[pct-l] a thought on IMPASSABLE snow, the Fuller Ridge question

[mark v]

It's possible that many of us seriously underestimate just how fast snow melts and conditions change.  I could rattle off a dozen examples, including this and last year's San Jacinto information, and non-PCT examples, but here's the one that really hit home for me:

Last year, the news from those in front of me entering the Sierra was that there was a ton of snow and route-finding was difficult.  I entered a week later, and had an ice axe.  I found there to be some snow and obscured trail, but not such a huge deal, and ditched the axe in Independence.  At the time, i assumed everyone had just been a wuss and was overstating the snow.  (This can happen, for sure.)  Then, at Red's Meadow, i had a planned exit for 8 days  from the trail.  When i came back, the snow was practically gone!  

Then, when seeing the class DVD this year at Kickoff, i saw pictures taken by those just 3-6 days behind me in the Sierra.  Pictures of exact spots where i took pictures, like Bighorn Plateau, the bowl and lakes below Forrester Pass.  In my pictures, it's covered with snow.  In theirs, there is practically NONE.  Just 3-6 days difference.  In Squatch's movie, there is a sequence of 2 guys going up one little snow patch below Mather Pass.  A week or 10 days before that was shot, i did the same route to the pass, but because the entire area was white, with no trail visible.

So, as this pertains to Fuller Ridge, it's possible that those early-birders encountered conditions that just simply won't be a big deal as the herd moves through now, 10 days later.  Supporting this, the group of friends i had to bail on that went across Apache Peak 10 days ago encountered less snow than was reported a week before they went up.

Snow melts.