.
That's all I know....
FireFly