Cross Country Route

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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by Wandering Daisy »

My parents were "annoying" to me until I had kids. I was "annoying" to my kids until they had kids. My kids were "annoying" to me in their 20's. Interesting how having your own kids puts it into perspective!

This is a very ambitious plan that will take a ton of will power. Be aware that one of the toughest things is being out there all alone, day after day. This is not like the PCT where you meet and chat with people about every day. Learn to talk positively to yourself - this is a skill you will need. When things get to the edge, take a deep breath and think clearly about your next move. It takes a bit of "attitude" to do a trip like this, but be careful that the "attitude" does not get in the way of good judgement. You are guarenteed to have a few setbacks. Put them into perspective. If you have to divert around an obstacle and loose half a day, that really is not much in the big picture of being out 100+ days. When things repeatedly go wrong it may be time to take half a day off and just focus on the beauty of the outdoors.

I think everyone on this forum, whether they "like" you or not, hopes you succeed and stay safe.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Actually being out there alone is one of the easier bits for me. I have in one way or another always been alone in my life so as a result I am quite comfortable with it. As much as I enjoy chatting it up with the hiker passing by sometimes spending as much as the entire day just talking to one person like I did last year I am really ready for a complete bit of solitude out there. You tend to have to explain the same thing over and over to people and of course when people want to know where you have been and where you are going it's a very long answer and most people don't know the Sierra all that well so they don't know where you mean anyway.

The biggest question is will my body survive the trip? And the second is will my money hold out? Probably more than half the trip will be buy as you go for food which makes it impossible to know how much it is really going to cost.
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obxcola
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by obxcola »

Looking over your schedule:
July 8 - 13 - Lake 10,760
SJuly 9 - 14 - Lake Reflection You have to cross the Kings/Kern divide somewhere. I'm curious about this crossing sometimes referred to as "Little Joe Pass"

It appears to have the best south western or western exposure ( Milly's foot, Lucy's foot and Harrison all face north )
Little Joe Pass.jpg
And Wandering Daisy: Perfect description of the "joys" of parenthood! It's the abrupt transition at puberty ( hows that work? ) from leader advisor sort of friend to complete idiot that''s so jarring. As mine are now passing 20 and the older is getting more than half way to 25 I see some glimmers of the friend re-appearing while the idiot diminishes and even occasional hints of the advisor.
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whrdafamI?
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by whrdafamI? »

RoguePhotonic wrote:With my dad it's not him being "willing" to go but I am accommodating him. He wants to get out for a week long summer hike and I have arranged my schedule to allow him to come along with me. And you really don't know him. He is the type that shows up completely unprepared and then drains your resources which you planned to only be adequate for yourself and his general attitude often just brings you down when your supposed to be enjoying yourself in such beautiful locations.

With SAR it's a simple logical constant or something along those lines. As I said I respect what they do and that they are there to do it but I cannot plan my life around the notion of an unstoppable mechanical machine. The idea that action A could lead to action B which like it or not will lead to action C which could hypothetically lead to result D which is just wrong of you to even set worth a set of actions at all that could lead to this hypothetical scenario. It's insanity to me.

As for being ready to die I am well aware of the taboo held on the subject in our society and it's not something I advertise to people but it's a simple matter of truth. I say it only because it's a statistical fact on my journey. I am ready to die in my life and I am not setting out to get myself killed but when warning me of dangers that aren't that severe it's important for me to point out the fact that I am willing to accept the ultimate consequence which of course is death.

Your wrong though that I am the kind of person that gets people killed. I never like to lead people any where that I feel is beyond their comfort zone. I once started out on a 10 mile one way cross country back packing trip in Death Valley over very tough terrain and the friend that came with me was so out of shape and clueless at the time that he was sitting down every hundred yards when we were hardly a mile in. I immediately realised that it was a mistake to bring him out there and that he could get both of us in allot of trouble so we turned around and didn't do the hike. I may be willing to die but that doesn't mean I am willing to let anyone else die with me.

War is not so different for a soldier that truly believes. You don't go into battle hoping you die and you do everything you can not to but if you do die you are more than willing to do so.

