Pre PCT Ski trip

24 Hours and counting.  This evening we fly to San Diego, then our wonderful trail angel will pick us up at 8:30 tomorrow morning.  Since I am posting this at 4 AM you can tell I am a little nervous.

We had a great ski trip.  It started out with total Spring skiing at Purgatory/Durango Mountain.  It was typical Spring skiing ice in the morning and corn in the afternoon.  Jay took a private lesson to learn how to do aerial tricks in the terrain park.

Then we went to our favorite ski are Wolf Creek Ski Area.  The first day was a lot like Purgatory but then IT SNOWED!

8" of fluffy stuff.  Jay was coming down with a cold and spent the whole day in the lodge. While his parents went skiing.  We had a blast OMG the place was empty and we had freshies all day.  Imagine floating silently through pine glades with perfect snowflakes falling in an alpine wonderland.  One of the best ski days EVER!

Our last ski day was soft crud with still some freshies left here and there.  

You never get this lucky.  What a spectacular CRASH. It looks bad but he was fine.

The last family photo for 3 months.  See you in June Daddio

We're off

After two false starts we finally got out of Athens  around 5:30 yesterday evening. We made it to Terre haute Indiana.  Today we cross Illinois and the big states of Missouri and Kansas.  We might make it to Colorado today, but that would be an extremely long day.

I keep looking at those two backpacks and thinking "That's all we are taking for a six month trip?"  Then I look at my pack base weight and think "What can we get rid of"

Happy Trails
Vicky and Jay

Whats in your bag?

What is in our bags?

 

One big heavy backpack by Lowe Alpine  5 lbs 10oz

    

one smaller backpack 4lbs 1 oz

   

one very light Marmot Helium sleeping bag 2 lbs 2 ozs

 

One  heavy sleeping bag 3 lbs 14 oz

Sleeping Pads
Thermarest UL small 8 oz
Thermarest Light 3/4 12 oz

Old Tent

6.4 lbs with a Tyvek footprint, stakes and guy lines

Cookset 2 lbs 6 ozs   Are you kiddin me!   We are bringing the small pot, the lid and two aluminum Esbit cups.  Jay carries this.

We stuff this stove inside the cookset:3 ozs.

We also have an alcohol stove made out of a boyscout popcorn tin and an old fondue pot alcohol burner


Then there's our clothes.

Jay and I each have a pair of zip off pants, a t shirt, Long john bottom and top, Jay has a fleece sweater and a down jacket.  I have a fleece longies, a down jacket and a long sleeve vented fishing type shirt and a sweater.

I think our clothes outweigh everything else but maybe the tent. Mine weigh 3 lbs 10 oz

We have two water purifiers an MSR mini works pump style filter. It weighs 1 lb dry. Utah will carry it.

I carry a Miox. It uses electolysis to oxidize salt water. This oxidization solution is then poured into you  water bottle and 20 minutes later you get yummy city tasting water.

The miniworks works best with Nalgene type bottles.  Utah will carry two of these.  Jay and I will each have a camelbak type bladder, and we will augment this capacity with gatorade bottles acquired in town stops.

We are also carrying a lot of electronics two mp3 players, a cell phone, 2 headlamps, a charger, batteries and a digital camera.

Then of course Sunscreen, bug juice, lip goo and toothpaste/brush, mini hairbrush and hairbands, floss and a sewing needle a few large safety pins

The first aid kit weighs at least 3 lbs.  I just can't go out there unprepared for backcountry medicine.  I have high altitiude meds, pain meds, tummymeds, bandaids, antibiotics, prednisone, cortisone cream and bandages plus my 7 oz backcountry medicine guide.
And of course lots of vitamin I (Ibuprofen)

Maps, curriculum and books add another 16 oz.

That's 24 Lbs for me! So much for Ultralight.  I need to put my pack on a diet.

Fired up ready to go

Jay and I spent some time today cruising the PCT on Google Earth.  It was almost like being there.  If you want to follow our updates in real 3d like maps this is a very cool tool.  We could almost see the PCT Southern Terminus monument right there in Campo.
  http://www.pctmap.net/pctdownloads/halfmiles_pct_tracks_waypoints.kmz
You need to download google earth before this link will work.  It's free!  http://earth.google.com/

We dropped off all of our packages today that we can do.  Kevin has a stack of boxes for April and a giant stack for May. I found out shipping Utahs kennel to Oregon costs twice as much as the kennel cost. GO FIGURE!  I guess I will be gifting someone in San Diego with a new Kennel, then buying another one in Medford before we fly back.

