[pct-l] caching

[will.hiltz at gmail.com]

Maybe you could spread some poo slurry on top of the big holes you are digging


Easy
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Austin Williams <austinwilliams123 at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:20:56 
To: michael coronella<mike at deepdesert.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] caching

Hi,

I cannot speak to the legality.  I can say that caching food is a pain in
the butt, so you'll want to minimize the amount of it that you do.  It can
come in handy when, say, you want to hike southbound but don't want to cross
illegally from Canada into Mexico.  You might plan to start at Hart's Pass,
hike North to the Monument, then turn around and hike south.  In that
situation, you may want to have a food cache near where the PCT crosses HWY
20.  You'll have to cross the HWY 20 & PCT intersection while driving to
Hart's Pass anyway (unless you're coming from the east... then you'll have
to drive a few minutes out of your way).

I say bury your food at least a foot underground.  All that digging is a
pain, but it's less of a pain than arriving and finding something has eaten
your food).  I also like to roll a heavy log or boulder on top of it.  I
also plan to be at the cache after just a few days (I figure the longer I
leave it there, the more likely something will get at it).

Make sure you don't leave anything behind (that means cut/rip apart your
holding container and throw it into a trash can).  As always, try to leave
the place the way you found it.

Food caching is controversial (probably for good reason).  But if you do it,
do it responsibly.  Take every precaution you can to make sure no animals
can get at your food, leave the place the way you found it, etc.   I might
get a lot of negative comments for saying so, but as long as you don't hurt
anyone (or anything), piss anyone off, or get caught.... then I say you've
done nothing wrong.

I heard of an older gentleman a few years back that cached all the food,
water and supplies for his entire hike.  He was hoping to never have to
leave the PCT to go into town.  I heard that most of his caches were dug up
and destroyed (some by animals and some by ATVers).  So that's obviously not
a good idea.  But I've cached when I felt I had to, and I didn't have any
problems.  Its not common on the PCT, but it is somewhat common on long
distance adventures in general (especially ones that venture through
deserts).

So HYOH, cache if you want to, keep it to a minimum, and please be
responsible.

Hope it helps.

-Austin
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