[pct-l] Section A- winter backpacking

[Brick Robbins]

On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 12:32 PM, Kathryn Mendenhall
<kate51982 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Any opinions on winter backpacking between Mexico and Hwy 74?
> Any safety issues other than water availability?  Halfmile's maps mention areas of marijuana growing that are dangerous...  : /

I've never come across any pot farms, and I've hiked that section many
times. After the rain we've just had, there should be few water
issues, at least for a while.

The biggest concern is the weather. Yesterday's storm brought freezing
temps, high winds and snow. Most of the snow is gone on Mt Laguna by
today, but there is still ice stuck to the cameras
http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/MtLaguna.html

There is still snow on Toro Peak, but the trail goes around it on a
contour quite a bit lower,
http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/ToroPeak.html

I would not want to be out there during a storm. That being said, the
weatherman sees the storms coming from a long ways off, so if you use
some discretion, and are prepared to bail off the trail if a storm is
on the way, it is a  wonderful time to hike that section.

Just be prepared for freezing temps and wind, but you won't run into
any snow on the ground unless you are very lucky. That usually only
happens a few weeks a year on Mt Laguna itself.