Here is our final (I think) Planning Document.  If you want to send us a note or something along the way here are some hints.  Only send to the Post Office addresses, Hotels are probably OK but the resorts charge to hold packages, as much as $50 a box,  So please send to Post office addresses.  Here are some hints for General Delivery mail.

• letters should be mailed first class (regular mail)
• Send boxes with Priority mail.  Any other mail service won't get there reliably.  Mailing to California from Ohio or Florida can be very expensive.  I found the Fixed rate boxes to be affordable.

However you send your piece, make sure I don't have to sign for it.

This is from a great planning tool called Craigs PCT planner.  He just updated it and now it's even better.

Guidebook start location: USA/Mexico Border Depart: 3-25-11 (Fri) Plan Overview Notes: San Diego Ship duffle and dog kennel to Callahans 7100 Old Hwy 99 South Ashland OR 97520 Mark PCT hiker and Date

1. Campo to Mt. Laguna  (4.1 days)

42.9 mi 5,485 ft EG 10.5 mi/day 1,340 ft/day Adjustments: none Mt. Laguna resupply     Detour:  0.5 mi - walk Arrive:  3-29-11 (Tue) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  3-29-11 (Tue)

Cumulative distance: 42.9 mi Exit pt: Paved road Notes:  shipped 5 days 1 box UPS 3/4 Mt. Laguna Lodge 619-413-8533

2. Mt. Laguna to Warner Springs  (5.6 days)

67.7 mi 3,500 ft EG 12.1 mi/day 625 ft/day Adjustments: none Warner Springs resupply     Detour:  1.3 mi - walk/on trail Arrive:  4-3-11 (Sun) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  4-3-11 (Sun)

Cumulative distance: 110.6 mi Exit pt: Near Fire Station Notes:  shipped 2 boxes USPS 3/4 confirmed at post office 3/8/11 Warner Springs Post Office mile 145 Anza Hiker Oasis

3. Warner Springs to Anza  (4.0 days)

43.1 mi 4,935 ft EG 10.7 mi/day 1,229 ft/day Adjustments: none Anza resupply     Detour:  7.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  4-7-11 (Thu) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  4-7-11 (Thu)

Cumulative distance: 153.7 mi Exit pt: Hwy 74 Notes:  UPS to Paradise Valley Cafe open W-S 11-7 61721 Hwy 74 Mountain Center 92561 New owners check if OK to send. 951-659-3663

4. Anza to Idylwild  (2.8 days)

26.5 mi 5,276 ft EG 9.3 mi/day 1,856 ft/day Adjustments: none Idylwild resupply     Detour:  2.0 mi - walk, then a 4 mile hitchhike Arrive:  4-10-11 (Sun) Layover:     1.0 days      Depart:  4-11-11 (Mon)

Cumulative distance: 180.2 mi Exit pt: Saddle JCT Notes:  Idylwild Inn Shipped curriculum and mp3 3/7 Buy 4 days food here Idyllwild inn (888) 659-2552

5. Idylwild to Cabazon  (2.7 days)

31.8 mi 1,860 ft EG 11.9 mi/day 698 ft/day Adjustments: none Cabazon resupply     Detour:  4.5 mi - hitchike Arrive:  4-14-11 (Thu) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  4-14-11 (Thu)

Cumulative distance: 212.0 mi Exit pt: I-10 Notes:  2 boxes to PO SHIP 3/15 Cabazon, CA 92230

6. Cabazon to Big Bear City  (6.5 days)

64.3 mi 10,447 ft EG 9.9 mi/day 1,606 ft/day Adjustments: none Big Bear City resupply     Detour:  5.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  4-20-11 (Wed) Layover:     2.0 days      Depart:  4-22-11 (Fri)

Cumulative distance: 276.3 mi Exit pt: Van Dusen Canyon Road Notes:  Big Bear Lake Hostel 527 knickerbocker rd 909/866-8900 Marta bus service on rt 18 Obervatory on Lake Arrowhead rides from the hostel Buy 5 days of food 297.2 One Box with 4 days to Cedar Glen Post Office Ship 3/15 Post Office Location - CEDAR GLEN 28982 HOOK CREEK RD CEDAR GLEN, CA 92321-0400 (800) ASK-USPS (800) 275-8777 (909) 337-4614 Business Hours Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm Sat 9:00am-11:00am Sun closed 342 3 boxes with 5 days to Best Western Phelan on I 15 (760) 249-6777 Boxes received and held for arrival NEED EASTER SUPPLIES FOR 4/24

