Camping: April 2009 Archives

J.J. Briggs plans to leave Monday on her quest to complete the Pacific Crest Trail — 2,650 miles — in five months. The secret to success appears to be, in her mind, the supplies she packs: “Briggs has spent the past six months dehydrating food to eat on the trail. She has tuna, polenta, mashed potatoes and even some cupcakes. She’s been testing and eating all of her food for the past month to make sure it will work. She estimates eating about 2 pounds of food a day. Then there’s the water, which she’ll carry about 10-15 pounds of each day, particularly in the desert, where she won’t find many natural water sources.” Alandra Johnson in the Bend, Oregon Bulletin.

“Fog drifted off green hills bristling with cholla cactus and spiced with the scent of sage. The loudest sounds were the songs of meadowlarks. About 600 feet below, the ocean crashed on the boulder-strewn base of steep mountains riven by wind and water. The view lies at the 20-mile mark of the new Trans-Catalina Island Trail.” In the Los Angeles Times, Louis Sahagun describes the brand new 37.2-mile hiking route that traverses Santa Catalina island off of California’s southwest coast.