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Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Ken #5873 07/09/10 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ken
We have all this drama, based upon these spot messages. Calls to rangers, when no help has been requested, for example. This would drive me nuts, if it were done on my behalf, and I think most backpackers would feel the same (although maybe not).

I don't know whether you are a backpacker and have that perspective, or not. However, if you had the same technology in your car, and you found that every time you pulled off the interstate to get gas, your family called the gas station to make sure that you were ok, you would have an idea of what I'm talking about.

Many, many of us who backpack, do so for the ability to GET AWAY from civilization. I know a number of backpackers who strongly resist the spot technology, as they don't want to be connected, and especially do not like the idea of someone, anyone, watching their progress. I hear the word "creepy". The most common thing I hear about the attraction of backpacking is "solitude", one of the primary characteristic attributes of wilderness.

However, don't mistake my commentary based upon my own experiences as a suggestion as to what others do. It's simply a perspective.

You've obviously had the conversation with your loved one. I have no doubt that you'd have her, as would most rational non-backpackers, prefer to have her carry a sat phone and call in hourly. Who wouldn't? I probably would, too.



Hey Ken, I appreciated the call and the ride into town from the Sheriff as apposed to a 20 mile road walk and hitch. I didn't hit help because I could have made it out fine on my own, but the unexpected help in the middle of that rain storm was nice.

I'm taking a few days off the trail to let the snow melt and conditions improve before heading back.

Happy Hiking!
Brett

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure - Link to Adrienne's blog
Steve C #5894 07/11/10 11:26 AM
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Actually I think that's a picture of an ice axe arrest while falling down a steep snow slope.

Update about Darren, Nick, and Adrienne
Steve C #5895 07/11/10 11:54 AM
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On the night of 7/9 we were a bit concerned when we got this SPOT location, which is a couple of miles West of the PCT. The good news was that they'd pressed the OK button.

On 7/10 we got a call from Adrienne. She was in a hotel in Snoqualamie. It seems that they'd identified and purposely taken a route that led through lower elevations. Adrienne and Darren thought that Nick was a couple of hours behind them. They planned to head out again at about noon on 7/11.

Adrienne said they'd run into 'Half Mile' and he'd asked whether they knew the location of "Brett Cosner's SOBO group".

Darren's BLOG is here. He has 25 entries, and he says he has some good photos he'll post when he has a decent internet connection.

Re: Update about Darren, Nick, and Adrienne
DanMarshall #5901 07/11/10 10:15 PM
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Brett plans on starting south again from Snoqualmie Pass tomorrow (Monday). He spent some time visiting Olympic National Park today, even soaking at a hot spring.

He posted several more videos from the previous section of the trail -- just south of Stehekin. One showing Darren crossing the Suiattle River log.

Videos are here.

And he's updated his trailjournals log here.
TrailJournals photos here.

Re: Update about Darren, Nick, and Adrienne
Steve C #5927 07/12/10 09:41 PM
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To summarize Steve approximately how many Miles of the PCT has Brett walked? I have gotten a little confused with the stops and starts and re-supplies.I am surprised how much of the trail is un-maintained with fallen logs.I still am impressed with his map skills using a gps altimeter with no visible trail. That is trust and confidence.

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Rod #5929 07/12/10 10:39 PM
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Ok, let's see if I can summarize:

Date Location Miles
6/25 to 6/29 Manning Park to Rainy Pass 67
6/30 Rainy Pass to Stehekin 19
7/1- 7/3 Stehekin to Milk Creek 69
Skip Milk Cr to Stevens Pass 59
7/7 Stevens Pass to exit point 7
Skip exit pt to Snoqualmie Pass 57
7/12 (today) Snoqualmie P. to ~Dandy P. 18
camp at mile 2397, elev. 3900
Total hiked to date 180
total skipped miles 116

Apparently he's camped where he gets cell reception, since I got a single tail-end text message (3 of 4), and it appears to be text he wrote last week, since he's not rationing food on the first night out. His phone does weird things with his unsent messages--they seem to stream out at odd times. Here's the text:
...able group. Missing Javana a lot, being cold and wet is NOT fun and makes me think of home. I hope to get cell service some day. May need to ration food.

