| How to Hike the Pacific Crest Trail Posted: 27 Jul 2020 05:00 PM PDT The Pacific Crest Trail is a national park that runs parallel to the West Coast of North America. It goes north and south through California, Oregon, Washington, and ends in British Columbia, Canada. All together, it is roughly of serene hiking and views, and it is the second largest collection of trails anywhere in the world.[1] To hike the entire trail would take roughly 6 months, but most people spend less than a week on the trail. Keep in mind, you need to file for the proper permits before going out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. [Edit]Planning Your Hike - Choose at least one other person to go hiking with you. Portions of the trail are pretty remote, and you could end up in serious danger if you injure an ankle or run into trouble and there's no one around to help you out. Reach out to a friend or contact a fellow hiking enthusiast to go with you. If you don't know any viable candidates, go online to a community hiking site or social media group and look for a travel buddy there.[2]
- In parts of the trail, it's actually illegal to hike on your own. This is entirely for safety reasons—there are just too many things that can go wrong if you hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone.
- The Pacific Crest Trail is not an everyday hike. In many portions of the trail, the going can get pretty rough. Consider hiking another trail first if this is your first time going hiking.
- Pick the direction you want to hike the trail. The southern portion of the trail is mostly deserts and rocky terrain. Then it runs through Central and Northern California, which includes the famous Sierra Nevada and features dozens of mountains. Next, Oregon is mostly flat and filled with forests, before Washington and British Columbia become mountainous again. Choose the direction you want to go based on the terrain you're looking to experience.[3]
- Take the weather into account based on the direction you're going. You cannot start a 2-week northbound trip in late August if you're starting off in Washington since you'll risk running into snow. Similarly, it's going to be dangerous to try hiking in Southern California in the summer. Check the weather for the area you plan on hiking and try to line your hike up so that you aren't running into terrible temperatures and extreme precipitation.[4]
- Check the forecasts in 1-month increments in the time leading up to your hike. This will keep you from getting pumped for a hike that probably needs to be rescheduled.
- You can pull up a detailed set of forecasts for each portion of the trail on the PCTA's website.[5]
- Schedule your hike between April and May if you're northbound. Over 90% of hikers head out in the early spring and go northbound. Whether you start out near the Mexican border, Central California, or somewhere in Oregon or Washington, the best time to head out is between April and May after the snow melts and the weather warms a little.[6]
- If you're hiking for a long period of time, this will make sure you're north by the time the weather gets really hot. If you're hiking a short period of time, you'll beat the brutal heat in the southern half of the trail by a month or so.
- Go hiking in late June or July if you're going south. If you're starting in British Columbia, Washington, or Oregon, wait until the late summer to hike south. This way, you won't be south until the hot weather has dissipated. If you're only hiking a short period of time, hiking the northern half in the summer will keep you comfortable.[7]
- Even in the height of summer, the weather in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon doesn't get that hot. For example, Seattle averages roughly during July. This is not hot enough to wear yourself out on the trail but warm enough to comfortably fall asleep at night.
- Stay out of the southern third of the trail in the summer months. It will get extremely hot in the desert.
- Avoid hiking the north end in the winter and the south end in the summer. Regardless of when you're going and where you're hiking, the ultimate goal is to avoid the northern half in the winter and the southern half in the summer. Not only is the trail uncomfortable during these times, it's extremely dangerous.[8]
- The average low in Washington during January is . When it's that cold, you can't sleep, and you're at risk of frost bite, hypothermia, and freezing to death.
- The average high in Southern California during August is around , but it regularly exceeds , especially in the desert. You'd be at risk of dehydration, heat stroke, and sunburn if you go hiking in this kind of weather.
