Trail-related announcements for the 2024 season

Reddit only has space for two "stickied" announcement posts. This post will be updated as the pre-season progresses with news and updates that are particularly relevant for the Class of '24.

A celebration of the life of Donna Saufley is planned for April 13-24 at Hiker Heaven.
A new Forest Order requires "proper storage of food and refuse (garbage) on all National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin." In practical terms, that means hikers should plan on carrying a bear canister between Kennedy Meadows South and Truckee. (The bear can info on Triple Crown Outfitters website has not been updated to reflect this fact).
Due to a new Forest Order from Washington's Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, now all food must be "acceptably stored" while in the Forest. In practical terms, this means using an IGBC certified bear can (such as the Bear Vault) or Ursack (Major or AllMitey) for the 277 miles between White Pass and Stehekin. More information here .
Scout and Frodo will be hosting in 2024.
Reds Meadow Road will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 7pm Sunday to 9am Friday between June 7 and September 15 2024.
The San Joaquin River Bridge in Kings Canyon NP (Sierra section) is closed .

in PacificCrestTrailby numbershikes'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

100%

6mo

2mo

HalfwayAnywhere

[Mac / 2013, 2019] @halfwayanywhere(.com)

4mo

Also worth noting is that the Tuolumne Meadows Campground in Yosemite National Park will be closed in 2024 (this includes the walk-up/backpackers campsite).

This means this section has an 8-trail-mile no-camping zone (no camping within 4 miles of Tuolumne Meadows in either direction).

More info here: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmcamp.htm

numbershikes

'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

4mo

Thank you for pointing this out.

What's the source for the eight miles of no camping?

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

4mo

It's from the Yosemite Wilderness Regulations, and has been a thing for a good number of years now - rangers mention it to you when picking up any affected permits in the park.

You must camp at least four trail miles from Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy, and Wawona, and at least one air mile from any road

For PCT hikers the southern end of this 8 mile zone is marked by a significant and visible landslide on the eastern wall of Lyell Canyon, and the northern end is marked by Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.

numbershikes

'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

4mo

Thank you!

Prestigious_Coast_65

3mo

I remember talking to someone that says they police this 8 mile camping closure pretty well.

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

3mo

They do. Yosemite is the section of the PCT where they are most anal about permits and rules, and the single place where thru-hikers are most likely to get their permits/bear cans/campsites checked by a ranger.

P1L9R1M

3mo

Also there are signs posted at these locations.

sometimes_sydney

Goose / 22 / Nobo - '26 planning

6mo

It looks more and more like bear canisters are gonna become not just sectional gear eventually. I was gonna carry mine from km to the end in 22 (didn’t finish) and still plan to when I return, but that’s def not the norm. It justified shelling out for a bearikade tho

QuantityMedium1793

4mo

I have a bearikade, and I looked the the IGBC page. It seems Bearikade are not under that list which is a bummer! Maybe I’ll just have to swap out my bearikade for something else when I get up there!

marl_lene

PCT sobo '19, JMT '18, TRT '23, AZT '24

3mo

I have a bearikade that I used on the PCT in 2019, and later in the Winds, on the TRT, on other trips in Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Sequoia, and I've never had any ranger question it when they were checking permits.

QuantityMedium1793

3mo

Thanks for the feedback! I’m not so concerned about park rangers as I am concerned about the bears. For example, like how bears in Desolation wilderness have learned how to break open the BV450 and BV500 models. I just want to make sure the bears in Washington don’t have a trick up their sleeves on breaking open bearikades! 😉

marl_lene

PCT sobo '19, JMT '18, TRT '23, AZT '24

3mo

I have also used it in desolation, but I’ve never had it tested by a bear :)

sometimes_sydney

Goose / 22 / Nobo - '26 planning

4mo

Bearikades are approved prettymuch anywhere you will need one, including along the PCT. Park Service in multiple sierra management zones (yosemite, king's) use bearikades as rentals irrc and have for 20 years without issue. Don't sweat it not having IGBC, IIRC they have just never submitted it for approval and have gotten it tested elsewhere.

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

3mo

Reminder that the highly important San Joaquin River bridge in Kings Canyon NP is still out, following the damage last winter. Whilst some hikers were able to cross it in its damaged state last year, the remains of the bridge were completely dismantled and removed in late August, so that is no longer an option.

Kings Canyon NP state that "construction is expected to start in 2024", however it's basically guaranteed that any new bridge will not to be in place for NOBO season, and possibly not for SOBO season either.

Whilst fording the river may be an option in late season, this is potentially a very dangerous ford before August. Both the PCTA and Andrew Skurka posted details on re-route options. Note that the "continuous travel requirement" was waived for PCTA Long Distance Permit holders last year as a result of this bridge outage, to allow them to legally travel on the South Lake-North Lake detour without invalidating their permit. It remains to be seen whether that will also be the case this year. Of Skurka's options, feedback from last summer was that the "Over The Top" route was the most practical of all his suggestions.

numbershikes

'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

3mo

Thanks for pointing this out.

I think this should be its own post so that more people will see it. Do you want to post it? If not I can.

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

3mo

Done!

