Hiking the PCT in Consecutive Pieces With Two Daughters

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johntp

Trad climber

socal

Jun 11, 2015 - 11:33am PT

Yee Haw. BBST/TFPU

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2015 - 05:40pm PT

And here's the last day of our most recent trip:

Tricia and I started our third day packed very light and moving fast (and, as is normally the case, Vicki took on the lion's share of packing up camp - maybe I should be posting this on the "The Totally Awesome Wife/GF Thread"). We had just under 12 miles to hike to get to Highway 49:

The PCT follows a paved road for 200 yards just past where we'd finished yesterday:

The first half of this hike actually was in deeper forest. Views were rare as we gradually ascended to a low pass and then continued to the switchbacks that lead into Milton Canyon:

In one of the few open sections on this part of the trail we came upon a very interesting meeting of rock types. Two of our very good friends/climbing partners, J.C. and RP3, are geology professors. We took this shot for them (and they should feel free to give us some idea of how the stark contrast - at least in rock color - came to be):

We got one clear view of Jackson Meadows Reservoir. Tricia didn't get it at first when I said "dam." Then she looked over her left shoulder. Thankfully she still finds my attempts at "daddy humor" mildly amusing:

At about six miles into the trip we came to a long set of switchbacks that were to lead us down into Milton Creek. We stopped there for snacks and water:

As we descended the switchbacks the cloud cover went from 5% to 95%. It was warm though, even walking along the creek, and a few sprinkles would have been welcome:

Milton Creek must have some big flows at some times; all the crossings had bridges. We stopped for lunch at the second bridge (as an indication of how dry 2015 has been, the hikers who took these shots for us were through-hikers - by the end of the first week of June they were at least 300 miles further into a through-hike than is normal, although they did start five weeks earlier than is customary):

At one point on our hike along the creek we emerged from the trees and, wham; there right in front of us were the Sierra Buttes. We'd moved more than ten miles closer to them since we'd seen them last:

Another bridge over Haypress Creek led us to the last stretch of the trail to the highway:

We crossed the North Yuba River (apparently that's the name; it's not the North Fork of the Yuba River):

Half a mile later we came to the highway and to Vicki (she's always there):

This third day seemed just right to us. We felt "broken in" for the season; ready for some rest and then another, longer and more intense session during the last week of this month.

We'll pick up the story again then.

10b4me

Social climber

Jun 11, 2015 - 06:14pm PT

One of two best threads on ST.
That's a part of the state I've never hiked in. Looks really nice.
Thanks for keeping this thread alive.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2015 - 06:28pm PT

Oh, and one more shot from the first evening, one that Steve took that I really like, but which I didn't have on my computer to post earlier:

And one from the third day that I totally forgot to post (I'm getting old and forgetful). Another PCT sign, this time showing someone's sense of humor:

Thanks too for all the encouraging comments.

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Jun 11, 2015 - 07:53pm PT

You guys are way inspiring and part mule(not referring to looks at all).

Maeday

Trad climber

San Francisco

Jun 11, 2015 - 10:16pm PT

gosh, that is awesome!!!! very inspiring. i have three daughters of my own. i take them climbing sometimes.... your post is really inspiring. saturday we will hike in tuolomme meadows to young lake for a day hike. thanks for the thread:)

Maeday

Trad climber

San Francisco

Jun 11, 2015 - 10:40pm PT

skcreidc

Social climber

SD, CA

Jun 12, 2015 - 05:27am PT

THis is very cool. Wish I could get my kids to go out backpacking like that with me. Very nice! Keep it up.

Jan

Mountain climber

Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa

Jun 12, 2015 - 08:03am PT

I love this thread! Please post more!

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2015 - 08:54am PT

This post is for apogee.

I've never forgotten your comments early on this thread about your hike of the PCT. Your experience of the trail back in the 1980s was very different than ours has been; the trail itself wasn't what it is now, and methods and equipment were quite different from those we've used on this trip.

All of this came back to my memory about two months ago. My wife found a book then at a garage sale. She bought it for me for $1.00. It was published by National Geographic in 1975:

It's a cool book. I read it cover to cover over our recent three-day trip. As one might expect from National Geo, it's well written and contains great photos.

Some of these photos show how different methods and equipment really were:

Now that guy in the photo above isn't you apogee, but can you honestly say that your pack and your clothes were a lot different when you did the trail?

Here's another very revealing shot. This was taken in the southern Sierra. The young lady shown is well into multi-day backpack. She's wearing old Adidas shoes and jeans!? Jeans in the back country?