[Edit]Selecting Your Route - Buy or find a detailed map of the Pacific Crest Trail. You can use an online map while you're planning, but you'll need a physical copy when you're out on the trail. Make sure that you map includes the name of every national park and wilderness area since you'll need these names for permit planning. Any official trail map should work just fine for this.[9]
- Choose a route to hike based on proximity and desired terrain. One way to plan your route is to simply start in the area closet to where you live. If you're traveling to the region specifically to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, you can start wherever you'd like based on the type of terrain you're looking to hike. Much of the trail is mountainous, but Oregon is mostly forested and the southern end of the trail is mostly desert. Select a specific route based on where you enjoy hiking.[10] off of the Pacific Crest Trail in Central California.}}
- Some hikers pick an end to start at and hike the entire trail in portions over the course of their lifetime.
- There's no wrong place to start. The entire trail is beautiful and you really shouldn't focus too much on finding the "best" spot. Just choose a type of terrain you want to see!
- Determine how much time it'll take based on how far you want to go. With lightweight gear, a quick pace, and a serious lack of breaks, you'll make it a day. Under normal conditions though, you're probably only going to get a day. Sit down and figure out how much time it'll take based on your initial route.[11]
- This is especially important if you're taking time off of work or plan on hiking during a break from school.
- Identify the resupply points and adjust your route accordingly. There are various towns and shops along the trail. Identify all of the resupply points in the area where you're planning to hike. Then, shift your starting point up or down so that you reach the first resupply point when you think you'll be down to roughly ½ of your food and water supply. This way, you'll ensure that you never run dangerously low on food and water.[12]
- Many people mail themselves resupply packages along the route so they don't need to spend 1-2 hours shopping at each supply point.[13]
- You can find a complete list of resupply points online.[14]
- The resupply points are kind of designed to be reasonably close to one another if you're hiking in California. There are a few stretches in the norther half where you won't find one for . Always check your map before leaving a supply point to make sure you have enough food and water.
[Edit]Getting Your Permits - Identify every park and wilderness area you're hiking through. About half of the Pacific Crest Trail requires a permit, especially if you're spending the night on it. You need permits specifically to enter or camp in designated/protected wilderness areas (usually shown in green on a map), national parks, and you need separate permits for California State Parks. Compile a list of every permit-restricted area you plan on passing through.[15]. If you're going more than , apply for a long-term permit through the PCTA (Pacific Crest Trail Agency). You may need additional permits, but they'll walk you through it. Visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/pct-long-distance-permit/ to apply.}}
- Start applying for permits at least 3 months before your hike. You'll need to register them 3 weeks in advance, and they can take time to process.
- If you're hiking only through Oregon or Washington, you can get permits at the kiosks where you enter the parks. You do not need to worry about permits if you're hiking through these states alone.
- You need your passport if you're doing the entire trail. You'll need it to get across the Canadian-US border.
- Go to each individual park agency's website to file for your permits. This is where things get a little complicated. You need a permit from every park and wilderness agency to hike or camp through it. Pull up the website for every agency you're traveling through and apply for a permit on their website. Fill in all of the details and submit your personal information to apply.[16]
- Almost all of these permits are free. The parks require them so they can monitor how many people are on the trail, limit the environmental impact, and ensure that there's record of where you are in the event you get lost or go missing.
- In the United States, you'll apply for the vast majority of permits on the USA's government recreation page.[17]
- Get a California fire permit to cook in the state of California. If you're hiking in any portion of California, you also need a California fire permit if you plan on cooking any hot meals. If you aren't bringing a burner or personal stove, don't worry about it. Otherwise, complete an online course and take a quiz to print one off online.[18]
- You can take this class and apply for the permit online.[19]
- The California fire permit does not let you start campfires; it only lets you cook hot food on a controlled flame. If you plan on setting up any campfires, you need to apply for a campfire permit online as well.[20]
- Apply for a Canada PCT permit if you're crossing the border at any point. If you plan on hiking from the United States to Canada, You need a Canada PCT permit to enter Canada. The PCTA has a special agreement with Canada, but the permit lets the authorities in Canada know that you're coming so they can do a preliminary background check.[21]
- Fill out an application online at the PCTA's website.[22] Then, email your application to pacificcresttrail@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.
- If you're American or Canadian, you don't need a special permit to go from Canada to the United States. You only need your passport. You do need a visa if you're a foreign national, though.
