[pct-l] PCT hiker report of snow and trail conditions PCT north Hwy 74

[Len Glassner]

I'm not smart enough to make those kinds of projections, but I can
tell you what it's like up there, as I just got back from some day
hikes around the Idyllwild area.

Summarizing:

- South end entry to Fuller Ridge, where the PCT intersects with the
Marion Mountain Trail.  Steep.  Iced-over snow. Complete cover.  I
didn't go any farther.

- North end entry to FR, intersection with Black Mountain Road.  I
made it at most a mile SOBO, then ditto the above.

-  The PCT NOBO from BMR has only trivial snow on the first mile that
I walked.  I can't  imaging there's any snow further down.  I sure as
Hell hope not anyway, as I told a couple hikers there wasn't

But you would have to get there first.

Two hikers w/o ice ax or crampons got a fair way north from 74,  One
believes he made it somewhere around Antsell Rock or South Peak, then
went back down to Fobes Trail , came out.  The other came out on
Spitler Peak Trial, I think.

Four actually got all the way to Saddle Junction and came down to
Idyllwild, at least two without ax or crampons.  Here's the story I
got from the two that I met:  They were proceeding north and lost the
trail. They encountered two others in the same situation.  Quoting the
guy I was talking to: 'We bushwacked to the top, I shot an azimuth to
the saddle and we followed that.'  I'm assuming he was talking about
Saddle Junction.  I'm not sure if they came down Devil's Slide or just
came down their own way.

FWIW, Devils Slide is no problem, snow wise, I walked that.  Saddle J
has mix of snow cover and  clear areas Went south from Saddle J and I
believe I got just short of the trail to San J Peak without tools. I
think was on the PCT. Increasing snow vs. trail. Ran out of time
rather than trail 'intuition'.  I also walked a fraction of a mile
north from Saddle J, no problem there.  I walked up the Deer Springs
Trail, then on the PCT almost to the intersect to go to Wellman
Divide, no snow issues.  Bid nasty tree down, though.

More FWIW: Part of my reason for going  was to test out newly
purchased Camp 6-point crampons and ULA trowel.  Got less than
exciting results from both.  The crampons are hard to keep from
sliding toward and off the heel if there is pressure pushing them that
way.  I couldn't ram the ax shaft into snow where I needed it more
than an inch or two.   Where I didn't need it, no problem. Yes, I was
using the sharp pointy end.

All quick recall -No warranty expressed or implied on the above.

Pictures will come later.
-
On 4/10/08, Phil Newhouse <newhoupa1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Any thoughts on Fuller Ridge based on this data?  Will Fuller Ridge require
> crampons/ice axe in a couple weeks (bar any future storm)?