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  1. #1

    Default Section hike - transportation ?

    Hi everyone

    I am new in this forum and I hope that somebody can help me
    I am planning to do a section hike (PCT) next year, starting from Castella – Odell Lake
    Is there any public transportation from Odell Lake to Eugene or Portland airport? Or what would you recommend me? Hitchhiking is no option.

    Your help will be much appreciated.
    Best regards from Switzerland
    Fuf

  2. #2
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    You might try this website for trail angels, who sometimes give hikers lifts:

    http://trailangellist.org/pacific-crest-trail/

    Or this one and call the resorts at Odell Lake for information:

    http://planyourhike.com/planning/res...ints.php#pctrp

    Good luck!

  3. #3

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    Thanks for the information, I did not know there is a trail angel homepage

  4. #4

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    Why is hitchhiking not an option? From Odell Lake it might be your only option.
    Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
    I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.

  5. #5

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    From where the PCT crosses Interstate Highway 5 entering into Castle Crags State Park you need to go 5 miles north into the town of Dunsimir California where you have several options. The most direct way is to take the Amtrak's Coast Starlight Route between Dunsimir, Eugene Oregon, and Portland Oregon. You could get a hitch into Dunsimir by standing near the northbound I 5 entrance ramp or, although this sounds round about, hitch 2.5 miles south to the small town village of Castella where there's a PO and small convenience store, and perhaps greater traffic, where you would attempt to gain a ride back north to Dunsimir not by traditional hitchhiking standing along side the road with your thumb out but by politely asking for rides into Dunsimir. Most folks heading north from Castella are going through Dunsimir. I've done this twice while thru hiking the PCT and/or summiting Mt Shasta and/or utilizing The Coast Starlight DOES stop in Portland at Union Station in downtown Portland as well where you can connect to Portland International Airport via public transportation. You can go northbound or southbound on the PCT using these modes of transportation; i.e.; Once at Union Station in Portland take the Amtrak south to Dunsimir and hitch or take a taxi to near where the PCT crosses I 5. Not sure if there currently taxi services centrally located in Dunsimir but I know that taxis do service Dunsimir. May not be cheap though if you need to use a taxi service located in Mt Shasta! Catch the Amtrak in Eugene back to Portland.

    All/(much) of this can be done by buses as well.

    http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by sbhikes View Post
    Why is hitchhiking not an option? From Odell Lake it might be your only option.
    Well... I am a bit concerned about hitchhiking, because I travel alone and I never did that before. I might take the Amtrak to Dunsimir and take a taxi (or whatever) to near where the PCT crosses I 5. That seems to be a good idea

  7. #7
    PCT 2013, most of AT 2011, rest of AT 2014
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    98% of PCT long-distance hikers hitchhike at some point, usually alone. Some people, like me, are basically addicted to it. Don't be afraid of it, it's fun. From Odell Lake I don't think it would be very hard to catch a ride to Eugene (speaking as someone who lives in Eugene). And if I'm around here next summer, ****, just PM me and I'll drive out there and pick you up
    "Hahk your own hahk." - Ron Haven

    "The world is a book, of which those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine

    http://www.scrubhiker.com/

  8. #8
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    Also, from Odell Lake you could hitchhike very easily to the town of Chemult (closer than Eugene), where there is a stop on the Amtrak Coast Starlight. Heading south to California, I believe it stops in Chemult sometime around 7 or 8 p.m. I would heartily recommend hanging around Oregon in the summertime, but if you had round-trip airline tickets out of a California airport, for example, you might consider the train option for the end of your hike.
    "Hahk your own hahk." - Ron Haven

    "The world is a book, of which those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine

    http://www.scrubhiker.com/

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fuf View Post
    Well... I am a bit concerned about hitchhiking, because I travel alone and I never did that before. I might take the Amtrak to Dunsimir and take a taxi (or whatever) to near where the PCT crosses I 5. That seems to be a good idea
    Hitchhiking is really no big deal. People are used to seeing PCT hikers near resupply towns and are often eager to help. If a car stops and you feel at all uncomfortable, you can always make an excuse and decline the ride ("my friend is a few minutes behind and I need to wait for him", "Oh, s***, I just realized that I left my camera back down the trail!", etc etc etc). I've hitched many times over the past couple of years and only had a couple of strange rides and the drivers were just eccentric.

  10. #10

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    It will be great when we have self driving cars that can just pick us up and drop us off at the trailhead. Could even have it continuously meet you up the trail for resupply.

    Until then hitching is pretty much a necessity. It can be expensive trying to avoid it.

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