[Edit]Enjoying Your Hike Safely - Pick up your hiking gear 2-3 weeks before your trip. Get your hiking shoes and boots, your paper map, a compass and GPS unit, and all of your weather-appropriate clothing. You'll also need a flashlight, emergency fire kit, emergency signal, and first aid kit. Get a tent, sleeping bag, and sunscreen as well. Pick up everything you need 2-3 weeks before you plan on heading out to give yourself time to pack and prepare your backpack.[23]
- Purchase enough food and water to make it to the first supply point. Get some high-calorie dehydrated food to make sure you have plenty of energy before you reach your first supply point. Get at least of water for every hour of hiking you'll be doing. Include of food per day. Pack plenty of snacks and cooking equipment to prepare your food.[24]
- In addition to dehydrated food, include some cereal, sauce packets, trail mix, jerky, or canned fish just to mix things up.
- Stick to your schedule to avoid violating permits or losing time. Don't mess around with your schedule. If you need to hike at least a day to reach a supply point in 2 days, hanging out in a spot for an entire day could be extremely dangerous. In addition, you may end up violating your permit dates and risk getting fined and kicked off of the trail.[25]
- Watch your footing while you're out and stay on the trail. Pay attention to where you're walking, especially if you're in a mountainous area. If you lose your footing and get hurt, you could end up in a sticky situation. Similarly, if you aren't paying attention, you may accidentally wander off of the trail and get lost. Just keep an eye on your compass and check to make sure you're heading the right way while you hike.[26]
- Abandon the hike if you're injured or the weather gets too rough. If you get injured, it's key that you get help as soon as possible. If something goes wrong on the hike, you can't just power through without risking your life. Similarly, if a storm pins you in place for more than a few hours, you probably need to abandon the hike. You may run into supply problems if you don't call it and you're close to running out of food or water.[27]
- If you get injured, call 911. They'll pass you through to a rescue team that will retrieve you from the trail.
- If it's a non-emergency but you're in a sticky situation, call the sheriff's office for the country you're in. They'll tell you what the best course of action is and will come out to assist if you need anything.
- If it snows, you basically have to call your hike. If you wake up with of snow on the trail, you could be in serious danger.
- Take plenty of photos and enjoy your hike. While you're out on the trails, take plenty of photos to share with friends back home, crack jokes with your travel companion, and enjoy some of the freshest air you'll ever find. Take the views in and enjoy the adventure.[28]
- Only 2,607 people have ever hiked the entire trail. Out of those hikers, only 47 people have completed the trail more than once. Roughly 800 people attempt to hike the entire trail every year. This makes it one of the most difficult thru hikes in the world![29]
[Edit]Warnings - You must travel with a hiking group and hike at least a day if you're going to do the entire trail. The vast majority of full trail hikes go northbound from the Mexican border. If at any point it snows on your trip, you must abandon it. Keep in mind, the vast majority of attempts to do the entire trail are not successful.[30]
- Unless you're an absolute pro, do not go hiking in the snow. It's too hard to make progress and you're seriously risking your health if you get stuck in the snow.[31]
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Diagnose Food Intolerance Posted: 27 Jul 2020 09:00 AM PDT Having a food intolerance can be hard to diagnose, especially if you're not sure if it's an intolerance or allergy. Pay close attention to your symptoms that might indicate that you have an allergy or intolerance, and then see your doctor.[1] Keep a food diary and talk to your doctor about an elimination diet to pinpoint your diagnosis.[2] [Edit]Comparing Food Allergy and Intolerance Symptoms - Pay attention to the timing of your symptoms. If you have a food intolerance, you may not see a reaction to the food you eat right away. A food allergy will result in a more immediate reaction.[3]
- Digestive symptoms caused by a food intolerance usually come on gradually over the course of a couple of hours.
- A food allergy usually results in symptoms almost immediately.
