[pct-l] Oregon Section Hikers

[Eric Lee]

Rip wrote:
>
I am finding it hard to find info on what we may or may not need gear-wise
just for the Oregon section in August. I am thinking we won't need snow gear
(crampons, ice axe etc) or a bear canister, but wanted to check with those
wiser than I.
>

You definitely won't need technical snow gear (crampons, ice axe, etc.) but
you should be prepared for cold, wet, and possibly snowy weather, whatever
that means to you.  (Maybe it means you just hunker down in your tent and
wait until it blows over.)  I walked out of the Three Sisters area in a
snowstorm a few years ago, in the last week of August.  It had been over 100
F in the same area the week before.

A bear canister is not required anywhere in Oregon, and permits are usually
not a problem.  Some wilderness areas have self-service permitting at the
trailheads - just fill one out and carry it with you.  A possible exception
might be some areas in the Three Sisters Wilderness, but I'm a little vague
on that.  When I went through there I didn't think any reservation-type
permits were required but I came across a couple of signs around Obsidian
Falls that made me think I was mistaken.  At that point I was committed so I
just kept going.

Eric