Will be on the PCT July 1st, 2018

[DuneElliot]

Sold my RV and as free as a bird. I will be starting a section hike from Crater Lake (or just north of it) to the Canadian border July 1st...800+ miles. I have given myself 2 months. I chose this section and my starting point because I will be hiking with my two border collies and the long water carries just weren't feasible before that point.

I am excited and nervous to embark on such an adventure and will be doing a mixture of re-supplying on route with mail drops (dog food especially).

I know there will be others on the trail but I know thru-hikers will not be that far north by July 1...although they may catch up to me as I plan on taking my time.

The trail has been on my list to do for a long time and I want to get at least a small part of it done before I move back to the UK. I am lucky that I have friends in Washington, and not far from the trail, who are willing to transport me and the dogs and support me throughout....I am truly blessed

[Venchka]

Good luck CJ! Keep in touch.
Cheers!
Wayne

[lonehiker]

I start in Cascade Locks and should be in Canada early September. You probably will be a bit ahead of me but I will throw in a spare Sawyer just in case we run into each other...

[DuneElliot]

I start in Cascade Locks and should be in Canada early September. You probably will be a bit ahead of me but I will throw in a spare Sawyer just in case we run into each other...

Ha ha. May see you on the trail. I don't know how much of the 800 miles I'll actually get done because the dogs will dictate my speed and how far they are happy going.

I figured out why my filter quit on me in SD...we have hard water and after cleaning my filter and letting it sit all winter and dry out, all the minerals clogged it up. Now I use water and then flush it with vinegar a few times.

[lonehiker]

Ya, I've had issues with the sawyer filters after long-term storage myself. Because of low cost I've just started using them as a disposable once a year purchase.

[colorado_rob]

Ya, I've had issues with the sawyer filters after long-term storage myself. Because of low cost I've just started using them as a disposable once a year purchase.

Yep, a bit of a drift, but that's what generally happens if you let them dry out without rinsing with Vinegar, as Dune says. Try it next year, they might be cheap, but they are not free. I use vinegar, then a thorough rinse with pure distilled water after that. I ruined one two winters in a row, then since I started this rinse, it has been 2-3 winters and still working fine.

[JosePerez]

Good luck!!
It is good that you are starting to hike and your target too. Looking to hear your experience about the trail, instead of selling an RV you could have transported it to your place as there are many auto transporters are there. I am looking at more info from you about the hike on the trail, as my friend is planning to go on the trail I can share with him.

[DuneElliot]

Good luck!!
It is good that you are starting to hike and your target too. Looking to hear your experience about the trail, instead of selling an RV you could have transported it to your place as there are many auto transporters are there. I am looking at more info from you about the hike on the trail, as my friend is planning to go on the trail I can share with him.

I maintain a blog so it will go on there eventually.

The RV is too big to take to England and I didn't really want it any more...I was starting to hate the damned thing.

[MamaSmurf]

Sounds wonderful!! Good luck on your adventures.

[Mayday_Belle]

Happy trails! I thru-hiked the PCT last year, and the Washington section was my favourite part, hands down. If I could offer one suggestion, when you get to the Snoqualmie region, it's worth taking the half-mile detour in order to camp at Spectacle Lake. Most PCT hikers skip it since it's just a little too far off trail, but it provided possibly the most beautiful camp site on the entire trail for me and my wife.

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/spectacle-lake

Crater lake northwards should be a nice easy introduction since the elevation doesn't get difficult until you hit Washington. Hopefully you'll get to see Oregon when it's not on fire too! We were there in late August / early September, and the smoke was certainly memorable.


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[DuneElliot]

Thanks for the info. I will bear that in mind.