PCT between San Jac and the 10?

[whitebark]

"but I'm guessing that it was designed that way so that PCT Thru - hikers coming south to north could adjust to the heat of the desert in a slow long mellow fashion with full packs as they transitioned from the cool mountains down into the desert floor - just a guess. "

It's the engineers who did it, I think. The Forest Service built the trail to a strict 10% horse grade, a slope gentle enough so horses won't erode its tread. Much of the PCT is built this way. For hikers, this overly-gentle grade is sure frustrating! I just hated it when I descended to Snow Creek in June of last year. A 15% grade would have been fine, and would have cut its length by 33%. They could have avoided a lot of brushy slopes with a steeper grade. Up to 20% is o.k for hiker trails, though that is getting to be a pretty brisk climb (1000 feet per mile). Steeper than that and trails tend to erode like crazy.

[lilbitmo]

"but I'm guessing that it was designed that way so that PCT Thru - hikers coming south to north could adjust to the heat of the desert in a slow long mellow fashion with full packs as they transitioned from the cool mountains down into the desert floor - just a guess. "

It's the engineers who did it, I think. The Forest Service built the trail to a strict 10% horse grade, a slope gentle enough so horses won't erode its tread. Much of the PCT is built this way. For hikers, this overly-gentle grade is sure frustrating! I just hated it when I descended to Snow Creek in June of last year. A 15% grade would have been fine, and would have cut its length by 33%. They could have avoided a lot of brushy slopes with a steeper grade. Up to 20% is o.k for hiker trails, though that is getting to be a pretty brisk climb (1000 feet per mile). Steeper than that and trails tend to erode like crazy.

And I've also read that they designed most of it for "Boyscouts" with full packs, not just the horses. The area near Snow Creek is way beyond the normal design, it's so stretched out that it's ridiculous - that part could have had switchbacks along the shoulder of the ridge Zip is referring to without getting away from the normal design - it's less than 10% as it's almost flat in that 1 mile section that takes you back and fourth above the village - I'm truly surprised that there's not shortcuts on that section, the very thing they try to avoid, but it's so flat that it tempt's the normal hiker let alone the PCT Thru hiker

[Backwoods]

Funny you mentioned the boy scouts they put this one guy in charge of the design of the PCT back in the day I forgot his name he recruted boy the boy scouts to help scout out the trail they actualy hiked it first with diffrent BS troups bushwacking and helping plan the trail from the diffrent town's along the PCT Mex to Can so in a way how the trail is designed is a reflection on the Boy Scout troup in the area of that section.( BS just dosent sound right like BM for black Mt) Anyway I'm a PCT Thru hiker and I cut the trail up in the snow and proubly would have down lower if I could see the trail below me not wanting to climb back up with a loaded pack. The #1 thing to me is that I'm enjoying this hike my bicycle racing days are over and I'm hiking for a diffrent reason. As long as I walk from Mex to Canada I'll be happy and if some PCT purist dosent like it then I figure maby they should get off the couch do it in winter so they wont be so bord that they have anything to say about what anyone else is doing.HYOH.

[zippetydude]

I'm truly surprised that there's not shortcuts on that section

That's probably why they did one very long switchback. It's rather different if you have to navigate and you're not being tempted by that switchback just a few feet above... Also, because it's a very long section with no bailout points, most people don't go up that way very often. Since I like running, I have to say it's very nice for both going up and coming down in that it's easy on the knees and feet. Doesn't seem tedious then.

z

[Backwoods]

I can see that being a great trail for running. I was overly excited when I left campo and was running for the first 20 miles with 5 days supplys in my pack I got a sharp pain on the top of 1 foot on the first day of a PCT thru hike from running that stay'd with me to Hwy 74 not to smart. So now I'm realy trying not to run and that realy sucked on snow creek I just wanted to run. I still ran a little untill I remembered not to. I come from a cycling background so I'm stilll working on my bone density it seem's to be coming around and I'll be testing my running with 20lb's on my back at the end of a section soon it's lighter at the end of a section and I'll have time to heal if it dosent work out.. Running's good I like it and hope to get into Trail running after my hike. Not to mention some of the Tri/ trail running lady's I know that are always bugging me to run with them.