7. Big Bear City to Wrightwood  (8.0 days)

89.6 mi 8,090 ft EG 11.2 mi/day 1,013 ft/day Adjustments: none Wrightwood resupply     Detour:  3.5 mi - walk Arrive:  4-30-11 (Sat) Layover:     1.0 days      Depart:  5-1-11 (Sun)

Cumulative distance: 365.9 mi Exit pt: Acorn Trail Notes:  buy 10 days here post office 1440Hwy 2 wrightwood ca 92397 M-F 8:45-5 S 8 - 11

8. Wrightwood to Agua Dulce  (8.3 days)

89.0 mi 10,428 ft EG 10.7 mi/day 1,252 ft/day Adjustments: none Agua Dulce resupply     Detour:  0.0 mi - on trail Arrive:  5-10-11 (Tue) Layover:     1.0 days      Depart:  5-11-11 (Wed)

Cumulative distance: 454.9 mi Exit pt: on trail Notes:  The Saufleys 118611 darling road www.hikerheaven.com showers, laundry shopping trips Buy 6 days here fuel from Saufley

9. Agua Dulce to Tehachapi  (9.3 days)

100.2 mi 11,427 ft EG 10.7 mi/day 1,225 ft/day Adjustments: none Tehachapi resupply     Detour:  13.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  5-20-11 (Fri) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  5-20-11 (Fri)

Cumulative distance: 555.1 mi Exit pt: Tehachipi Springs Rd. Notes:  511 Hikertown Ship 1 box 5 days spend 0 at Hikertown Ship 3/1526803 W. Ave C-15 Lancaster CA 93536 MOJAVE NOT tehachapi 2053 belshaw st 661-822-0279 ship 10 days to mojave post office Taxi to town 1-661-824-8294 LOAD UP ON WATER HERE need a hotel

10. Tehachapi to Onyx  (8.4 days)

92.7 mi 9,042 ft EG 11.1 mi/day 1,080 ft/day Adjustments: none Onyx resupply     Detour:  17.6 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  5-28-11 (Sat) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  5-28-11 (Sat)

Cumulative distance: 647.8 mi Exit pt: Highway 178 Notes:  ship 4/15 post office onyx post office 93255 8275 EASY ST ONYX, CA 93255-9998 (800) ASK-USPS (800) 275-8777 (760) 378-2121 Business Hours Mon-Fri 9:30am-1:00pm 1:45pm-4:00pm Sat-Sun closed

11. Onyx to Kennedy Meadows  (4.8 days)

49.2 mi 7,003 ft EG 10.2 mi/day 1,455 ft/day Adjustments: none Kennedy Meadows resupply     Detour:  0.7 mi - walk Arrive:  6-2-11 (Thu) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  6-2-11 (Thu)

Cumulative distance: 697.0 mi Exit pt: Kennedy Meadows Road Notes:  2 boxes SHIP 3/15 Be prepared to walk all the way to Lone Pine 24 miles Kennedy Meadows The porch of the Kennedy Meadows Store (559 850-5647) is rightly celebrated as the Times Square of the PCT world. Aside from the store, there's very little for a hiker in this remote hamlet, the gateway to the High Sierra. No motels, certainly. The store does burgers most days. A few miles down the road, Grumpy Bear's offers a slightly more extensive menu (including ice cream sundaes), plus free WiFi and a shuttle to and from the KM campground. We know nothing about Irelan's, the only other food-service business. PCT journals describe it as hit-and-miss.

12. Kennedy Meadows to Lone Pine  (3.0 days)

42.0 mi 7,512 ft EG 13.8 mi/day 2,472 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Lone Pine resupply     Detour:  2.1 mi - walk + 22.8 mi hitchhike Arrive:  6-5-11 (Sun) Layover:     2.0 days      Depart:  6-7-11 (Tue)

Cumulative distance: 739.0 mi Exit pt: Trail Pass Notes:  Hook up with Kevin. Shop and rig 8 - 10 days Also shop and ship Saeid Valley 7 days

13. Lone Pine to Muir Trail Ranch  (7.8 days)

111.4 mi 17,666 ft EG 14.3 mi/day 2,271 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Muir Trail Ranch resupply     Detour:  1.5 mi - walk Arrive:  6-15-11 (Wed) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  6-15-11 (Wed)

Cumulative distance: 850.4 mi Exit pt: Florence Lake Trail 7890ft Notes:  1 bucket 5 days claim ticket attached to my journal ship 5/25 pay $50.

