Spend an hour and watch the 2012 class video. Heck, watch it three times. You’ll want to start planning your next trip as soon as you’re done.
This is one cool trail experience.
PCT News
Messenger Flat fire
Care is essential when dealing with fire in the backcountry.
Today’s Messenger Fire (mile 430) underscores the potential dangers associated with campfires in Southern California, even when camping in developed campgrounds with fire rings.
Messenger Flat campground burning on 5/3/13
The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when weather conditions make it more likely fires will start and propagate. Large portions of the PCT are without cell service, so it’s impossible to receive updated weather reports. Hikers should be aware of what constitutes red flag and dangerous fire conditions. Always be cautious, even when cooking with a stove.
Much of Southern California is currently under red flag conditions because of dry fuels, low relatively humidity, higher-than-normal temperatures and persistent offshore winds.
Even when using a stove make sure to clear all flammable materials (dry leaf litter, pine needles, grass, etc) around the stove and stay close while it is lit.
The Messenger fire started last night as a small cooking fire in a U.S. Forest Service fire ring. Before to going to bed, the camper reports pouring water on the fire and assuming it was out. The camper awoke early this morning surrounded by flames. It’s likely that morning winds picked up embers and spread them into dry pine needles and other debris.
The fire viewed from afar as people evacuated.
For general guidelines read our page on fire information. The Messenger Flat fire is out and the area is open.
Posted in Southern CA Tagged wildfire
Sequoia National Forest and BLM announce fire restrictions for 2013
The Sequoia National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bakersfield Field Office announced fire restrictions effective May 1, prohibiting campfires along the Pacific Crest Trail from about 50 miles south of Walker Pass to about 15 miles north of Kennedy Meadows.
Campfires are always banned along the Southern California sections of the PCT in the Cleveland National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, Angeles National Forest, and Mount San Jacinto State Park. The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park requires metal containers for all campfires and wood fuel to be packed in. Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks prohibit fires along most of the PCT because of the high elevation. The BLM California Desert District (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties) usually ban campfires starting in mid May.
via view_camper on Flickr
Violation of campfire restrictions is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization and/or imprisonment up to six months.
The Sequoia National Forest and BLM Bakersfield Field Office are implementing early fire restrictions because a very dry winter has led to high fire danger much earlier than in previous years. In response to the increasing potential for wildland fire starts, Sequoia and BLM fire officials will keep these restrictions in effect until further notice.
These restrictions apply to the use of campfires, camping stoves, internal combustion engines and smoking. Visitors to Forest Service and adjacent BLM lands need to carefully follow these restrictions. Campfire permits and a list of areas that allow campfires on the Sequoia can be obtained from Forest Service visitor information desks.
Brent Skaggs, Forest Fire Management Officer, stated, “Fighting fires takes a team effort, and we have a great team; but this dry fire season still has the potential to impact all agencies, so we are making sure that everyone is hitting on all cylinders.”
Agency officials are asking for your patience during this busy season and want the public to be aware of the firefighting resources they can expect to see. Skaggs continued to discuss local readiness saying that there are three airtankers, two helicopters, four hotshot crews, and 14 engines across the forest, all preparing for local response. The Sequoia and BLM officials are looking forward to a safe and productive fire season.
Beginning May 1, 2013, the following general fire restrictions will be in effect:
- Visitors must have a valid California Campfire Permit in their possession for any type of fire use. (Permits are not required in a developed recreation site or campground.)
- Prohibited are: wood campfires, charcoal fires and barbecues outside of recreation sites and campgrounds. Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame, or using an explosive are also prohibited. (Note: persons with a written permit from the Forest Service {other than a campfire permit} specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act are exempt from the fire restrictions.)
- Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or a barren area three feet in diameter or a campground or specified recreation site.
- Allowed are: lanterns and portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel outside of developed recreation sites or campgrounds, but only with a valid California Campfire Permit (available free of charge).
- Forest visitors must clear all flammable material five feet in all directions from their camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times when in use.
- Campfires and barbecue charcoal fires are only allowed in developed recreation sites or campgrounds.
- Within the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument internal combustion engines may be operated only on designated roads and trails. Make sure your engine is tuned, operating properly and has an approved spark arrester. (This restriction is in effect year-round.)
A news release about the restrictions is HERE.
To view the signed order and it’s associated list of campsites allowing campfire, click HERE.
Posted in Central CA, Southern CA Tagged closures, wildfire
2013 Photo Contest Winners
It’s that time of year again. We are pleased to release the results of our annual photo contest.
More than 600 photos were submitted this year in our first fully electronic contest. These photos will be used for years in our publications and advocacy materials to help PCTA protect, preserve and promote the trail.
Except for the “cover” category, you can see the winning photos in the slideshow below. Winning cover photos are being held back for the magazine. You’ll just have to wait and see.