- Be on the lookout for stomach pain for food intolerance. If your stomach pain is related to a food intolerance, it will come a few hours after you eat the food. The pain can be mild or severe, depending on how much of the food you ate and how severe your intolerance is.[4]
- This stomach pain may also include heartburn. Heartburn is a burning sensation near the top of your stomach or in your throat.
- Look for bloating, excess gas, or diarrhea. If you develop bloating, gas, or diarrhea a few hours after eating, chances are you're intolerant of one of the foods you ate. If you develop these symptoms more than 2 or 3 hours after you ate, they are likely caused by something else.[5]
- Diarrhea is usually considered a severe symptom. If a type of food triggers diarrhea, you may have a serious intolerance or allergy.[6]
- Keep an eye on how much food you can eat. If you have a food intolerance, you might be able to eat small amounts of the offending foods without symptoms. If you have a food allergy, you won't be able to eat any of the food you're allergic to without having a reaction.[7]
- Look for rashes or itchy skin for evidence of food allergies. Rashes or itchy skin usually indicate a food allergy, rather than an intolerance. You will rarely experience these symptoms as a result of an intolerance.[8]
- If you notice that certain foods seem to cause rashes, swelling in your mouth or throat, or hives, see your doctor immediately. These are symptoms of an allergic reaction, can be severe, and might need immediate treatment.
[Edit]Keeping a Food Diary - Divide your diary into individual days. It's important to track what you're eating every single day. You might not eat the foods you're intolerant of every single day and you might be intolerant of more than 1 food. Keeping your diary every day can help you detect a pattern.[9]
- Track every single food you eat. As you keep your diary, make sure you write down all the food you eat. This includes regular meals, snacks, desserts, and anything you drink. Even if you eat just a small amount of food, you should still track it.[10]
- You can use food diary apps if you have a smartphone. It's an easy way to track everything without having to carry a notebook and pencil with you. There are also websites you can use to track your food.
- Write down any symptoms that develop. After you've written down each meal or snack, write down any symptoms that you develop after eating. It's important that you write them down as soon as they develop. It makes it easier to see which foods might be causing the symptoms.[11]
- Make sure you note times for your meals and symptoms. Make sure you write down what time you ate each food, and what time you developed symptoms. It makes it easier for you and your doctor to see which foods might be causing your symptoms.[12]
[Edit]Ruling Out Allergies and Eliminating Foods - Review your food diary for likely causes. Once you've been keeping your food diary for a couple of weeks, look it over. If you see a pattern where you eat certain foods and then develop symptoms a few hours later, write those foods down. Those are likely the foods that your body is intolerant of, and they're a good place to start when diagnosing your food intolerance.[13]
- Talk to a dietitian or your doctor. Before you begin an elimination diet, you should speak to a dietitian or your doctor. Make sure you bring your food diary with you and your list of suspect foods. Your doctor or dietitian can help you narrow down which food and drinks to avoid, how to read food labels, how long your diet should last, and if you need to supplement your diet with alternative forms of nutrition.[14]
- Undergo allergy testing. If it's not clear to your doctor where you have an allergy or intolerance (some food allergies can be mild enough to be mistaken for intolerance), they may recommend an allergy test. There are 2 types of tests. Your doctor will choose the best one for your condition.[15]
- If your allergies seem severe or developed quickly, your doctor will order a skin-prick or blood test.
- If your allergies are mild or your doctor is unsure whether you have an allergy, your doctor may suggest an elimination diet instead.[16]
- Cut suspected foods from your diet for 2 to 6 weeks to test for intolerance or mild allergies. Removing all of the foods you suspect of making you sick lets you reintroduce them slowly later. Cut all of the foods on your list from your diet and keep them out of your diet for 2 to 6 weeks. If your symptoms improve, one of those foods is likely what's causing your symptoms.[17]
- Your doctor will tell you exactly how long your diet should last.
- Make sure you're noting in your food diary which foods you're cutting and when and if you develop symptoms again.
- If your symptoms don't disappear, see your doctor.[18] Your symptoms might be caused by something else, or you may have missed a pattern in your food diary. Your doctor can help you figure out the next steps.
