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4th of July hiker style, part 1
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Backpackers at Pt. Reyes National Seashore, CA photo by Susan Alcorn
This 4th of July weekend, my husband Ralph and I will be participating in some of the local celebrations, and there's certainly no shortage of activities taking place here in the Bay Area. You could start with a pancake breakfast in Orinda (7-10 AM); head over to Alameda for the country's second longest Independence Day parade (10:00 start), check out the Marin County Fair (opens at 11:00 AM) at the Marin Civic Center, and end the celebration by watching fireworks from San Francisco's Pier 39 (starting about 9:30 PM).
Numerous websites give lists of activities — the most comprehensive I've found is "Complete list of 92 Fourth Of July 2009 Fireworks & Events in SF Bay Area" from funcheapsf.com
But as with many Bay Area hikers, this is also the time of year when we are training for backpacking trips. That means that this weekend's activities will also include a moderate length hike away from the crowds — perhaps in Sunol Regional, or in Pt. Reyes, or down the peninsula to Castle Rock/Saratoga Gap trails.
The hikes that we take (and that I write about) serve several purposes — enjoyment of the natural beauty, keeping in shape, and preparing us for long and extended backpacking. We are section hikers (those who complete a trail piece by piece over time) of the Pacific Crest Trail — that 2,650 mile trail that travels through the mountain ranges of California, Oregon, and Washington.
This week I've been thinking about the 300+ thru hikers (those who complete the entire trail in one season) who set out from Campo, Ca at the Mexican border in late April and who are planning to hike another 2-3 months in order to reach Manning Park (just inside the Canadian border) before the snow flies again. Right now most of the hikers who started from the south are strung out along the Sierra. They might be at the southern end in Kennedy Meadows gearing up for the high mountains to come, or they might have continued on through the storms of a couple of weeks back and be in the vicinity of Yosemite.
In order to be successful at making a thru hike, hikers have to be focused on their goal, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun. And they do have to leave the trail many times along the way in order to replenish their food and other supplies. In my next article, I'll be writing about a 4th of July celebration for Pacific Crest Trail hikers.
Happy trails,
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