[pct-l] So. Calif. Desert Water Caches

Tue Jan 11 22:34:48 CST 2011

Dear Cruz Control,

86 to 97 is nothing.  I will be able to make great time in anything under
100 degrees.  Maybe this won't be so bad.

How cold does it get in the evening?  I hike until I go to bed so I'm
wondering if I should bring a down jacket.  I've always brought a down
jacket out of paranoia in the Sierra but I'm thinking I can make due with a
down vest and a fleece jacket.  Any suggestions?  I remember Diane
commenting how cold it gets in the desert at night.

Melanie

On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 8:27 PM, <leestcoast at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Melanie, besides Diane's sage advice, you might want to factor in the
> following on thinking about what your water carryload is going to be: if you
> encounter heat (for me high 80's +) are you hiking during the heat of the
> day or laying up until it gets cooler and hiking on after dinner for a
> couple of hours? Are you willing/planning on hiking anywhere from 1/4 to 1
> mile off trail to a spring etc for a water fillup? Are you going to drycamp
> in a certain stretch (in which case you'll need more water, particularly if
> you are cooking)? And remember, somewhat like food, the faster you are
> moving on the trail, the less water you will need to carry between water
> sources. My limited relevant experience was section hiking B in '07 in
> mid-May. Noon hour temps were 86 to 97F.  The max I carried was 4 liters,
> even when dry camping (I was stoveless - very dry that year). And, as I
> think Diane has indicated, the Trail will clarify how you need to proceed,
> what you need to carry.  Enjoy your time on the Trail - it will be your
> teacher and partner.
> Cruz Control
> Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Melanie Clarke <melaniekclarke at gmail.com>
> Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:47:08
> To: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes<diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
> Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] So. Calif. Desert Water Caches
>
> Dear Diane,
>
> I'm planning on joining the K.O. to do the Southern CA section so there
> should be a lot of hikers.  I can't take too much time away from work.
>  Most
> of my hiking has been in the Sierra with plentiful water sources.  I've
> taken the family on day hikes in Death Valley, Zion, Bryce etc. but we were
> never very far from our car or water.  I have postholer's water source
> lists
> and have been studying Halfmile's maps.  I'm good with heat but I do sweat
> a
> lot and have to drink a lot of water.  In a dry heat, I won't see any sweat
> but I still drink a lot of water.  I can hike comfortably in 100 degrees.
> I'm a little uncomfortable at 110 degrees but can pretty much soldier on
> without symptoms of heat stroke.  I am able to drink almost 2 liters at a
> water source and "camel" for a while.  Still, I think I'll take at least 5
> liters out of paranoia and keep it full.  When I do the entire PCT after I
> retire I'll have the experience of my water needs in the desert.  Wow, 9
> liters is well over 2 gallons so I think I'm "figuring" just about right.
>
> Melanie
>
> On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 4:00 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>
> > I will assume you aren't going right now like the original person said.
> The
> > original person said that they were ready to hike that section now. Right
> > now any stream that was indicated as seasonal would be in season at this
> > moment and there might be a few streams not mentioned in the various
> guides
> > that would have some bonus water. Also, right now the weather is pretty
> cool
> > of not downright cold.
> >
> > As for how much water you need, what you need to do is get the latest
> water
> > report before you go so you know where the water is. Then you need to
> know
> > yourself. How much water do you normally drink? Are you from the east
> coast
> > or the Pacific Northwest and not used to hiking in the warm sun? You can
> > usually reach one water source each day. Even if they are more than 20
> miles
> > apart, you will be able to do it.
> >
> > I am from So Cal, I am used to the conditions, I don't have a problem
> being
> > a little dehydrated when I hike. It doesn't bother me. I'm used to the
> hot
> > sun. I wear long pants and long sleeves and a large hat to optimize my
> > ability to stand it. I will drink out of guzzlers and other sources (I
> can't
> > believe I met hikers who did all of So Cal without ever having to drink
> out
> > of anything they found objectionable like a guzzler. They did it all on
> > water caches and faucets.) When I hiked in 2008 I didn't find it terribly
> > hot most of the time. It was fairly pleasant. There were a few days that
> > were hot. Deep Creek day was 103. I had 5.5 liters of capacity and that
> was
> > too much. I managed to keep it close to full, too, out of paranoia. Man,
> was
> > that heavy! I returned the following year with only 3.5 liters of
> capacity
> > and made sure I drank a liter at every water source so I didn't have to
> > carry so much. That worked better for me.
> >
> > Other people carried 9 liters and drank every drop. So to answer the
> > question, you have to know yourself.
> >
> > Good luck with your hike!
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jan 11, 2011, at 7:22 AM, Melanie Clarke wrote:
> >
> >  Dear Diane,
> >>
> >> How much water should I bring during some of those long stretches of no
> >> water?  About 2 gallons?  I don't want to have to depend on water
> caches.
> >>
> >> Melanie
> >>
> >> On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 8:00 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
> >> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>  After the rain we've had, you can do that section without water
> >>> caches. Heck, you can do it without water caches during thru-hiker
> >>> season, too.
> >>> Diane
> >>>
> >>> On Jan 10, 2011, at 6:14 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> When do the desert water caches begin to be replenished for the 2011
> >>>> season...? I'm ready to do Scissors to San Jacinto now.
> >>>>
> >>>> Oregon Bound
> >>>>
> >>>
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