- Reintroduce the foods you cut. Once your symptoms have subsided, you can start reintroducing the foods you cut from your diet. Reintroduce them one at a time for a week or so. If your symptoms don't reappear, reintroduce another food. If your symptoms do return, the food you reintroduced more recently is likely the food causing your symptoms.[19]
- Your doctor should tell you which foods to reintroduce when.
- Keep tracking your intake in your food diary. It will help you see exactly which foods cause the symptoms to reappear.
- See your doctor again. Once you've completed your diet, your doctor will likely want to see you again. Make a follow-up appointment once you've completed your elimination diet, taking your food diary with you. Your doctor should be able to then diagnose which foods are causing your symptoms.
[Edit]References |
| How to Knit Baby Pants Posted: 27 Jul 2020 01:00 AM PDT Homemade baby clothes make precious heirlooms and because they're so small, you can knit them quickly! Knit 2 flat pieces of fabric in a stockinette stitch pattern and then seam them together at the sides to form the pants. Since you'll make the waist with a double rib stitch, which is slightly elastic, there's no need to mess with buttons or drawstrings. This makes this project great for new to intermediate knitters. [Edit]Casting On - Select a soft worsted weight yarn for the baby pants. Choose a 125-gram (4.5 oz or 285 yd/260 m) skein of worsted weight (#4) yarn in any color. You might see worsted weight labeled as afghan, aran, or medium-weight yarn. Although you can use yarn made from any material, choose yarn that's soft enough for the baby and that will wash well.[1]
- Keep the label from the skein of yarn so you can remember the washing instructions once you finish making the pants.
- Make a slip knot with worsted weight yarn. To form a slip knot, pull the yarn and twist the end into a loop so the tail end is on top. Use 1 hand to hold the tail and slide your other index finger and thumb through the loop. Pinch the working yarn and bring it through the loop.[2]
- Slide the slip knot onto size US 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles. Slip the loop of yarn onto a straight needle. Then, pull the yarn tail so the loop tightens around the needle. Stop pulling just when the knot is secure so you can easily insert your working needle into the stitch.[3]
- If you do accidentally pull too tightly and you can't insert the needle into the stitch, gently tug on the loop while you hold the actual knot. This loosens the stitch so you can put the needle through it.
- Cast on 36 stitches. Although there are several ways to cast on, one of the easiest ways for beginners is to knit a stitch. Instead of placing the stitch you just made on your right needle, insert the tip of your left needle into the loop and slide it back onto the left needle so you have 2 stitches on it. Keep knitting stitches and placing them back on the left needle until you have a total of 36 stitches on it.[4]
- You'll also need an extra set of size US 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles so you can work each pant leg.
[Edit]Making a Ribbed Waist - Work 13 rows of a basic 2 x 2 rib pattern to create the waist. For the rib, purl (p) 2 stitches and knit (k) 2 stitches across the whole row. When you reach the end of the first row, turn the work and p2, k2 across the next row. Make a total of 13 rows in the rib stitch.[5]
- Make 6 rows of the stockinette stitch pattern. For the first row of stockinette stitch, knit every stitch. To make the next row, purl every stitch. Work the following 4 rows by knitting the odd rows and purling the even rows.[6]
- You'll knit rows 1, 3, 5 and purl rows 2 and 4.
- Work an increasing row for row 7. Once you've made 6 stockinette stitch rows, knit 1 stitch and make 1 left stitch (m1L). Then, k3, m1L across the row until there are just 2 stitches left. Knit the last 2 stitches to finish the increasing row.[7]
- You'll have 48 stitches on your needles once you finish this row.
- Knit 22 more rows in the stockinette stitch pattern. Purl the row after your increasing row to make row 8 of the stockinette stitch pattern. Continue to alternate purling and knitting rows for another 21 rows.[8]
- Remember to knit the odd rows and purl the even rows.
