Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room Brett's PCT Adventure

On Friday morning, June 25, my son Brett starts hiking in Canada, southbound on the PCT.

I got a text message today saying, "I can't call because I'm in Canada and it costs $1.00 per minute. We crossed the border almost got turned back when our backpacking story didn't add up. But she was cool and let us pass. (I'll have to get the rest of that story sometime.)

I'll be watching his SPOT signals closely. (It's funny, but his last signal came from "Apricot Lane" somewhere in Michigan.)

Smugmug pictures are here: PCT 2010
YouTube videos: ThinAir's Channel

He spent hours yesterday buying and packing food supplies for 2/3 of Washington state. Instead of prepackaging lots of resupply packages, he plans on buying all his food along the way. He told me from what he has read, many hikers get sick and tired of the same old food they originally packed for their trip. I hope his method works for him.

He's hiking with another fellow from San Diego -- Navy guy -- and that fellow's wife is driving them to the trail head. He already has a trail name of Thumper, I think.  Thumper has a Postholer log. Nothing there yet, but he does have a link to his "Last SPOT Location". That shows them in Manning Park, just five miles north of the Washington state border. Signal sent at 8:15 this evening.

I hope to update this thread as much as I can. He also has a TrailJournals log here. His last trailjournals picture (with my daughter):

He visited her the last two days near Seattle.

Cool I hope he has a great time and makes it the whole way!

The buy as you go approach is the only way to do it! that is what I plant to do if I can manage to get out on the PCT next year.

Tell him that many trail crews love to feed thru hikers so if he comes by some guys working he should ask to stop in! maybe even pick up a tool for a day or two. =P

I met a Swiss hiker on the PCT some years ago. He had lost 50lbs.
So, what does Brett weigh now - how much will be lose?
Not that he needs to...

I'll have to ask what he weighed when he started. If he loses 50, he'll be skin and bones!

SO here at 1:15 PM, I've gotten a little worried, since there are no SPOT signals from either unit. I contacted Thumper's wife, though, and she reported they started out this morning about 9:30, and they're hiking in a group of 6 (4 PCT hikers, 2 just for 3 days on the first leg).

I am guessing, now, that both spot units are being used minimally -- turned on, message sent, then off. And the units often do NOT work in that mode -- either no satellite overhead when the signal is sent, or they're in tall forest, so the signal is blocked.

Edit: 3:10 PM -- FINALLY! They are back into Washington. Talking to Thumper's wife and my daughter, they are hiking in a group of six. Four are PCT hikers, two are cousins, going along for the first leg (3-4 days) only. I hear they had 60lb packs, and Brett took them to REI and made them get some lighter gear. A group like that moves only as fast as the slowest hiker.

According to SPOT they camped near Hopkins Lake.

Here's a picture I received from Thumper's (Dan's) wife from the trail head:




Edit 7:30 pm: They traveled less than 3 miles today!
Edit 9:55 pm: Whoah! They moved another mile from 6 to 10 PM. Of course it's light pretty late that far north. Weather is ok--no rain, 40 to 60F.

Hey, gotta find the rhythm! By day 4 or 5 they'll be lopping off 10-12 miles a day, then when they hit their stride they'll see the 20-mile days go rolling by!

I see a couple of guys who - if they hang - will look drmatically different at the finish than in this picture. And they'll be very happy.

Brett's Dad:

Think that is my son on the right! His name is Darren Bagnall.
He left from Manning Park on the 25th of June 2010. I lost his spot for 2 days...so happy I saw this picture! His first contact since the 25th says he is in Mt. Baker Nat'l forest - Snoqualmie. I don't think so unless he is flying. First stop to be June 30 in Stehekin.

Thanks, thanks for this site!

Welcome to the Board.

Register with a handle & keep the good times rolling with this thread. Look forward to you input.

Hi Daren's mom. Glad you found the picture.

