[pct-l] KM Date, Ray Day, snow hiking

[ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com]

Let's be clear. Ray Day is a concept that leads hikers to believe that there 
is a window of opportunity every year where you can enter the High Sierra to 
thru hike the PCT and be able to do so on dry ground and maintain your high 
mileage desires. Ascribing to this concept without doing your own research 
is simply naive. Every winter different amounts of snow fall in the Sierra 
such that whenever you get there you may still find snow on-trail. If it is 
your biggest fear, certainly try to avoid it, but you're missing out in 
experiencing one of the greatest visual treats of the entire Crest Trail.

As TC said about hiking in the snow, "The reward is you will have the best 
10 to 12 days of your life - period."

This is some of what we teach when training folks for snow hiking:

Plan your thru hike of the PCT or CDT so that you reach Canada before the 
new snow keeps you from finishing. You don't want the agony of having gone 
that far with all those dreams just to be blocked from completion.

Select a daily mileage that you can accomplish and still be enjoying your 
hike. Only you, who know yourself better than anyone else, can decide what 
that is for you. If you want to have a leisurely trip, as I did, factor 
17mpd and give yourself a day off once a week for fishing, peak-bagging, 
reading in a lovely field, photography up close, exploring those other 
lakes, etc., or for an emergency buffer in your schedule. Then back up the 
whole mess to figure out when you'll be starting from Mexico. If you have 
time constraints, this won't work. If you like high mileage days and know 
that you can sustain it for months, then do what works for you. This is your 
trip. Know what you can do and don't want to do beforehand and plan 
accordingly.

If this start date becomes March 14th (as it was for me), don't panic 
because everyone says there is a better way. If you can end later than Sept. 
2 and you're fairly certain that the PNW Snows won't start 'till October 
1st, then bump your schedule up a month. About a month after you start, 
you'll be entering KM and the high altitudes of the Sierra. If this date is 
mid-April or mid-May, plan for snow hiking. Drop your daily mileage desires 
down to 10, increase your caloric intake to double, and train for the skills 
required to enjoy the incredible wonderland of snow and granite. I had snow 
from April 17th to mid-August. Four months! Don't worry, not only will you 
get used to it (of course, cursing and avoiding it from time to time!), but 
you will be able to increase your daily mileage as you get stronger, so your 
schedule will not suffer. Once high-summer arrives to the backcountry, the 
white stuff will melt off and the trail does, eventually, appear and you can 
actually camp on dry dirt!! Once the snow melts, the bugs arrive, mud 
becomes a hassle, and rains come, too.

Snow is not a barrier to hiking, but, rather, a blessing. Usually there is 
no dirt or mud to get into everything, there are no bugs, and no mice, 
'coons, or bears to worry about stealing your food. You can cook inside your 
tent if you want to. Water is everywhere (you don't have to carry water up 
the peak in order to camp on top!). A flat place to camp can be made 
anywhere. The coming of Fall and Winter no longer means you have to pack up 
your hiking gear for another season. Learn how to be safe on snow and go out 
and enjoy it!

Sure there are hazards that are different than summer hiking. The advise TC 
gave all boils down to "Be Prepared." Really a small thing to do if it 
allows you to keep on living in and loving the awesome majestic mountain 
life we, as long distance hikers, are so blessed to be able to know.

So, Hike Your Own Hike and do your own schedule according to what you want 
to get out of your expedition. Don't be another sheep on the trail pounding 
out those daily mileages just to "get there." Enjoy the Journey, start when 
you want to, enter the Sierra when you get there, go as slow or fast as you 
desire, and empower yourself with pre-trip training in the skills needed to 
deal with most anything the mountains will throw at you. Confidence, 
Experience, Wisdom = Safety and Fun.

Mtnned and Lady J
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry Teschlog" <tokencivilian at yahoo.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 12:07 PM
Subject: [pct-l] KM Date and Ray Day


Ray Day (June 15th as the no earlier than, or optimal day to leave KM) is an 
obsolete concept.

The Sierra's are quite passable earlier than this, even in extreme snow 
years such as 2005 and 2006. Within the mainstream hiker window, the Sierras 
are passable - go when you get there (Note that I'm not advocating mid May). 
I speak from first hand experience having departed KM on June 14, 2006 and 
heading straight through to VVR in 12 days, including the Whitney side trip. 
Also, I am not some Skurka / Williamson type either, but a slightly 'drought 
and famine resistant', mid 30's something when I thru hiked who took 
slightly longer than average to finish the trail. If I can do it, some young 
buck of early mid 20 something should have it easy.

Now, will it be more difficult than walking on dry trail? Duh. Know and 
expect this going in.

What will you need to head in before "Ray Day", especially in a high snow 
year such as 2005 or 2006? You will need to know how to navigate with map 
and compass. You will need to know how to self arrest with an ice axe. You 
will need to be prepared with proper shelter, sleeping equipment, clothing 
and rain gear. You will need to be prepared for very deep and dangerous 
stream crossings - belly button deep or full on swimming, depending on how 
tall you are. You need to know there is, in fact, a real possiblity of 
serious injury or death, be it by unarrested falls on steep snow slopes to 
jagged rock impact or being swept away in fast moving "streams" that look 
more like rivers. You will need to know you'll be walking on sun cuped snow 
for 5 to 10 miles at a pop over each of the passes. You will need to have 
very good sun protection, else be roasted to a crisp. Most importantly, you 
will need to have a stout heart and determined spirit.

The reward is you will have the best 10 to 12 days of your life - period.

Head in when you get to KM, don't wait. Take the American pioneer spirit 
with you. Don't wonder if you can do it. Find out. Don't let others 
timidness deter you - see for yourself and decide for yourself. Impossible 
to them may be merely difficult to you. To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, dare 
dreatly and don't be one of those poor, timid souls who knows neither 
victory or defeat.

YMMV, HYOH, yadda, yadda, yadda......

Respectfully
TC



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