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

[robo hiker]

thanks again! great info. i'm back and forth on crampons for that section. i think i'll take them and if i need them i'll be happy to have had them.  i'll be disappointed to be side tracked so early on in the hike if i have to detour around a little ice and snow. i hike and work in it all winter long.
 
 
 
 
 
 
> Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:21:24 -0700> From: len5742 at gmail.com> To: newhoupa1 at gmail.com> Subject: Re: [pct-l] PCT hiker report of snow and trail conditions PCT north Hwy 74> CC: robohiker at hotmail.com; pct-l at backcountry.net; gottago at lindajeffers.com> > 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)?
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