[pct-l] Snow gear for lightweight backpacking?

[Slow Comfort]

tks David, you address issues I've been concerned with.  Most appreciative.

Slow


On 1/10/07, David Toms <ukstoveman at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Jeff,
> Until 05, received wisdom seemed to be that an ice axe was important, but
> crampons unnecessary. I think this reflected 5 below-average snow years
> for
> thru hikers. This view appeared to change significantly in 05 and 06,
> reflecting the value of crampons in high snow conditions, but if 07 is
> like
> 00-04, it might swing back again. In my experience, the advice you get
> strongly reflects the experience of the past 2-3 years and therefore can
> be
> 180degrees out for your hike!
>
> In '05, many of the early season hikers (including us) found that the
> small
> extra weight of crampons (our were 8oz/pair, camp 6-punte light) was well
> worth the enormous increase in efficiency they generated, and the increase
> to the length of the hiking day. With crampons, you can walk on frozen
> snow
> in the early morning, which is almost as fast as walking on trail. Without
> them, you have to wait for the snow to soften, which significantly
> increases
> the amount of time you then spend postholing once its all softened too
> much,
> and would have cut 5 hrs off our hiking day. When you're walking on snow
> for
> hundreds of miles, this makes a huge difference in comfort, efficiency and
> safety.
> In '06, it appears from journals that lots of people also went with
> crampons, and a few tried snowshoes in addition. I'd be surprised if there
> was a benefit worth the weight with snowshoes, but maybe somebody who used
> them will chip in.
> If '07 is a low snow year, I've not doubt that trailjournals will be full
> of
> people griping about the unnecessary weight of crampons and ice axes!
>
> The conditions you experience will depend entirely on the conditions this
> year, and the date you enter. See here for early June 05 vs early Sept 06
> (05 and 06 were similar years, so this shows the impact of 3 months
> delay):
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davidtoms/Comparisons/ Photos are paired for
> similar areas.
>
> We used trail running shoes in the snow in '05 (6/1 KM departure). They
> dealt with the conditions fine (our feet were constantly soaked from snow,
> river crossings, and flooded trail so there would have been no benefit to
> waterproof footwear).  We had no problem attaching crampons. The biggest
> issue we found was cold/frozen feet.
> I'd therefore suggest, if using lightweight footwear in high snow
> conditions:
> 1) Use a very warm sock, eg neoprene. We used smartwools and got frostnip.
> 2) Use them (wrapped in something waterproof) as a pillow to stop them
> freezing.
>
> Good luck with the prep and hike,
> Dave
>
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