We want to give special thanks to our volunteer judges David Thurber, Ryan Krauter and Lee Terkelsen. David is a retired award-winning photojournalist and commercial photographer. Ryan is a freelance photographer. And Lee, who organizes the effort, is a retired high school photography teacher and former editor of the PCT Communicator.
Thanks guys for a tremendous effort.
Lastly, we want to thank everyone who submitted photographs this year. We can’t wait to see what you have for us next year.
Extreme fire danger in SoCal
Posted in Southern CA Tagged trail conditions, weather, wildfire
Hiring a Technical Advisor for North Cascades
We’re hiring for a Trail Crew Technical Advisor. It is a full-time seasonal staff position working on trail projects in our North Cascades Region for the 2013 work season. Please visit our job board for all of the details.
Posted in Trail maintenance, Washington Tagged jobs
Deep Creek closure is officially lifted
After multiple seasons of substantial repairs, the closure along Deep Creek is officially lifted. It came in a simple email: “Please lift the closure and maintain the recommendation for pack stock.” As in the past, this stretch of the PCT through Deep Creek may not be suitable for equestrians.
This is wonderful news!
Posted in Southern CA, Trail maintenance Tagged trail conditions
PCTA’s 2013 Technical Advisors
This year our Trail Operations staff will have the assistance of multiple seasonal employees. These seasonal positions are funded through the corps crew program and project funding provided by the Forest Service. Such positions are important not only because they provide critical capacity but they also provide development opportunities for tomorrow’s staff. All of our regional representatives and our Trail Operations Director did their first professional trailwork as seasonal employees with various organizations and agencies. Starting with more than 50 applications, our regional representatives, in teams of two, interviewed 13 candidates and ended up hiring these great folks:
Heidi Brill currently lives in Eugene, Ore., but will be spending seven and a half months working up and down the PCT in Southern California, the Big Bend and Columbia-Cascades Regions. She will mainly be working with American Conservation Experience (ACE) corps crews but will have a hand in some volunteer projects throughout the season. Heidi is no stranger to the PCT and the PCTA. Having hiked over 2,000 miles of the PCT in 2005, she also led a Student Conservation Association (SCA) crew in Southern California in the spring of 2011. She has worked extensively with some of our volunteer packers and even volunteered with them at Mule Days in 2011 (when she was finished her term with SCA).
Heidi began her season in Southern California on April 10 and will move to do work in the Big Bend Region, the Columbia-Cascades region and finish up this fall back in Southern California.
Andrew Fish currently lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., but will be spending seven and a half months working up and down the PCT in Southern California, the Southern Sierra and the Northern Sierra regions. He will mainly be working with the ACE corps crews but will have a hand in some volunteer projects throughout the season. Andrew has an impressive background in trails most recently working on the Angeles National Forest at the non-motorized trail program manager and prior to that he served as a trail planner and technician with Maricopa County Parks and Recreation.
Andrew began his season in Southern California on April 10 and will move to do work on the Inyo National Forest before heading to the Northern Sierra Region and returning to Southern California for the fall.
Bill Hawley of Camas, Wash., will be returning to us for his fourth season with PCTA, this year heading up the Sasquatch Crew’s volunteer vacations, and Urban Youth projects in southern Washington. Before coming to work as an employee, Bill was a dedicated volunteer leader with PCTA’s Mount Hood Chapter, teaching advanced techniques and initiating complex projects. He brought with him earlier career experience heading up a green-building construction company, which gave him a big head start in people and project management skills. Today he has an excellent reputation amongst volunteers and agency partners alike, who trust that when Bill is in charge, the project will be done to the highest standards by a happy crew.
Dan Roper of Ashland, Ore., will be leading our Skyline Crew for 12 weeks this year, heading up week-long volunteer vacations between Three Sisters and Mount Hood. Dan has seven seasons of experience working on and leading trail crews for the Forest Service and National Park Service. His experience includes working with pack animals and supervising a variety of tread repair projects in remote backcountry locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Dan will be beginning graduate school this fall at Oregon State University, pursuing his interest in environmental policy, economics, and natural resources.
Posted in Trail maintenance Tagged jobs
Fawnskin Fire closes PCT above Big Bear
This closure was lifted at 5pm on 4/22/13
Refer to the Fawnskin Fire closure page.
The PCT is temporarily closed in the Big Bear region on San Bernardino National Forest due to the Fawnskin Fire. The closure extends between Forest Roads 2N09 (Polique Canyon Road – PCT mile 278) and 3N12 (Delamar Mountain Road – PCT mile 281).
Hikers are being directed north to Road 3N16 to get around this short closure.
Use #FawnskinFire on Twitter for updates.
Posted in Southern CA Tagged wildfire
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