But apogee's description of the southern part of the trail is what's really stuck in my mind for all this time. When this book was written (and I think when apogee did the trail), parts of the PCT weren't even established yet. Here's the "San Filipe Hills" section of the "trail," in San Diego County (it's Highway 2 itself - when we passed through there we hiked a real trail in the hills about three miles east of the highway):

And perhaps the part of the book that hit me the most was a map. A map of the northern Mojave and Southern Sierra parts of the trail. Apogee described hiking up Jawbone Canyon north of Tehachapi, whereas we drove up that canyon in order to reach a PCT that traversed the mountains above it. Well look at the "temporary" PCT route on the National Geo map from 1975 - right up Jawbone Canyon:

The map also shows the temporary trail going out into the Mojave, way down and hotter then where the permanent trail now goes! Hot, hot, hot!

Anyway, I thought these photos would maybe bring back a few memories. They certainly brought your early posts straight back to my mind.

And, by the way, I'm laughing with you apogee, not at you. I suspect that I am five or so years younger than you; but in my early days I backpacked like that. I used a metal frame pack. And I wore cut off jeans as (normal length) shorts too.

Thanks again for everyone's support of this thread.

John M

climber

Jun 13, 2015 - 09:07am PT

Great post mtnyoung. I used a metal frame jansport pack. And wore jeans in the back country. It was all that I had. Tough but heavy. And no protection if you got them wet.

The thing that gets me about today is the weight that people carry. My first 2 week trip into the back country my loaded pack weighed 67 pounds without water. And I was wearing Jeans.. hahaha..

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2015 - 09:08am PT

Yeah, "the good old days."

Life was better though when shorts were actually short! :)

John M

climber

Jun 13, 2015 - 09:16am PT

when the ladies were wearing them… yes. LOL..

As for nostalgia.. ugh.. my back aches just remembering some of the loads I carried. With thin shoulder straps. no thank you. Not going back to that. 25 pounds of gear sounds like a dream to me. A good dream.

nita

Social climber

chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.

Jun 13, 2015 - 09:42am PT

*
The bearded dude looks like ..drljefe.

mtnyoung, I bet you Fifty cents ...that apogee is younger than you.....

For many years now, because of knee/ ankle problems..I mainly do light weight overnight trips in the wilderness...make camp and hump miles with day packs on.

My equipment got better,...but i still hike in jeans, dresses..and some light weight clothing with my trusty rain pants. Ha...I even hiked the ..Ray Lake loop in Teva's.....Finding the right shoe wear is difficult for me.

Keep the trip reports going...I love your adventures with the family....Is your older daughter joining you this summer?.....and...If you hike the section of the PCT through the Feather river, Belden area and need supplies...Contact Timid or I...It's not that far of a drive.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2015 - 10:20am PT

mtnyoung, I bet you Fifty cents ...that apogee is younger than you..... or the same age.

OK, you're on. I was born in December, 1960. I hope I don't eat crow on this one.

Is your older daughter joining you this summer?

The plan is for Katie to join us for four days in August. She's a busy kid.

It was ironic though on this trip we just did; she specifically said in a text that she'd rather be with us on the trail than down at U.C.S.B. The fact that she was in finals week might have had something to do with this though....

If you hike the section of the PCT through the Feather river, Belden area and need supplies...Contact Timid or I...It's not that far of a drive.

We'll be hiking through there during the last few days of June (two weeks from now, ending at Belden) and then again in July (continuing north). We won't need supplies, but perhaps you'd consider camping with us and joining our hike for a day or for a few?

nita

Social climber

chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.

Jun 13, 2015 - 10:40am PT

..
I would love to meet and join you...and if we get a chance...you had better bring 50 cents..(-;
My guess ..He is three −5 years younger..

Hey Apogee...What say you?

ps.. mtny...I'm older than you, and in my youth..I lived in Twain Harte for part of a winter..Do you know Greg Sonagere?

edit...pss..That a hot section of the pct your heading towards...Gotta be hard for the through hikers..so little water this year. There is a section, name i forget( Timid will know) maybe called, Cold creek..?
It has a trough & pipe with cold clear spring water.. yum... We have camped near several times and go filled up our water bottles at that spot.
Edit..Found it.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2015 - 11:52am PT

ps.. mtny...I'm older than you, and in my youth..I lived in Twain Harte for part of a winter..Do you know Greg Sonagere?

What had you living up here nita, Columbia College for a spell?

Yep, I know Greg. Although by the time I started climbing up here a lot he wasn't climbing any more.

We'll be closing in on Belden on our next trip, probably reaching there on June 29 or 30. So if you've got time lemme know, we'd love the company.

P.S. I haven't lost the bet... yet.

10b4me

Social climber

Jun 13, 2015 - 02:06pm PT

mtnyoung,
that map of the trail in the Mojave desert brings back memories. I remember sleeping above Hwy 14 one night, in 1980. As you said, the trail was somewhat discontinuous at that time. I got really sick on the trail, and had to come home. I never went back. One of the things I regret.