[pct-l] From a Newbie

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Oct 8, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> But I am a newbie to this goal of section hiking PCT and although  
> not fully
> committed to the 2650 miles yet, I'd like to ask the group a few  
> questions.
> 1.	Will one "have" to walk through snow in order to complete the full
> 2600 or if given enough time and the right set of circumstances,  
> could one
> complete those sections of the trail when there is no snow?  Yes,  
> I'm cold
> adverse.
As a section hiker you can do the hike without having to walk on  
snow, yes. It's not really cold during the thru-hiking season when  
the thru-hikers are walking on the snow in the Sierras. It's  
generally pretty nice just with snow on the ground.

> 2.	Can anyone offer a checklist of items for the backpack?  With my
> approach, I would be able to juggle what I pack based on the specific
> segment I'd be hiking at the time.
I'd go over to backpackinglight.com and read the gear lists. Do a  
search for JMT and PCT gear lists. These might sound like pretty  
austere gear lists, but you'll be introduced to a lot of brand names  
for gear and materials that will help you make choices.
> 3.	Is anyone out there interested in hiking the Southern PCT in 2 - 3
> day segments?  I live in San Diego, so my thoughts are to go the  
> NoBo route
> with a focus on completing San Diego County in three attempts and then
> moving into Riverside County.
>
Sounds like a good plan. If you decide to do this in April or May,  
you will automatically be in the company of lots of other hikers so  
you wouldn't even have to seek out a partner really.