knowledge of campgrounds intersecting PCT

[mike_kellie]

Our twin son and his girlfriend set out from the Mexico border last Wednesday to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail. We have done some back packing together while in the Boy Scouts but of course nothing remotely close to this on any scale.
I gave him my Garmin Explorer Satellite phone and when he has it on, it pings about every 20 minutes. These waypoints can seen if you're subscribed to his account and expanding the screen on my phone changes from a topical map to Google earth. This brings in much terrain and I've seen some mining roads and other ranch-type roads, intersecting seasonal roads and then main highways. Of course I need to scroll slowly looking to see how these can be traveled.
It's a fluid formula trying to pinpoint where he might be and when I could cross paths with him at this point. He is about 90 miles + into the hike and the main intersection I know of is Highway 10 by Joshua Tree.
So my question to the truck camper crowd is are there other sites you've seen or crossed? I'll be seeing him around Chester and Hat Creek, then the Trinity Alps and then somewhere in Oregon when we do the NATCOA rally.
What makes this even more unpredictable is I'm thinking some campsites, like in the Eastern Sierras could be closed while he has already passed through.
Thanks in advance...I miss the guy already!

[Tiger4x4RV]

mike/kellie wrote:
Tiger 4X4RV....it's possible since you know the area around Lake Isabella, I might have seen you maybe 3 years ago along 395 in late March maybe 3 years ago? There happened to be 2 Tigers camping off the road within view of the highway and we had come out of Death Valley heading north.

Not me. I do spend time along 395 every year, but have not done so with another Tiger. It's good to know that there are others out there.

[K_and_I]

Are they keeping a trail journal?

PCT Trail Journals

If so, you can follow them there. If not, maybe someone is who is traveling with or close to them.
Also, an on-line trail map can be found at:

PCT Map

Click the box at the top right corner of the map to make it full screen, and you can zoom in for a lot of detail.

[Camp_woof]

If the time is right highways 4 and 88 intersect PCT in great TC areas. Lot's of good boondocking near these locations too!

Dave

[Ramblin__Ralph]

mike/kellie wrote:
A similar spot to Banning is Scott Mountain Campground in Trinity where the trail cuts across highway 3.

I stayed at Scott Mountain CG years ago. There were a couple of older backpackers there hiking the PCT (in sections). I remember I gave them a couple of cold beers! 🙂

[Alxcook]

They are probably close to Julian or Warner Spring by now, but you can also hook up Idyllwild, Big Bear (there are some semi primitive camping along the trail, or close to it on the North side of the Lake)

Thru the mtns west of Mojave and north of there is open camping, so you should be able to get close to the trail, and that weather can be hot at times?

Kennedy Meadows would be a great stop to meet, I believe they are usually coming thru that area around Memorial Day??

[profdant139]

We just got back from the Mt. Laguna area of eastern San Diego County -- lots of camping and boondocking near the PCT. Is he already north of there?

Then there is the Kennedy Meadows area, south of Lone Pine.

Also Sonora Pass, later in the season after the snow melts. (Which could be today -- very warm storm coming in, unfortunately.)

Further north, Ebbetts Pass and Carson Pass?

[mike_kellie]

Thanks to all for the responses. I explained better to a friend last night that while there are many intersections of towns, hamlets and even trail lodges, I would rather see him in areas more isolated where we could provide more of an oasis to them.
Tiger was right, the intersection is closer to Banning than Joshua Tree and this would probably be a first point of contact. We camp every year in the Lassen area and he is actually looking forward to coming off the trail and having a cheeseburger around Hat Creek.
A similar spot to Banning is Scott Mountain Campground in Trinity where the trail cuts across highway 3.
Tiger 4X4RV....it's possible since you know the area around Lake Isabella, I might have seen you maybe 3 years ago along 395 in late March maybe 3 years ago? There happened to be 2 Tigers camping off the road within view of the highway and we had come out of Death Valley heading north.

[pcoplin]

At least through Oregon, you could easily camp at a lot of PCT trailheads, or there will be campgrounds very nearby.

[RickW]

The PCT crosses Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite park but the pass road is closed until snow can be removed-usually memorial day. It also crosses McAuthur-Burney Falls state park in North CA.

[Lwiddis]

Kennedy Meadows in the Inyo NF would be a good place to meet but yes the USFS has closed, and keeps closed, lots of its campgrounds on the Eastern Sierra even when there is no or little snow. I haven’t investigated yet to determine if this is necessary or lazy. Take Glass Creek for instance. No water, dump or trash service...anytime...but closed. Why? RV dump at French Camp...closed. Why? BLM and Inyo County camps are open but further from the PCT.

[Tiger4x4RV]

It is not uncommon for people to hike the PCT with support at junction points, so the data is out there but you have to hunt a bit. I have friends who have done this. Also, there was someone a few years ago who wrote a book about this sort PCT hiking, but I cannot locate the info on that right now.

The best maps I know of, downloadable, free, and updated often, are HalfMile's maps on the PCTA.org website. Direct link to them: https://www.pctmap.net/ Campgrounds are noted on these maps.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association website has tons of info, especially under the "Discover the trail" section.

The book and film, Wild, were crazy popular, but not very informative about the trail itself and the sort of data you need.

The PCT crosses a dirt road at Bird Spring Pass, roughly between the Jawbone off-road area and Lake Isabella; you can search for this on Google Maps. There is a crossing near the Walker Pass BLM campground on HWY 178 near Lake Isabella. The PCT also crosses Chimney Peak Back Country Bywayand there are some campgrounds along it. The PCT crosses Hwy 108 at the top of Sonora Pass, as well as all of the other trans-Sierra passes. I have personally been to all of these places with my Tiger RV. I'm not sure I would advise taking your much-larger Host Mammoth on either Chimney Peak Byway or Birdspring Pass road.

When snow is deep in the High Sierra or when parts of the trail are closed by fire damage, hikers often skip sections and come back to finish them later in the season.

I don't think that the PCT goes anywhere near Joshua Tree, but there was some talk of rerouting 15 years ago when I was active on this subject, so perhaps I should say that it didn't then but it might now.

Others will hopefully have more info to contribute. I'll follow this thread and answer anything I can.