Just got a note from the couple that maintains the water cache two miles south of me that they have set it up for the season, so that will decrease the pressure on my water tank, at least for access to water for drinking. Of course, water for showering is another matter …

Fearless leader Don led three days of work — mostly cutting back encroaching vegetation with brush saws — to make Live Oak Spring accessible. I can’t wait to ride Gracie down there, now that the trail corridor is wide enough for stock.

 

Meet Alex and Horsey, first thru rider and mount of 2018:

According to the permits page on the PCTA website, the 2018 herd of northbound PCT thru hikers has officially begun!

We had about two inches of snow fall during the night and early morning on February 27, which offered an opportunity to hike the PCT and see the world with a new covering. Alas, by midday, it was all gone, except for the north side of objects.

Our local species of manzanita has started to bloom, a sure sign that spring and the hiker herd are coming soon.

On Wednesday, I spent the day hiking the PCT from my place north to Highway 74, flagging bad tread to be worked on by the work crew this weekend. The weather was cool and overcast, with a few sprinkles. Flagged a total of 22 spots, with a combined length of ~250 feet.

Something is brewing at Muir Wood South. What is this strange lined pit and pressure-treated wood foundation about? I wonder what the oasis faeries are up to.

Based on the number of long-distance permits issued by the PCTA as of today for hikers wishing to thru hike the PCT from the Mexican border, 2018 is shaping up to break all previous records.