Here it is, day 5, and the group planned to be at Rainy Pass at the end of day 4! The last SPOT signal from anyone came from Dan at 5:00 this morning, and that was at his campsite at Windy Pass. And Windy Pass is about 32 miles south of their start, 34 miles north of their Rainy Pass destination.

The group has split up, with Brett and Darren about 10 miles closer to Rainy Pass as of the last (14:00 6/28) location signal.

NO SIGNALS from any of the other three SPOTs since 14:00 yesterday.

Am I a little bit concerned??? Oh Nooooo... Not at all.

Edit: As I wrote this, a custom message finally came in from Brett. He's 9 miles from Rainy Pass at 1 PM. Half the distance is still above 6,000'.

Edit 3 PM: The slower party has reached Harts Pass and activated their SPOT "Help" signal. Fortunately, there is a road there that is a plowed, but it's closed to the public. I am working with forest rangers to either open it or have someone head up and haul the group out.

The wife of the guy carrying the SPOT is driving from Kent, WA, to pick them up. But it is a 5-hour drive.

Relief!

Brett sent a Spot message from the Hwy 20 junction. And within 15 minutes, two others (Adrienne and Darren) also signaled from the same place.

And the other three should be in their car by now.

Thanks for the photo. That's Adrienne on the far left.

9:50 PM, phone rings. Dan's wife drove up Rattlesnake Creek road, to within a mile of Dan's last SPOT signal (but she didn't know that), and had to bail, since it is apparently a bad 4wd road. She's calling 911 for a SAR at this point.

His last coordinates are 48.66377, -120.55152
Google Maps shows that slightly off the road, but several others were way off. Likely due to the terrain in that area.

And Brett sent a text message -- he hitched a ride into Winthrop, about 20 miles SE of the rescue pick up point.

Steve... my prayers going to the groups... hope all is well...

Thanks Chris.

OK, this is becoming absurd! Dan got a ride into Winthrop, too. But he didnt' get any SPOT messages out.

Wife called to let me know that. She's still trying to catch up with him. Sprint cell phones don't work in the area.

Steve... do you know what caused them all to bail like that? I hope there weren't any serious injury or illness involved?

I have talked to Dan's wife -- she's got her family in the car and is taking them back toward Seattle. Dropped the resupply stuff at the Texaco. She vows Dan cannot do the PCT -- she won't survive the trauma.

Hope Brett turns on his phone -- He'll get a bunch of text messages, and find his stuff.

I asked if the hikers worked out a plan when they separated. They didn't. Three just said they were going to go on. So the three ahead did not know how/where the slower three were at all tonight; or for the last three days for that matter. As far as they know at this point, they're still out on the trail. Don't know where Brett is, but most probably it's somewhere in Winthrop.

I'll find out more when I finally talk with Brett. But I am thinking they just felt they had to move on if they were going to make Rainy Pass before their food ran out. And rightly so. They had planned on taking 4 days, but it took 5 as it was.

The slower group had covered half the required distance to Rainy Pass in 4 days. Lucky for them the bail-out road was there.

looks like Brett and Darren are together (same coordinates tonight) and made it to Rainy Pass.
Glad I am not the only one with butterflies in my stomach.
Darren is calm, kind, caring, sensible, smart and has some medical training. (I only like him a little bit as you can tell)
Hope everyone is OK that left the trail. Positively the most exciting adventure I never had but am living in vicariously.
Thanks for this site!

> Positively the most exciting adventure I never had but am living in vicariously.

So true.

Darren's mom: I sent you an email on your gmail address on 6/28. Please check/read it.

I guess we all have butterflies. Adrienne's spot, if being used, was not working for most of the walk. We got one spot the last day near rainy pass. she is with Darren and Brett, it seems. We were supposed to get one spot per day, so not sure if hers isn't working or if it's not out long enough to send signal and catch satellite.
To Darren's mom - we would say the same about Adrienne!
also living vicariously... Char

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