[pct-l] New Plan

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Kim,

You didn’t mention where you and your friends live and train, but for most
hikers a relatively quick trip to some of the higher Sierra locations will
result in considerable performance degradation.  For example when a person
hikes to Cottonwood Pass they will find only 65% of the oxygen that was
available near sea-level.  On Mt. Langley there will be only 58%.  The
average low-altitude hiker/trainer will be gasping like a guppy because of
the discomfort in trying to fill the lungs.  Assuming one doesn’t get some
version of altitude sickness, the biggest effect is an oxygen-proportional
reduction in physical performance.

For most PCT thru-hikers the transition from low altitude to high evolves
over weeks of strenuous trail, so by the time they reach Forester Pass they
aren’t out of breath – much.  They’ve trained and become acclimated.

I regularly take flat-land visitors to Timberline Lodge – a measly 6,000
ft. elevation – and some of them pant and gasp just walking from the
parking lot to the lodge.

The hike between Cascade Locks and Timberline Lodge has been mentioned.  That’s
a 6,000 ft. climb with 4,000 ft. in the first 15 miles via Eagle Creek, or
in the first 7 miles on the official PCT.  I’d hike it from the lodge
downhill to Cascade Locks.

Enjoy your planning,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 10:18 PM, Kim Ludeman <trainerkim12 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Ok, so my 3 friends and I are open to suggestions for a 40-60 mile stretch
> of the PCT to be done in mid July. Scenery and moderate difficulty level
> are optimal as one of our 3 is not the strongest hiker. We want to set up
> camp the night before and do a morning start and spend 3 full days hiking.
> We need to start and end near a town so we can be dropped off and picked
> up.
>
> Thanks!!
> Kim
> _______________________________________________
>