14. Muir Trail Ranch to Red's Meadow  (3.6 days)

50.3 mi 8,434 ft EG 14.1 mi/day 2,363 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Red's Meadow resupply     Detour:  0.3 mi - walk Arrive:  6-18-11 (Sat) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  6-18-11 (Sat)

Cumulative distance: 900.7 mi Exit pt: Old Wagon Road Notes:  ship 5/25 1 box needs batteries, snacks and torts

15. Red's Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows  (2.4 days)

36.1 mi 4,626 ft EG 15.1 mi/day 1,941 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Tuolumne Meadows resupply     Detour:  0.8 mi - walk Arrive:  6-21-11 (Tue) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  6-21-11 (Tue)

Cumulative distance: 936.8 mi Exit pt: Highway 120 Notes:  Ship 5/25 10 days 2 boxes

16. Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass  (7.7 days)

76.4 mi 12,250 ft EG 9.9 mi/day 1,591 ft/day Adjustments: none Sonora Pass resupply     Detour:  11.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  6-29-11 (Wed) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  6-29-11 (Wed)

Cumulative distance: 1,013.2 mi Exit pt: Highway 108 Notes:  kennedy meadows pack station 57 miles E of sonora on hwy 8 sonora, ca 95370 Ship upS 5/25 $10 per box

17. Sonora Pass to Echo Lake Resort  (4.8 days)

76.2 mi 7,635 ft EG 16.0 mi/day 1,603 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Echo Lake Resort resupply     Detour:  0.0 mi - on trail Arrive:  7-3-11 (Sun) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-3-11 (Sun)

Cumulative distance: 1,089.4 mi Exit pt: on trail Notes:  echo lake resort post office 95721 2 boxes 530-659-7670 open packages away from store SHIP 5/25

18. Echo Lake Resort to Soda Spr. / Pooh Corner  (5.8 days)

60.7 mi 7,536 ft EG 10.6 mi/day 1,310 ft/day Adjustments: none Soda Spr. / Pooh Corner resupply     Detour:  2.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  7-9-11 (Sat) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-9-11 (Sat)

Cumulative distance: 1,150.1 mi Exit pt: - Soda Springs 3.2 mi HH: PO Store Restaurant  Notes:  Ship 5/25 c/o Bill and molly Person PMB 154 11448 Deerfield Dr suite 2 Truckee, CA 96161 call Bill 5305874485 from the rest are 1/4 mile down the hwy i80

19. Soda Spr. / Pooh Corner to Sierra City  (2.5 days)

41.4 mi 3,070 ft EG 16.9 mi/day 1,251 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Sierra City resupply     Detour:  1.5 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  7-11-11 (Mon) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-11-11 (Mon)

Cumulative distance: 1,191.5 mi Exit pt: Highway 49 Notes:  Ship 5/25 10 days 2 boxes needs torts Usually carry Butane canisters but call 1 week ahead to be sure store hours 5908621560 Open M-F 8:30-5 SAt 10:30-12:30

20. Sierra City to Belden  (6.0 days)

91.7 mi 11,056 ft EG 15.4 mi/day 1,853 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Belden resupply     Detour:  0.0 mi - on trail Arrive:  7-17-11 (Sun) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-17-11 (Sun)

Cumulative distance: 1,283.2 mi Exit pt: on trail Notes:  2 boxes

21. Belden to Old Station  (5.7 days)

88.4 mi 10,275 ft EG 15.5 mi/day 1,801 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Old Station resupply     Detour:  0.5 mi - walk Arrive:  7-23-11 (Sat) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-23-11 (Sat)

Cumulative distance: 1,371.6 mi Exit pt: Gate Notes:  -none-

22. Old Station to Burney Falls State Park  (2.5 days)

45.9 mi 1,457 ft EG 18.5 mi/day 588 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Burney Falls State Park resupply     Detour:  0.3 mi - walk Arrive:  7-26-11 (Tue) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-26-11 (Tue)

