[pct-l] snow in section B

[Todd DeLuca]

Hi Wildflower,

I just hiked NOBO into Idyllwild yesterday evening (4/15).  I would
recommend crampons and an ice axe for the north-facing stretch from around
Saddle Junction to Red Tahquitz.  Going north, my partner, Cruiser, and I
did not encounter any snow to speak of until after Apache Peak.  Then we hit
some steep, short patches until rounding the corner of Red Tahquitz, where
the trail disappeared completely under semi-steep, icy, endless snow.  There
are ~10 hikers here in Idyllwild who lost the trail, backed up or bailed out
into the meadows below the Tahquitz peaks.  We chose to follow a drainage
down to the meadows and picked up a trail heading to saddle junction.  We
brought ice axes and wished we had had crampons.  We also have very little
experience with snowy/icy slopes, winter mountaineering, or backcountry
route-finding.  I hope that helps.  The scenery is beautiful though!

Cheers,
Reason


On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:23 PM, Jessica Winters <jessicawinters at mac.com>
wrote:

> Does anybody know or recommend if crampons and an ice axe would be
> needed next week for a hike out of Idyllwild headed south to Warner
> Springs?  I think there is still a lot of snow right now?
>
> Thanks,
> Wildflower
>
>
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