Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California. Jeffrey P. Schaffer
Sierra City
Belden Town Resort, store
Old Station
Cassel
McArthur–Burney Falls State Park, camper store
Castella
Seiad Valley, Seiad Valley Store
Ashland (southern Oregon), Youth Hostel
What services does the PCTA provide the potential trekker? In addition to answering your PCT letters, phone calls, and faxes, it publishes a bimonthly newsletter, The Communicator. While addressing general issues and timely matters, it provides informative accounts by those who have hiked or ridden much or all of the PCT. The Communicator also has a section on trip partners where people can post their background, experience, and what kind of partner they’d like. Through an agreement with the Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other agencies, the PCTA also provides wilderness permits for trips of 500 miles or more on the PCT (free to members, $5.00 for non-members). The association’s Web site contains hundreds of pages of information, including trip planning, current trail conditions, trip calculators, and more (including permit applications and links to other useful sites). Additionally, the PCTA maintains registers (see below) along or near the trail. These provide the organization with a list of who did what, relative degree of trail use, and annually and seasonally changing trail conditions and special problems. By signing these registers the backpacker over time develops a camaraderie with other trekkers. Although you may never catch up to those ahead of you, by trail’s end you may feel that you’ve come to know them. Finally, the PCTA has been making a concerted effort to lobby Congress for funds ($4.5 million by early 2001) to help acquire nearly 300 miles of private land, ensuring future generations of PCT users a protected corridor. Related to this are suggestions to government agencies on future reroutes to make the trail safer, more practical, or more scenic.
American Long Distance Hikers Association-West (ALDHA-West)
In 1993 Ray Jardine founded the Western States Chapter and also began publishing The Distance Hiker’s Gazette, a quarterly newsletter. After a couple of years, Ray left his organization, and a few of its members took it over and reorganized it. Its mission is to promote fellowship and communication among long-distance hikers, and those who support (but don’t necessarily do) long-distance hiking. As the association’s name implies, it is aimed at long-distance backpackers only (i.e., not dayhikers and equestrians). Although the association’s emphasis is on the Pacific Crest Trail, it also addresses relevant backpacking matters on other long trails or treks, not only in the western United States, but even overseas, and members hail from around the country, not just from the west. If you’re a long-distance hiker, there are at least two reasons to join the association: first, in The Distance Hiker’s Gazette there are good descriptions of various trails and routes, plus backpacking advice; and second, each fall they have the ALDHA-West Gathering, where one can find lots of camaraderie among distance hikers. To join the organization, write to ALDHA-West, Box 5286, Eugene, OR 97405, or visit its Web page at www.aldahawest.org.
The vast majority of PCT trekkers are hikers, but there is fair use from equestrians on certain stretches. Occasionally an equestrian party will attempt to do the whole trail. This is more difficult than hiking, since horses don’t wear crampons and don’t cross logs over deep, raging streams. Consequently, it’s virtually impossible to do the whole trek in one long season without making serious diversions, such as skipping the High Sierra entirely or doing it later, after the snow has melted and streams are safe. Should you want to ride the entire trail without any diversions or leapfrogging, then do it over two or more summers, making sure you do the High Sierra between mid-July and mid-September (and Washington during August— before then there is too much snow, after then, too much chance of snowstorms). For help on planning your trip through California, contact the Backcountry Horsemen of California; for Oregon and Washington, start with the Backcountry Horsemen of America.
Equestrians, you might do it while you can. Although the PCT is solely for hikers and equestrians, pressure is underway to ban equestrians from overnight stays in the backcountry, as in Yosemite National Park. (For years they’ve been banned overnight in the backcountry of Lassen Volcanic National Park.) What logistics could you devise if ultimately you were banned from overnight camping in wildernesses and national parks? In effect, you would only be able to do those parts you could do as day rides.
Backcountry Horsemen of California
This organization (which, despite its name, is open to horsewomen) was created in 1981. Though its mailing address has shifted in the past, in 2001 you can reach it at Box 40007, Bakersfield, CA 93384-0007, or by phone at (888) 302-BCHC (information and fax line) and, in the 209 area code, 530-0662, or at its Web site at www.bchc.com. BCHC is dedicated to conserving backcountry wilderness and protecting stock users’ historic use of wilderness trails. Among other things, the organization offers clinics that show you how to pack with a horse and/or mule in the mountains. Besides teaching the fundamentals of packing, it stresses low-impact use, courtesy, and common sense. Available from the organization, directly off its Web site, is “Gentle Use: A Pocket Guide to Backcountry Stock Users.” Much of their good advice also applies to backpackers. The BCHC is a member organization of the Backcountry Horsemen of America (BCHA).
Backcountry Horsemen of America
Like the previous organization, BCHA also includes horsewomen, but it does not include all of the United States, but only 11 western states plus several others of the coterminous 48 states. If you plan to continue riding north beyond California, into Oregon and/or Washington, you might start with this organization. It publishes a quarterly newsletter plus a book—very relevant for California equestrians—Back Country Horsemen Guidebook (see “Recommended Reading and Source Materials: Backpacking, Packing, and Mountaineering”).
Mailing Tips
As was stated in the beginning of this chapter, the great majority of PCT hikers will not be on the trail long enough to bother with resupply points, which are mostly post offices. Those who will be on the trail for, say, one to several hiking sections can use the following table. The minority who attempt to do all of California also should consider obtaining Leslie C. Croot’s Pacific Crest Trail Town Guide, mentioned early in this chapter, since she gives post office hours as well as some of their phone numbers. (Be aware that this kind of information has changed in the past, and likely will do so in the future.)
You can mail yourself almost any food, clothing or equipment. Before you leave home, you should have a good idea of your consumption rate of food, clothing, and fuel for your stove. You can arrange for mailings of quantities of these things1, purchased at home, where they are probably cheaper than in the towns along the way. Address your package to:
[Your Name]General Delivery
[Post Office, State Abbr. Zip Code]
Hold Until [Date]
Post Offices Along or Near the Route, South to North
* = recommended for use
Some stations are seasonal. The best pickup time is weekdays 1–4 p.m. Hours of most are 9–12 and 1–5 or longer. Some are open Saturday mornings. Plan your trip schedule accordingly in order to avoid waiting two or three days in town because a post office was closed for the weekend (don’t forget about the three-day weekends: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day). Additionally, some resorts or concessionaires may accept mailed or UPS parcels so check the introductory section in each of the trail-description chapters (Sections I–R).
*Tuolumne Meadows 95389
Lee Vining 93541 (Use this when Tuomlumne Meadows is closed)
Bridgeport 93517
Markleeville 96120
*Echo Lake 95721
South Lake