Cumulative distance: 1,417.5 mi Exit pt: Broad Path to BF Notes:  -none-

23. Burney Falls State Park to Castella  (5.1 days)

82.9 mi 8,000 ft EG 16.1 mi/day 1,555 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Castella resupply     Detour:  0.5 mi - walk Arrive:  7-31-11 (Sun) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  7-31-11 (Sun)

Cumulative distance: 1,500.4 mi Exit pt: Locked Gate near CC Notes:  ammaratis store 2 buckets and 1 box

24. Castella to Etna  (6.4 days)

99.8 mi 11,144 ft EG 15.6 mi/day 1,746 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Etna resupply     Detour:  10.5 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  8-6-11 (Sat) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  8-6-11 (Sat)

Cumulative distance: 1,600.2 mi Exit pt: Etna Summit Notes:  Your Name Here c\o General Delivery Etna, CA 96027 The post office is located at Main St & Diggles St. Our guess is that if you polled every PCT thru-hiker on their favorite town stop of the entire trip maybe half would say Etna without a moment's hesitation. This quiet and utterly charming agricultural community of 900 is the model for everything a trail town should be. It's compact and very easy to navigate on foot (all you need is on Main or Collier). It features a good-sized grocery store, drug store, hardware store, public library, movie house and an old-fashioned soda fountain. Above all else, the locals are friendly and seem attuned to the care and feeding of PCT hikers. We received above-average service at every establishment we visited. Add to this some beautiful 100-year-old architecture, a bucolic valley setting devoid of tourists and you have the perfect town stop. The town has more than its share of idiosyncratic charms. Deer, for some reason known only to them and certain wildlife biologists, regard the streets of downtown Etna as a safe refuge. If you spend a day and a night in Etna you're almost sure to see at least several of them strolling down the main thoroughfares with impunity. In terms of other hazards to safe driving, keep a sharp eye when driving the twisting road to the trailhead. The monks of St. Gregory Palamas (see above) are fond of walking along it. There's nothing quite like coming around a blind turn and almost hitting three heavily bearded men in flowing black cassocks. The ZZ Top-meets-Rasputin look is big in Etna, although you probably won't see it in the brewpub. The Motel Etna (317 Collier Way, 530 467-5338) is an immaculate facility that should be the default choice for Etna. At $55 per night in 2008, the quiet, basic rooms represent an extraordinary value, less than half what you'd pay for a comparable room on the other side of the hill in Mount Shasta or Dunsmuir. Reservations are strongly recommended, because with just 10 rooms they are likely to fill up on weekends. Alderbrook Manor (836 Sawyers Bar Road, 530 467-3917), the celebrated B&B with the equally celebrated hiker hut, provides shuttle service to and from trailheads. Rates for the six-bed, hostel-style hiker hut are trivial (and include cable TV, continental breakfast, etc.) You'll probably spend more on dinner. Bob's Ranch House (585 Collier Way, 530 462-4685) is your source for basic diner chow and waitresses who will call you "hon." Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an emphasis on breakfast. By 7 a.m. the entire gravel lot outside this strip shopping center is filled with ranch trucks. They're very big on pie. One can usually find seven homebaked varieties in the bakery case. Burgers are a good bet for dinner. In the morning, the omelettes are big and well-made. For something lighter than the usual home-fries and toast-on-the-side breakfast, look across the parking lot to the tiny Country Bakery (530 467-3525) for pastries, bagels, scones and coffee drinks. The bakery, which is only open weekdays, is one option for those who *really* want to hit the trail at dark o'clock. It opens at 4 a.m. Corrigan's Bar and Outback (412 Main St., 530 467-5899) has something of a split personality. Corrigan's itself is a delightful shoebox of a dive, with a facade of river rock quarried almost certainly from the Scott River. The sparsely furnished interior looks like it's seen its share of bench-clearing brawls over the decades. The decor is classic Western dive, with old pinups in the men's room, a 50-year accumulation of corny signs and garage-sale junk behind the bar and -- this is the true test of a real beer joint -- a mosaic of autographed dollar bills stuck to the ceiling. Warm service, great beer selection (bottles only, no draft) and the best place in town to bend an elbow with the locals. The jukebox, whether you like it or not, is programmed for Total Non-Sequitur Random Entertainment. You throw four quarters in and punch up four songs and you'll get four. Chances are they won't be the four that you ordered, but after three boilermakers, they sound good just the same. The Outback is the dining annex located -- you guessed it -- out back behind the bar. It operates Friday and Saturday nights only (and sometimes not even then, if the operator has better things to do). Terrific steaks. Both halves of Corrigan's offer outstanding service. Overall, a guaranteed good time all around, which was just what we needed coming off 100 miles of trail food. Our highest recommendation. The Etna Brewing Company (131 Callahan St., 530 467-5277) is just off the main drag, hard by what appears to be an auto graveyard, in a nondescript metal-sided industrial building. There are usually six or seven brews on tap at the little seven-seater bar. At $3 a pint, they're a bargain. The Phoenix Red Amber Ale is by far the best of the lot. The Export Lager is lightest of the bunch. The Classic Gold is the default standard bottled brew they distribute to other establishments (including Corrigan's). And the Old Grind Porter is for those who like their beer with the color and consistency of crankcase oil. The menu tends toward deli fare -- wraps and sandwiches (some of which are organic and/or vegetarian). Friday and Saturday nights they'll barbecue chicken and tri-tip. At $8.95 for the chicken dinner and $9.95 for the tri-tip -- with all the fixin's -- this is as good a value as the beer. (Two small encounters to give you some idea how big-hearted Etna is: When we rolled into the brewpub one Saturday night just as they had shut down the kitchen, the bartender called over to the Outback and asked that they keep the grill on until we could run up the street. That's hospitality. And when I attempted to hitch back up to Etna Summit, in a light rain, the caretaker at the B&B took pity and ran me up the hill -- even though I had not stayed at his establishment.) For a town of such modest size, Etna seems blessed with more than its share of restaurants. Some notable establishments we didn't have time to try: Dotty's Korner Kitchen (404 N. Hwy. 3, 530 467-3303) is a no-frills burger shack north of downtown near the Motel Etna and Bob's Ranch House. Trailhead (434 Main St., 530 467-3593) features basic American chow, open for dinner only, Thursday through Saturday. Wildwood Crossing and Coffee (405 Main St., 530 467-5708) features breakfast and lunch only. Lunch offerings include sandwiches, salads and pasta. Note that if you're hitting town on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, Dotty's burgers and Bob's Ranch House may be your only dining options. For something less than a complete meal, there's the soda fountain in Scott Valley Drug (511 Main St., 530 467-5335).

