[pct-l] PCT hike window (where to jump)

[Bob]

> Skip that section and continue your hike from northern CA on into OR and
then WA to the 
border.

Yes, but then comes the tough question... one I have a hard time solving.
After Kennedy Meadows or, say, Trail Pass (hiking out to Lone Pine),  where
is the best spot to jump to???  It's important to remember that in the time
frame for the "jump," probably June 1-15, the snow can still be quite deep
to the north.  I've tried that and run into deep snow. L-Rod says: "This was
true in '05 for the flippers, who skipped the Sierras only to find that
there was still snow in Oregon."  I represent that!!  If the snow were high
in the Sierra's but low in the north then Billy Goat's idea of jumping to
Old Station works very well.  But this year it doesn't look like that will
be the case. Each section north of Rte 50 at Echo Lake (South Lake Tahoe)
has its negatives, i.e., high terrain, and the farther north one goes the
longer the snow lasts at lower elevations.  Also, there is the question of
decent transportation access to the new jump point. I've spent some time
looking at http://www.bearcant.org/elevation.php.  But looking at the
elevation profiles still doesn't give a good picture of the miles of snow on
the north sides of hills in heavy timber.  That's no fun!

Section K: Just north of Echo Lake you have the Desolation Wilderness, Dicks
Pass (9380'), and the Granite Chief Wilderness (a lot over 8200').  

Section L:  Donner Pass, I-80.  16 miles over 7600'.

Section M:  Hwy 49 at Sierra City.  Sierra Butte.  Roughly 15 miles over
7000".

Section N:  Hwy 70, Belden. I've saved an email from "No Way Ray" in which
he said he was considering a jump to Belden in 2006. Only a short stretch
above 7000'.

Section O:  Starting at either Old Station or Burney.  Looks doable.  But
does starting here give you enough hiking time for serious snow melt before
getting to the deeper snows at Crater Lake?

Section P:  I-5 at Castella/Dunsmuir/Castle Crags.  You're farther north
now, with miles over 6600'  (Higher than Mt Washington in the East)

Sections Q & R:  similar as Section P. except for the big dip into Seiad
Valley.

So, fellow PCT-ers...  If you look at Postholer RIGHT NOW (forgetting that
April will look different) and, using the bar at the top, compare Jan 30 to
Jan 30 for how the snowpack looks right now in comparison to the past, then
look at http://www.bearcant.org/elevation.php,  please tell us the best
place to jump to from Kennedy Meadows or Trail Pass and WHY.  Inquiring
minds want to hear your collective wisdom.

Dr Bob


-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Greg Kesselring
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:35 AM
To: pct back country
Subject: Re: [pct-l] PCT hike window

Hi Sarah,

Are you open to doing some kind of flip-flop?  For example, hike So Cal 
up to the beginning of the Sierra section.  Skip that section and 
continue your hike from northern CA on into OR and then WA to the 
border.  And then come back and do the Sierra section at the end.  That 
plan would have you doing northern WA and the Sierra at the end of your 
hike, like in late July and August, when the snow would be melted out in 
both places even if we end up having a very heavy snow year.

Greg