LBHikes

5mo

That last bullet point is not quite correct. Food is required to be "acceptably stored" in a bear-resistant manner. "Acceptably stored" as defined in the Order includes either a IGBC-certified bearproof container or a 10-4 bear hang (as well as a bunch of other methods that are irrelevant to backpacking).

Funny enough, as Bearikade canisters are not IGBC certified, they're technically not allowed, whereas a proper 10-and-4 hang is. Go figure.

We can debate the utility of bearbagging as well as the practicality of trying to do so in the middle of a lodgepole forest or burn area, but I think it's important that we be accurate about what the order actually says, before proceeding to the further step of interpretation and application.

numbershikes

'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

5mo

I agree, thanks for the correction. I've updated the language in the post.

In practical terms, it seems to me this still means carrying a bear can or an Ursack. The way I remember the trees up there, I don't think anybody is reliably getting a 10-4 hang every night on the PCT in MBSNF.

ORCHWA01DS0

Past the traffic, past the buildings, there's a trail somewhere.

5mo

Is the Ursack big enough to hold a Bearicade? Seems like it should theoretically be a non-issue to just drop the can into an Ursack then hang that whole affair from a branch. Your back is spared the torture of hauling an heavy-ass Bear Vault, you still get to use your (expensive) Bearikade and the sack's an approved device. Win-win?

LBHikes

5mo

It's not big enough. Bearikades are really big in diameter. And even if it fit, it probably wouldn't save you too much weight, certainly not enough to justify the hefty price tag.

ORCHWA01DS0

Past the traffic, past the buildings, there's a trail somewhere.

5mo

Huh. I was going on the website specs for the Blazer that says 9" diameter (yeah... seems like it's a little bigger than that but I don't have access to mine to measure it) and the Ursack Major that states 12" x 18", though that's probably flattened-out width, not loaded diameter.

~~How much weight difference is there between a BV500 and the Blazer? I've only used the latter.~~ EDIT: 8 ounces.

MurdochAM

5mo

What is the possibility framed packs will come back into fashion in the next few years?

AussieEquiv

Garfield 2016 (http://equivocatorsadventures.blogspot.com)

3mo

Packs with a Frame are generally the most popular/common packs according to the Halfway Anywhere PCT Survey so I'm going to go ahead and assume that because 5/5 most common and 5/5 highest rated packs from 2023 also all had frames, that they never really went out of fashion in the first place.

RhodyVan

2mo

My guess is the commenter meant External Frame Packs. I'd say unlikely, at least until somebody innovates a new external frame pack and design. Kelty still sells an external frame pack but the pockets and design are straight outta the 1980s.

goddamnpancakes

13d

Its shape reminds me of a framed version of the nunatak Bear's Ears pack. maybe the increase in bear canister requirements will force innovation in accommodating them on framed packs, pushing the frame back outside like this so the canister can attach to the frame.

roots_eye

18d

I got the omega 66 from KS-ultralight. I’m stoked to have the exterior frame support and it’s removable if it’s a pain. Got the 66 so I could carry the BV500 sideways at the top. On 700g total with all my customizations on the pack. Thanks Laurent!!

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

4mo

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/learning/safety-ethics/?cid=FSEPRD1127643

Reds Meadow Road will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 7pm Sunday to 9am Friday between June 7 and September 15 2024. This is to facilitate reconstruction of the road. These restrictions are slightly eased for the July 4 and Labor Day holiday periods.

So PCT hikers rolling up to Reds Meadow on a weekday should not expect to be able to get a bus, or any other ride into Mammoth.

The easiest way into Mammoth will be to hike over either Duck Pass (mi 896.9) to Coldwater Campground, or Mammoth Pass (mi 904.5) to Horseshoe Lake trailhead, where you can catch the free Lakes Basin Trolley into town.

Dan_85

NOBO 2017/2022

3mo

TIL there's a Dollar General in Campo. 🤷‍♂️

Looks like it opened about a year ago, from what I can tell. It's about 1.5 miles up the road from the Green Store, so maybe not the most convenient spot for hikers. But it could be another option for last minute, emergency supplies?

NW_Thru_Hiker_2027

5mo

I predict by the time I hit the trail in 2027, I will have to heft a bear can starting at Kennedy Meadows to the Canadian border.

SteelMagnoliya

5mo

Starting March 1, is there significant trail snow between Campos and Kennedy Meadows?

numbershikes

'17 nobo, '18 lash, '19 Trail Angel. OpenLongTrails.org

5mo

Depends on the year, but it's not uncommon for there to be at least several inches, and there can be several feet in higher elevation parts of the Desert (Mt Laguna, San Jacinto, Baden Powell, etc).

You'll have a better idea in six or seven weeks. If there's a significant amount of snow in the region in Dec. & Jan., it's unlikely to have melted off much until sometime in April.

But again, this is just based on averages, and most years it's pretty hard to predict how the winter is going to go for much of California.

World-Traveler-2000

4mo

In 2018, Baden Powel, the last 10-15 switchbacks on PCT were completely covered in Snow. Tripod.

Larch92

5mo

What, cant sleep with food as an influential UL hiking celebrity has promoted for yrs?

KinkThrown

🥸/2022/NOBO

4mo

I hope that if it goes well for Washington to allow Ursacks it will give other agencies confidence that they can also do so. Carrying a can sucks.

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