 Just had an email from John in California. He's hiked 110 miles from the Mexican border and just arrived at Warner Springs. He's hit the desert at the right time "The whole desert is alive with flowering plants and shrubs and flowers and even flowing cacti - every cacti seems to be in flower at
the moment." When I hiked the PCT there were no flowers for several hundred miles.
John went to the annual PCT kick off party for the Class of 04 at Lake Moreno and says "The party was a blast, lots going on including demonstrations of new ultra lightweight gear, competitions to see who had the lightest pack, and most important a huge barbeque and fry-up breakfast before we started hiking again on Sunday morning."
He's also seen turkey vultures, humming birds and horned lizards" and got "blistered feet and managed to get lost in the forest on Mount Laguna for an houir after missing a way marker - this trail is so well waymarked you hardly need a guidebook, other than to tell you when to stop hiking each evening!" The weather has been very hot "temperatures, from the foot of Granite Mountain in the SAn JAcintos to Barrel Springs camping area (24 miles approx) hit a high of 106
degrees F, so hot it even made the news here".
He's now having a rest day at Warner Springs and enjoying "the odd beer or two".
There should be more news in two or three weeks. Let me know if all this is of interest or too long.
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 I said it before and I'll say it again.....
GIT!!! :-)
Best of luck to him I say.
"Never mind the bears lad, it's the hillbillies you have to watch"
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 I'm so jealous. Grrrrrrr!
Yep, good luck to him and I hope he continues to have a great time :-)
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 Chris - it's wonderful and deffo not too long. Glad to hear he's having such a great time.
Not jealous at all, oh no....grrrrr
;o)
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 I couldn't stand 106F. Come to think of it I can't stand 96F, 86F, 76F.
A walk in the sun around some Shropshire hills last Sunday had me gasping. Oh well, back to my freezer in the garage - let me know when winter returns.
I'll have to content myself with reading other peoples adventures in the sun.
Look forward to the next instalment.
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 Chris
definite of interest, and not long enough!
Glad to hear he is having a good time, and look forward to his next report.
Will be interesting to hear his views on his kit once he has finished the trail.
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Chris;
Not too long and more than welcome.
Coincidentally I've just been rereading a TGO article from some years ago where you did an "ultralight" v. "traditional" trip in Scotland. John hauled the heavy pack. I'd be interested to know if he has changed his approach for this trip.
Jim
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Glad to hear people are interested. John has sent a correction to his first report. It was the San Felipe hills he's been through, not the 10,000 foot San Jacintos, which come next and are the first big mountains on the route. I should have spotted that.
Jim,
John has changed his approach! He's going fairly lightweight for this trip. Oddly enough part of the purpose of that ultralight v traditional trip was for Simon Willis to try out ultralight gear for his PCT hike, which he completed the next year. Of course ultralight gear makes more sense on the PCT than the Scottish hills, especially on long trips, due to the weather.
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Just had a brief email from John. He's now in Idyllwild, having walked another 40 miles (150 total) through the Sam Jacinto mountains. The temperatures are still above 100F and he's just been through an area where all the trees had burned in a fire. I remember it as cool, shady forest.
Jon should be putting reports from John on the site in a week or two.
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Excellent! Will look forward to that. Thanks.
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Grretings all,
Now in Agua Dulce being entertained by the Saufleys, a couple of TrailAngels who host PCT hikers in the grounds of their home. Two nights ago there were 32 of us here, last night more than 50. As you might guess internet access is very tight - one terminal and a long queue - so I have to keep this short.
SOmeone asked for info on gear and I'll try get something up within a couple of weeks. Some of the ultralight stuff
hasn't performed well, other gear is terrific. My Lightweight pack though is nearly as heavy weight as my heavy heavy weight pack was, due to water and food. Some days it's much much heavier.
I'm hiking out today, and heading towards Tehachapi, meeting a friend, Ian, along the way - he's a Mancunian who runs a brewery in the Sierra foothills. He's going to have to like hiking deserts!
Have fun y'all!
John Manning,
Hiking the PCT
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im a mate of johns. I also thru hiked the PCT in 1995. So ive a fair idea of what hes experiencing and i am dead jelous!. I just want to know how he is manageing to keep all those kit kats from melting!
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Andy, nice to see you've bought a computer and learned to spell.
Gotta admit I'm having an easier time of the PCT than either yourself or CT did - the weather's stunning which has meant an early hike out of Kennedy Meadows through into the Sierras than average - recently hiked up Mount Whitney, highest peak in the lower 48 states, with little snow encountered at all though the hike towards Forester Pass, highest point on the PCT was through several large snowfields, and the descent was just one big snowfield. If I mentioned the fact that I did the entire day's hike in trainers with just trekking poles for support (ice axe stayed stowed on the back of the pack) I'd probably end up not having a job to come back to, but I did, and I just mentioend it...!
I'm holed up in Bishop resupplying today and will hitch hike 40 miles south tomorrow to rejoin the trail via Kearsage Pass. Though down here on the desert floor the sun is cracking the flags, the Sierras are covered in cloud and it looks like it's raining heavily in places up there - maybe even snow as we've had a few recent nights when temps have been well below freezing. Maybe I should just spend another day here and see the late great Galen Rowell's great photo gallery instead!
Still haven't had time to report on gear. Pacerpole trekking poles are great - a real boost to getting the miles in (though I wore the tips out completely - I'd guess it's the descicated granite what did it) - and the Henry Shires Tarp Tent, once I've got used to it (lightweight as you know was never my strong point!) is terrific - though it's yet to face anything falling from the sky, but it has kept the mossies out and provided a little insulation from the cold. Most nights though I just sleep under the stars.
Lightweight PHD Minim 400 sleeping bag (I think I've gotten the model correct) is also terrific - very warm and the first few freezing nights took me by surprise. It's so warm that most nights - even the freezing cold ones - I just use it as a blanket until between 1am and 3am, when the cold begins to seep into my butt!
ULA Equipment P2 pack is also terrific and standing up very well to being overloaded by a week's worth of food and sometimes two days' water. Exceptionally light given its carrying capabilities.
Stove - well I started with an alcohol stove but have switched to a Coleman F1 butane/propane canister stove due to problems with the alcohol stove doing a great job cooking itself but not boiling water. I reckon the F1 with gas doesn;'t weigh anymore than the alcohol stove plus alcohol, and it's a lot faster, simmers and, well, I just feel more confident with it.
Waterproofs - Berghaus Paclite Pro Jacket and matching pants - haven't been taken out of the bottom of the pack yet! But they've already stood me in good stead on last year's tgo Challenge and on many other occasions. Just hope the pre-trip reproofing holds up.
Okay, I've just posted thre most recent update to Jon, so hopefully it'll show up elsewhere on OM within a few hours.
That's me for a few more weeks - have fun in the sun everyone!
John Manning,
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
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Just read the latest update. Is it my imagination or is John looking more and more like Grizzly Adams?
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 ... and I get my beard trimmed at Bergdorff's in New York...
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