Before he left today, he said he got a call from Nick, one of the four who bailed at Milk Creek with him. Nick had gone on with Darren and Adrienne at Brett's second exit point, but they moved on earlier from Snoqualmie Pass. Brett expected to catch Nick by this evening, since he's carrying a heavier pack and moving slower.

Darren and Adrienne are at mile 2369, 46 miles ahead.

Here's a picture Brett posted on Facebook directly from his phone at 5:30 this evening, captioned "Dinner by Mirror Lake....cell service wow!"


Then he hiked another 8 miles, until 9 PM.

Brett's journal entry for the day:
7/12 It's good to be back on the trail. Hiked south from Snoqualmie Pass starting at 2pm and covered an amazing 16 miles by 8:30 when I met Nick at a nice grassy campsite. Tomorrow we plan to shoot for 30 miles to get to a cabin with a wood stove for tomorrow night. We shall see!



Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Steve C #5937 07/13/10 06:42 AM
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I got a phone call from Brett last night, 1am my time, he said he caught up with Nick. I was too delirious to keep talking though, it was a short phone call.


For Brett: Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
John Muir
Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
DrCosner #5970 07/13/10 09:35 PM
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Today's progress:

mile elev
------ ----
Start 2397 3900
End 2378 5020
------
total 19


Map location here

Brett called, said he had cell service all day. He and Nick stopped for the night in the middle of a 12-mile no-water section. Nick was behind, and caught up, had missed the spring so was completely out of water. So Brett had to give him part of his rations. They have 8 more miles in the morning before they come to water.

They are thinking about stopping at some well-known cabin on the PCT tomorrow -- complete with a wood stove. He says it will be a short distance, but wants to enjoy the cabin.

They are about 25 miles northwest of Mt. Rainier.

I don't see a location for Darren or Adrienne this evening.

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Steve C #5976 07/13/10 10:28 PM
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Slogging the PCT wow!!!Will they go back and pick up the missed sections at some point in the future?I know several guys that have started in Mexico and work sections northward every summer.

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Rod #5981 07/14/10 08:41 AM
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We'll see how he does this summer. He definitely wants to go back and complete the missing sections. Maybe I could tag along.

But I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he pulls through the big part this summer. I told him just last evening that it will take weeks for his body to get used to walking those distances every day.

I only got the first and last of a three-part journal entry from his cell phone today:
7/13- today my goal of 30 miles was soon dissolved as my body decided it couldn't keep pace. Made 16 miles and camped early on a...

...trip and planning to take it easy and enjoy it. Mexico is out there if I make cool...


Re: Update about Darren, Nick, and Adrienne
DanMarshall #5985 07/14/10 10:40 AM
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Dan: No spot check last night from Darren. Have you heard from Adrienne?

Thanks, Diane

Update about Darren, Nick, and Adrienne
Darren's Mom #5986 07/14/10 11:05 AM
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Hi Diane, No, we didn't get a SPOT from Adrienne Tues evening either.

We did get some more water colors in the mail. I plan to update her Blog today. http://tinyurl.com/pctadrienne

By the way, I also set up http://tinyurl.com/pctdarren (Darren's Postholer page)
and http://tinyurl.com/pctbrett (Link to this forum thread) for convenience.

Dan Marshall

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
DanMarshall #6007 07/14/10 09:24 PM
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Well well... Something may have happened with the Spot. No signals since 9:27 this morning. I guess we'll find out once he reaches the next road crossing. Possibly tomorrow night. It is about 24 miles from the cabin he hoped to get to today.

I received a single Track signal at 9:27 this morning, and then nothing at all after that.

I see Darren's last signal came 2 days ago. But he should already have crossed that highway 410 / Chinook Pass crossing. Anybody get any word from them?

Update: As I wrote this, an OK-check-in signal came in on my cell phone, and then the map shows it was sent at 6:30. (And the 9:27 message is gone.) Something's wrong with the Spot network's computer system.

Last edited by Steve C; 07/14/10 09:53 PM.
Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Steve C #6012 07/14/10 10:48 PM
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Steve: No word from Darren and Adrienne since 7/12. I do not know if anyone else is traveling with them; at one point Nick was behind and they were hoping he would catchup before they left on the 12th.

