[pct-l] Need section hike partner: Miles 403-418

[Ron Graybill]

Ok, this is a bit of a long shot, due to a number of factors, but I need a
hiking partner to join me on a hike (perhaps overnight, so about 7 or 8
miles each day), from the 9th crossing of Highway 2 (Angeles Crest Highway)
at Mile 403 to Mile 418 at the Angeles Forest Highway.  It's only 15 miles,
but at age 72, 14 miles is about my daily limit, usually about 40 minutes
per mile counting stops, so I'd like to be prepared to camp along the trail
overnight if need be. On the other hand, if someone can only do it if we do
the whole 15 miles in one day, I'm game--I'm sure I'd survive. I've got no
health problems, just haven't been hiking a lot lately.

As much as needing a hiking partner, I need somebody to share the logistics
of getting to and from the trail.  One possible way to arrange these
logistics would be to have both of us drive up Highway 2 from La Canada and
then take the Angeles Forest Highway on up to Mile 418 at the USDA Forest
Service Mill Creek Summit fire station--where there is also a nice parking
lot, and leave one car there.  Then we get into the other car and drive
back down to Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road which will take us--in 9
miles--back over to Highway 2.  From there we'd proceed the 7 miles up to
the Chilao Campgrounds--perhaps the Little Pine campground in that
group--and camp there overnight to get an early start the next morning.
 (That campground is open year around except, of course, when Highway 2 is
closed for snow.) That campground is just 3 miles south of the 9th crossing
of Highway 2 where we'd begin our hike. There is a nice parking lot right
there off the adjacent Santa Clara Divide Road, where we could leave the
second car.  Then we make the hike, pick up the car we left up at Mile 418
and retrace our path back to Mile 403, pick up the car we left there and
both go on home separately.

I drove up and around all these areas today, and while there is some snow
and ice on portions of the trail at the higher elevations between Mile 374
and 403, the segment between 403 and 418 appears to be free of snow.  In
fact, the trail descends 1000 feet between 403 and 418. We'd want to do
this soon, although there is no bad weather predicted for that region for
the next 15 days. I could do it leaving Ontario, CA, at noon on Wed. the
7th and not need to be back until Sunday the 11th.  So that means I could
also start on 8th to drive up there, leave one car, and camp overnight that
Thursday night, the 8th, starting the hike on Friday the 9th.  If that
doesn't work, and the weather holds, I could do starting any time between
Dec. 14 and Dec. 20.

Also, I carry and inReach 2-way satellite communicator with me for
emergencies and texting.

Ron (Slo-Charger) Graybill
Ontario, CA

P.S. There may be any number of other ways to arrange the logistics, so
feel free to suggest alterations if need be.