Schmalz hikes the PCT

[Jimr]

I'll miss you by a couple of days. Too bad, it would have been fun to cross paths.

[Snowtrout]

Schmalz, great pics and info on conditions. Looks like a lot of snow has melted off in the last two weeks.

I was told this morning by a ranger that if you are a PCT through hiker, you can stay in the backpacker camp at TM. They aren't allowing jmt hikers there though

Missing you by a few days also. I will be at TM on Saturday.

[FeetFirst]

Thanks for sharing the pics, Schmalz. Very helpful for planning. Have fun!

Gtx socks might have been a good idea.

Trust me, GTX socks are worthless in those conditions. Andy & I both had a pair, and while they're initially nice, once they're wetted out (not really from the snow, but the constant flowing streams across the trail, down the trail, and of course the fords), they're just big, wet, heavy weights.

I thought mine where bad, but Andy had to periodically take his off and pour water out of them - at least I could wring mine out. Seems at a certain point, the water is kept in and the air out. LOL

Next time, I would take wool socks - same effect, but better quality. I had two pairs of light syn/cotton for the hot marches through Le Conte, Woods & Kearsarge.

What brand(s)? I have a pair from Rocky that I've been using for the past three years that are still working pretty darn good in typical spring conditions (slushy snow, wet trails, and fast cold fords).

[Hobbes]

What brand(s)? I have a pair from Rocky that I've been using for the past three years that are still working pretty darn good in typical spring conditions (slushy snow, wet trails, and fast cold fords).

Those look much better than mine: https://www.amazon.com/Dexshell-DS642HL ... B019Y70IAQ

Andy had a pair of rubber like sock covers, but they also failed. We were constantly fording crotch-waist high water. It was also fast moving, which meant we were moving very deliberately & slowly across, making sure our poles were firmly grounded before taking the next step. The water was moving fast enough to make it difficult to even direct the poles to a certain spot - they would just get swept along - so you had to overcompensate by letting the poles get pushed to where you really wanted them to be before taking the next step.

So, picture a person standing in the middle of a roaring river/creek, braced against the current while stabbing with his poles to try & find a stable location, then carefully moving his legs slightly forward. Repeat as necessary until reaching the other side. Going at that careful pace, the water builds up against you, climbing/splashing even higher, just like the leading edge of a bridge. I don't know how anything could stay dry in those conditions. Maybe a chest high fishing gaiter with built in booties? LOL.

We - and it seems like everyone else - just got used to having wet feet all day. I put my shoes in a plastic bag at the bottom of my sleeping bag a few nights when the temps dropped. It didn't really dry them out, but it helped not putting on frozen shoes, which happened a couple of mornings.

[schmalz]

Speaking of frozen shoes. I started yesterday with a 6am creek crossing and proceeded to hike with numb feet for 4 hours. Not excited for another week or so of creek crossings. They can be seriously frightening.

[Rockyroad]

Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Safe travels.

[ERIC]

Pics have been added to Calitrails Facebook. Link is in my signature. I don't think you need a Facebook account to see them.

Cross posting to the HST FB page. Awesome photos!! Can't wait for more..

[schmalz]

In Reno now, still kicking. Pictures have been uploaded. I'm still dealing with snow everyday but it's less and less. I think I'm sending home my microspikes tomorrow. Mosquitoes have been extremely active for the past few days in the Tahoe area. I'll be in town for 36 hours so ask any questions you want!

[maverick]

No questions here, just happy to see you chime in.

[old and slow]

Good to hear you're still kicking, what an adventure!!! Thanks for all the great pictures, looking forward to the next installment. Take care out there.