Diane

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Steve C #6013 07/14/10 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted By: Steve C


I only got the first and last of a three-part journal entry from his cell phone today:
7/13- today my goal of 30 miles was soon dissolved as my body decided it couldn't keep pace. Made 16 miles and camped early on a...

...trip and planning to take it easy and enjoy it. Mexico is out there if I make cool...



Wow, Steve --30 miles? Had this group/Brett been doing 30mi hikes in the weeks/months leading up to this trip? I only ask this because even two months into the hiking "season" with a busy itinerary last year, I still could not imagine putting 30mi in a day with a full pack.....


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Darren's Mom #6014 07/14/10 11:12 PM
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Bee, I think Brett is wishing and hoping. Last night's conversation was more realistic. I told him it could take another month before his body is up to hitting mileages like that. Checking back, he's had only 4 days where he hiked 18 to 20 miles, and those are the max days. All the rest are shorter distances.

Answering Diane: Nick camped with Brett last night. They're two days behind Darren and Adrienne, but are already past the point of Darren's last Spot signal. Update: Darren's Spot location finally showed up: 38 miles ahead of Brett, 14 miles south of Chinook Pass.

Brett's progress today:

mile elev
------ ----
Start 2378 5020
End 2364 4800
------
total 14


Map location here

Brett and Nick are 24 miles from Chinook Pass.

Last edited by Steve C; 07/15/10 09:30 AM.
Update from Adrienne and Darren
Steve C #6044 07/15/10 05:14 PM
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FYI, we got a call from Adrienne. She and Darren are in Packwood. She said they had several great 25 mile days but yesterday they ran into snow obstacles, and one lake obstacle.

They've been pressing the SPOT buttons, and leaving them on for a long time, so it isn't clear why it isn't working.

She was glad to hear that Nick's OK.

Re: Update from Adrienne and Darren
DanMarshall #6053 07/15/10 10:12 PM
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Dan, those Spots don't work very well if they are in deep forest -- too little view of the sky. And they pretty much don't work if carried facing forward, like on the front strap of a pack.

Best location is on the top of the shoulder, or on the top of the pack load. They can even be inside some fabric of the pack, but they MUST be facing upward toward the sky. Brett finally moved his farther up and back on his strap, and messages started coming out.

And yesterday, a Spot signal from Brett came in 3 hours late, so the computer network sometimes gets a glitch.

Re: Brett's PCT Adventure
Steve C #6055 07/15/10 10:13 PM
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I got several calls from Brett today. He was on the ridge above the Crystal Mountain ski resort, so cell service was excellent. Even got a nice picture of Mt. Rainier from Scout Pass (below). Rainier is about 15 miles to the southwest from Scout Pass.

Last message I got is that he and Nick had encountered some pretty bad snow just north of Chinook Pass, so they have taken a side trail and will pick up the PCT again right at Chinook Pass.

It looks like the trail along Pickhandle point / basin / ridge is built at 6000' on a steep north-facing slope. I read a PCT journal just yesterday from a north-bounder last year who also encountered some bad snow there. Interestingly, the map shows an alternate trail on the south side. Only issue is that it drops to about 5200 and re-ascends to 6k. But it would sure bypass that north side mess.



Brett's progress today:

mile elev
------ ----
Start 2364 4800
End 2345 4800
------
total 19


Map location here

Yet another update: I forgot to mention that Brett reported that they had a great experience in the Camp Urich log cabin at Government Meadows. He says the cabin could shelter more than a dozen hikers, and is located near a beautiful meadow. The cabin has a huge wood stove, so he fired it up and then washed his clothes and dried them near the stove.

He also got a few pictures of a herd of elk in the meadow. Earlier, he got a picture of a mountain goat mom and kid. Hoping to see the pictures soon!

PCT South of White Pass
Steve C #6098 07/17/10 04:59 PM
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In case it's useful to others...

Adrienne told us that she and Darron had discussed with the Forest Service the conditions on the PCT South of White Pass. Evidently the Forest Service discouraged them from tackling a portion of it due to lots of snow. So their plan was to bypass the PCT and walk forest service roads 21 and 23 instead for about 50 miles. (The 21 and 23 were from memory - she wasn't certain that these were the road numbers. Also, I'm interpretting that she meant 50 miles out of the the section from White Pass to Stabler's Country Store in Carson).

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