25. Etna to Seiad Valley  (3.4 days)

56.8 mi 4,185 ft EG 16.9 mi/day 1,244 ft/day  * Adjustments: 2.5 mi pace 8 hours/day 60 minutes added per eg comp Seiad Valley resupply     Detour:  0.0 mi - Arrive:  8-10-11 (Wed) Layover:     0.0 days      Depart:  8-10-11 (Wed)

Cumulative distance: 1,657.0 mi Exit pt: on trail Notes:  shipped from lone pine

26. Seiad Valley to Ashland  (6.4 days)

64.5 mi 10,002 ft EG 10.0 mi/day 1,552 ft/day Adjustments: none Ashland finish     Detour:  11.0 mi - hitchhike Arrive:  8-16-11 (Tue) (finish)

Cumulative distance: 1,721.5 mi Exit pt: Highway 99 Notes:  Dog Kennel and Duffle sent to Callahans callahans offers a space on the lawn, spaghetti dinner and a big breakfast as well as a shower with spa type soaps and lotions for $40. From Here we will call Enterprise. They will pick us up for $10 we can rent a car big enough to haul our gear. We can drop it at Medford airport Enterprise for $35 extra. Enterprise, Ashland. 2045 HWY 99 N ASHLAND, OR 97520-9653 Tel.:(541) 552-0233

Campo to Ashland

3-25-11 to 8-16-11

(northbound hike)

Days

137.5

days walking

0.0

on trail layover days

7.0

in town layover days

144.5

Total days

Averages

without layovers:

12.5 mi/day

1,472 ft/day

with layovers:

11.9 mi/day

1,401 ft/day

Trail

Base Distance:

1,721.5 mi

Extra Distance:

0.0 mi

Total Distance:

1,721.5 mi

Base Elevation gain:

202,341 ft

Extra EG:

0 ft

Total Elevation gain:

202,341 ft

Resupply count:

25

© 1997-2011, Daniel Craig Giffen

Thanx to everyone who put up with me during this stressful phase of the trip planning.  Now my bags are packed, the food is rigged and ready.  Nothing left to do but train and clean the house.


Can't wait--can't wait--can't wait