[pct-l] Sierra Snowstorm Report

[Vincent Rupp]

Burning Daylight, Indy, and I hiked up Kearsarge Pass yesterday in what
began as a pleasant Decemberish snowfall.

The trail to the PCT wasn't too bad, with a little slow-going due to a
little bit of obscured switchbacks. Hiking up to Glen Pass, the snow was
sticking and the path was very hard to follow. We used map, compass, and GPS
often up to the rough-hewn switchbacks going straight up the wall.

Looking over the other side, we saw nothing but a wall of white. No trail,
no mountains, not even the hill 20 feet down. We turned back and spent the
night camped near the Kearsarge Pass trail.

This morning, it was 25F, but the sky was everywhere blue and the sunlight
was strong. I hiked back out to town over Kearsarge - still not too bad
despite some 8" drifts and 4-6" fresh near the summit.

Back in Lone Pine hours later, I ran into Burning Daylight and Indy again.
They'd bailed out after getting to about 11,500 at Glen Pass. Just too much
snow, ice, slippery slopes, and slow going. Avalanches possible too, none of
us knew how to spot those areas.

Weather report says more expected Friday/Saturday, clearing Sat afternoon,
so the new melt's going to freeze up nicely. Be careful if you're headed
that way soon. Forrester was a cake walk, albeit a slow one, compared with
this mess further North.

Regards,
Vincent Rupp