[pct-l] Night Hiking in the Mojave / Vagrancy Issues

[Gary Wright]

On Nov 26, 2012, at 2:28 PM, BF wrote:
> I was thinking that hiking
> under the full moon for a couple of night might be a way to conserve
> moisture.  Anybody ever done this out there?  I know that Mojave Greens
> may be an issue.  They're usually bright green during that time of year
> and pretty easy to spot during the day, but at night, that might be a
> different story.

I'm not a big night hiking fan but did hike for a couple hours under a
very full moon around Kelso Valley Rd. in 2007. At one point I was
hiking directly into the rising full moon and it required the use of my
hat as a 'moon visor' because the glare/contrast was so great.  There
was absolutely no need for a headlamp.

I found Joshua Trees to be quite spooky in these lighting conditions!

The trail is pretty open in the Mojave area and I doubt that many
snakes would be out in the open at night. I never had a encounter with
snakes at night.  During the day though...


> I was wondering if the
> opposite ever happens: have any of you PCT thru hikers ever had any
> problems with being confused being homeless during your travels on and off
> the trail?

I was viewed as a 'hobo' by the driver who picked me up outside Mojave
on that same trip. Some people don't seem to even comprehend what
backpacking is never mind the more esoteric experience of long-distance
hiking.

Radar