Freeskier's start/finish is one of the few places were fast food (In & Out burger, maybe a subway in Walmart) is really close to the trail. In cooler weather it's not a bad place to aim for your mid day meal.
Water availability will shrink as the USFS starts shutting down water taps at the trail heads with the approach of winter. Not sure what the schedule for that is though.
I've done some of this already, it appears. I rode from Watson lake to Sun Dog to the waster water treatment plant to P mountain and then back. We stopped at Five Guys instead of In n Out mid ride :-(
Depending on time of year, idaz brings up a very good point re: water. You may want to start at White Spar CG. Get the crap of Boy Scout/Turley trails out of the way early & on fresh legs. That way you do have a food/water stop over by the Wallyworld. Your ride would then finish with that killer descent down Wolverton Mtn. The only reason we started where we did was because it was going to be a hot day, low 90's, and we didn't want to be on a long exposed stretch of trail in the heat of the day.
I start at trail 396 trail head/White Spar and go CCW. This way I can split the water load in two. I like this start/finish location because you can carry a lighter initial water load and not ever have to exit the PCT. There is a midway-ish (about 25/54 mi) water stop at the Mustang Market at the roundabout on 89 just after Watson Lake. I make it there with about 1-1.5 liters of water or less now that the early am temps are in the 50’s. Here you can purchase as little or as much water you think you need to make it all the way back to the start of 396/White Spar. Another option is to keep going another mile or so up to the Dairy Queen/Express Stop Market just off the PCT. There is also a water fill point in Granite Basin at the Cayuse Rec area just down 346 off 341.
I can tell you there is little to no shade from Turley all the way over to 332 right after you cross Iron Springs Road. If you start early enough you can hit most of the exposed hot sections (Turley, P-mountain, Sundog, Watson, Willow, Embry, Legacy, Granite Basin) when it’s cooler. I prefer to spend the last third in the shade (second half of 332, Thumb Butte, Aspen Creek) and end on a long downhill of 9415.
(NOTE): There are some sections that get sticky mud/death mud even with the slightest moisture; P-Mountain, Sundog, Embry, legacy, Granite basin)
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