sports__________________
Carscadden prepares
Pacific Crest Trail hike
Backpacking has become
a popular sport over the past
few years with not only the ex
perienced packer trudging
along cross-country trail, but
also laymen like Clackamas
Community College student
Reid Carscadden who is cur
rently planning a 2600-mile
trek of the Pacific Crest Trail
from Mexico to Canada.
Carscadden, a 1979
graduate of Oregon City High
School said it was “kind of
crazy” how he got inspired to
do the trip.
While attending Lewis and
Clark College a friend asked
him if he’d be interested in do-
ing the Crest trail. It sounded
good so the two began plann
ing their trip scheduled for last
April, but Carscadden’s friend
decided not to go.
Carscadden, still wanting
to do the trip and knowing that
he wasn’t prepared to go
alone, found a new partner,
Suzie Schaller. Schaller and
Carscadden have been plann
ing their trip now for eight or
nine months and are scheduled
to leave next month.
Over the last year
Carscadden has devoted all his
time to preparing for the
2,600-mile trip. He’s taken
courses at CCC like geology,
photography, first aid, and he
and Schaller took a couples
communications dourse
together. They’ve also attend
ed seminars on frostbite, shake
bite, and hypothermia.
As a means of gathering
information on the trail
Carscadden used the PCT
Training Guide. “That book
was my Bible for buying equip
ment,” he said. The PCT
Training Guide includes about
ten people’s personal ex-
periences of the trail and criti
ques of the different types and
brands of gear used. Judging
by the most durable gear
Carscadden has spent $1500
to $2000 on equipment.
Carscadden also went to
the PCT Club and the Sierra
Club to gain information and
maps as well as reading several
books on the trail.
Food planning has been a
major part of the preparation as
well as the expense of the trip.
Carscadden plans to have
store-bought food for breakfast
and lunch that he’ll pick up in
the towns as he passes through
and dinners will consist of
freeze-dried backpackers food.
Family and friends have agreed
to send boxes of food to post
offices along the way, accor
ding to Carscadden’s mileage
schedule to when he’ll arrive in
each town.
The trip is scheduled to
take 183 days in which
Carscadden plans to cover
15-20 miles per day. The food
drops are planned for every
two weeks.
While the average person
in normal living conditions
takes in about 3,000 calories a
day, Carscadden is allowing
6,000 on his trip. “We’re going
by gut feeling,” he said. “We’ve
looked into nutrition, but
neither of us are experts.”
He says that “the rule of
thumb is there’s never enough
food. Food causes more
bickering between backpackers
than anything/’
Carscadden has figured
upon spending $1,500 for food
REID CARSCADDEN
On the trip, but Oregon Moun
tain Community is helping out
by giving him a 15 percent dis
count on food for eating their
products. He’s been eating
backpackers food at home to
determine what kinds he likes
and wants to take along on the
trip.
The food drops by family
and friends will take away
some of the burden of weight
for Carscadden and Schaller.
Carscadden is going to carry
50-60 pounds while Schaller is
going to carry 40-55 pounds. “I
bought a small pack on pur
pose,” Schaller said jokingly.
While Carscadden and
Schaller don’t know much
about the outdoors they figure
this will be their chance to
learn. “I’m interested in the
geology mostly/’ Carscadden
said. “Some people think we’re
crazy because we’re not ex
perienced, but we both have
good common sense. If we’re
prepared for accidents and in
juries is what it’s all about,
more so than experience.”
“It’ll be more exciting and
we’ll learn all these things along
the way. It’d 5e nice to know
ahead of time, but it’ll be nice
learning them too.”
Carscadden said that his
CCC STUDENTS
Staff Photos by Duane Hiersche
REID CARSCADDEN TESTS his uear as he prepares for a 2,600-mile
hike along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.
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Cougar women lose playoff bid
The Clackamas Com
munity College womens
basketball team took on the
Umpqua CC women’s team in
the league tournament, with a
district playoff bid the prize.
The Cougars finished their
■season on the short end of a
'67-66 score.
The two teams played see
saw ball for the first 20 minutes
with Clackamas coming out on
top, 29-27. The Cougars came
out in the second half intent
upon enhancing their slim
margin.
“Our defense couldn’t
stop Lynn Dirkey,” coach Nan
cy Mikleton offered. Dirkey
was credited with 25 points.
Teammates Julie Pope
and Cassie Johnson also com.
tributed 14 and 12 points,
respectively.
An Umpqua girl came off
the bench to score her only two
points, two, free-throws with
four seconds left to ice the win.
“Cindy Johnston played a
super game,” coach Mikleton
commented. “She played with
a lot of desire.” Johnston
finished the game with 22
points on 9 of 14 from the floor
and 4 of 6 from the free throw
line. Cindy was helped by
Sharon Larson who netted 19
points.
The Cougars lit up the
nets for 30 field goals on 62 at
tempts, but were beaten from
the free throw line. Umpqua
made 15 of 19 attempts while
Clackamas only attempted 11
and converted 9.
“The girls played their best
ball of the year,” Mikleton said.
“They really wanted it.”.
Umpqua and Linn-Benton
are this year’s District
Representatives.
biggest concern is snowfall.
“This has been one of the
heaviest winters,” Carscadden
said. “There’ll be snow in the
Sierras, especially. We’ll have
to use our map and Gompass
skills.”
While Carscadden is con
cerned with snowfall, Schaller’s
fears are smaller, but fears just
the same. “The snakes are the
only thing that scare me,” she
said.
Another concern of the
couple is boredom. “We have
to be prepared to deal «with
boredom,” Carscadden said.
“Each day couldn’t be an en
joyable day, I don’t think.”
Although some people
think they’re crazy the couple’s
parents are both “really sup
portive,” according to Carscad
den. “They’re helping us out
both financially and planning
wise. Once they saw how
organized we were they chang
ed their ideas and they’re ex
cited about it now.”
The couple is excited
about their expedition. “We
spent eight or nine months
planning seriously,” he said,
“and now it’s for real. Upon
returning to Oregon the couple
plan to put together slide shows
through schools.
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