[Edit]Knitting the Legs - Purl 24 stitches and pass the remaining 24 stitches to a spare needle. To work the row where the legs split off, purl 24 stitches. Then, slide each of the remaining 24 stitches onto a spare US size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needle. You'll keep working the stitches that you just purled in order to make the right leg. Don't work the stitches on the spare needle just yet.[9]
- You can use a spare standard needle or circular needle, depending on what you prefer.
- Place a stitch marker on the first stitch of the left leg and turn your work. Attach a stitch marker to the first stitch that you placed on the spare needle. This will help you remember that this is the beginning of the left leg. Turn your work over so you can knit the stitches on your working needles.[10]
- If you don't have a stitch marker, attach a safety pin or small hair accessory to the stitch.
- Work the stockinette stitch for 44 rows. Knit across every stitch in the row after you've split them. Then, continue to work the stockinette pattern down the entire right leg. Remember to knit the odd rows and purl the even rows.[11]
- You'll be working 24 stitches across each row instead of the 48 that you did for previous rows.
- Make 6 rows in the seed stitch pattern. To give the pant's a little texture near the bottom of the leg, do 6 rows of seed stitch. K1, p1 across the entire first row of the seed stitch pattern. Then, p1, k1 across the second row of seed stitch. Work 4 more rows by alternating the stitches like this:[12]
- Odd rows: *k1, p1*
- Even rows: *p1, k1*
- Bind off the right leg stitches. Now that you've made the right leg, bind off each stitch on your working knitting needles. You can bind them off knitwise or purlwise, but you don't have to bind the stitches off using the seed stitch pattern. Then, tie off the last stitch and leave a yarn tail that's about long.[13]
- Work the left leg using the stockinette and seed stitch patterns. Go back to the stitch marker and purl each of the stitches in the row. Repeat the pattern that you used for the right leg. Stockinette stitch 44 rows and then make 6 rows in the seed stitch pattern. Once you finish with that, bind off the stitches of the left leg and tie a knot to secure the last stitch.[14]
- If you placed the left leg stitches on a circular needle, slide them back onto your standard knitting needles before you begin working them.
- Leave a tail that's about long so you can use it to join the leg pieces.
- Create an identical fabric piece to the one you just made. Once you've completed 1 whole fabric piece that has 2 legs, repeat the steps to make an identical piece. You'll sew the sides together to form the pants since you didn't sew them in the round.[15]
- Use the same yarn and needles when working the second piece so it works out to be the same size.
[Edit]Assembling the Pants - Lay the pants pieces side by side and thread a tapestry needle. Arrange both pieces of fabric so the right sides face up and 2 of the legs touch. Then, thread a tapestry needle with 1 of the long yarn tails that's at the bottom of the pant leg.[16]
- If you prefer, use a darning needle instead of a tapestry needle.
- Use the mattress stitch to sew together the sides of the pants. To mattress stitch, insert the needle into the opposite stitch on the fabric. Pull to connect the pieces. Then, insert the needle between the horizontal bar of the stitches and work from side to side. Pull again when you reach the end of the pieces to tighten the stitches. Weave in the tail once you reach the top of the pants.[17]
- The mattress stitch is a great stitch for seaming the stockinette stitch pattern since it creates an almost invisible seam.
- Fold the pants and mattress stitch the other side of the legs. Fold the pants so the seamed side is on the right and the top piece of fabric is right-side up. Thread your needle again and sew together the other side of the pants. Work from the bottom of the pant legs up to the waist. Then, weave in the yarn tail.[18]
- Sew together the inner legs to finish the pants. Now that the pants are joined on the outer sides, use the mattress stitch to sew the inner legs together. This forms the crotch of the pants as well. Weave in the ends to finish the pants.[19]
- If you'd like to check your gauge before starting the pants, knit 28 rows of 19 stitches to get a swatch.
- If you see part of a pattern surrounded by an asterisk (*), you should repeat the pattern inside. For example, if you see *k1, p1* k2 you'd knit 1, purl 1 until you reach the last 2 stitches, which you'd knit.[20]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - 2 sets of US size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles
- 1 skein (125 g/4.5 oz or 285 yd/260 m) of worsted weight (#4) yarn
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
[Edit]References |
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