[pct-l] Avoiding the pack

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Feb 9, 2010, at 1:48 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> I usually prefer solitude on the trail rather than being right  
> smack in the
> middle of a pack -- but even if I would prefer to avoid the crowd,  
> do I have
> a choice?  Based on what I've been researching so far for this  
> thruhike, I
> thought that I need to leave in the same window as the crowd to  
> avoid too
> much snow at both ends?
>
> Kris

There is a small window. It's not as herd-like when you are on the  
trail as L-Rod experiences in her yard. I didn't even know about a  
herd when I planned my hike but ended up within it. You can still  
have plenty of solitude. Best way to do that is to avoid places where  
people congregate.

I split my hike in two. I did my second summer ahead of the pack. I  
thought it was a better experience to not be in the herd. I did not  
have to race the snow in Washington.

In addition to hiking southbound, you could do a flip flop or you  
could break the trail up into chunks and rearrange each chunk for  
optimal weather. Southern California is nice Spring and Fall. The  
Sierras are nice Summer and Fall. Oregon has awful mosquitoes in July  
but is otherwise very beautiful. Washington is wonderful in August.  
Those aren't the only months you can do these portions, but I think  
you get the idea. Not as pure and possibly a logistical pain, but an  
option.