I still quote John Muir as a motto: "The worst that can happen is we could fall and then what a glorious grave site we would have!"
So take the time to make sure that Dad has what he needs before you go. Take the leader position. And as far as a "Glorious gravesite" you are mistaken. If the SAR group didn't find you at first it wouldn't matter. Sooner or later someone would find your bones and it would become a potential crime scene and your bones would end up being hauled off the mtn. for evaluation. This isn't Everest were talking about. Becoming a human popcycle isn't a option here.
Better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it!

Get busy living or get busy dying.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

It appears to have the best south western or western exposure ( Milly's foot, Lucy's foot and Harrison all face north )
That looks like a long very steep descent. It may be more Western exposure but I don't think it will matter at that altitude at the time of year I should be passing through. I am going to be on snow on any of these passes I take. I will probably be on snow through allot of the whole area. I still hope to make it across Harrison.

I noted though it is an error that my route says I should camp at East Kennedy Lake. I plan to cross Kennedy Pass that day and stay around Frypan Meadow.

Also I have considered the idea of when I get back to VVR instead of taking the JMT South I could take their van shuttle system to Florence Lake and get a better jump on this cross country section which cuts out at least one day to make my pack load lighter.

As for my dad once again I have to say that you just don't know him. I agree completely with what you mean by parents and kids as ages go on but he is different lol.

You are right though that I guess I will have to make sure he has what he needs before leaving.

I have always figured that with SAR of course. Even if you were alive long enough to write notes about what happened and tell them to leave you here it just wont be done. Might violate the wilderness act.

So far all the pieces are moving into place for this hike. I have all gear ready to go and have started buying supplies for the packages I will send ahead. Maybe I shouldn't say it online but I hope to have a minimum of 2000$ on the go. Hopefully that will be enough for all my supplies and to enjoy having a burger when I can at the resorts.
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oldranger
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by oldranger »

RP
Consider relatively little cash and credit or debit card + a check or two. Once I even asked for credit and sent a check when I got home.

Mike
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I can't do checks because I have never had a bank account but I plan to do half and half. I have a pre paid credit card that I will probably throw half the money and then cash for the rest. Cards have always made me nervous because they can fail you or the services for them can be down.

Getting jacked on the trail is the least of my worries. The only time theft even comes to mind is when I am around a resort doing my business while my pack sits outside unattended.
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East Side Hiker
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by East Side Hiker »

All I can say is that you have an amazing schedule, and if you stick to it that will be a feat. Those stream crossings are going to be difficult probably into July. September days will probalby be wonderful, estecially in alpine areas as those flower fields will probably be peaking then.

Personally, I don't think I've ever made a schedule in such detail like the one you posted. I wander too much once I'm out there. For me, I see a peak or two I want to ascend, do that a couple times in a week, and there goes the plans.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Yeah my schedule will most certainly change along the way. It's inevitable to fall behind or need more rest days.

And since this spring has failed me with warm weather who knows what sorts of problems I may find along the way. Encountering snow isn't always about it's just slower or more tricky on passes. It can be falling in waist deep and simply being unable to continue through such conditions.

I do think my hike is encouraging in the way that if I can get through the first two weeks then after that my route doesn't go where I may have a problem with snow until I start the Sierra High Route at the end of July.

With planning though I spend so much time with all the logistics on these sorts of hikes that when I wanted to start planning a thru hike of the PCT it just seemed like an over whelming task but it really isn't since you don't plan exactly where your going to camp each day.
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Mike M.
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by Mike M. »

Personally, I don't think I've ever made a schedule in such detail like the one you posted. I wander too much once I'm out there. For me, I see a peak or two I want to ascend, do that a couple times in a week, and there goes the plans.
Same with me. The longest hike I ever took was a 40 day solo effort. I had a vague idea of my route -- with one rendezvous planned for Day 12 and a food resupply on Day 23. Other than that, it was go where I wanted. I made up my own Sierra High Route (didn't know about Roper's), zig zagging along the Sierra crest starting at Mono Pass and ending south of Whitney.

Those were the days!

Mike
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