[pct-l] prep and danger, etc.

[AsABat]

Know your abilities (navigation, routefinding, rock scrambling) before
taking some of these crosscountry routes such as Alpine Col. It's easy
to get off route on these passes and get into some tiring climbing. I
wouldn't recommend it for those who haven't done similar routes before
and are very confident in their abilities. 

AsABat

>   Does anyone know you can bypass Evolution and Bear Creek by
> crossing
> over to the East side of the Sierra Crest and get back to the JMT just
> South
> of VVR? I can probably think of eight or more variations including
trails
> and or cross country depending on snow.  One can head up Dusy Branch
over
> Bishop Pass, take a trail over to the Sabrina North lakes Piute Pass
trail
> head, take off in the direction of Pine Creek Pass, go over, Ruskie,
> Feather, Granite Pass, or any combination of other passes that will
lead
> into either the Seven Gables lake drainage or Hilgard Branch.  Myself
I
> would probably go on down Evolution Basin and then take the Darwin
Bench
> cut
> off to Lamarck or Alpine Col.  Alpine Col might have too much steep
snow
> in
> June, I've only done it in July, but it does drop one down into the
Piute
> Creek drainage less than a days walk from Pine Creek Pass, and the
Italy
> Pass trail, which leads to Hilgard Branch.  This is how I'm planning
to
> traverse that section.  Exactly which route I wont decide for a while.