[pct-l] Tahoe snow

[Ernie Castillo]

If I wasn't from California and didn't know how important the snow and rain is to the watersheds, I would send sympathy.
Instead, I will tell you that in Clarkston, Michigan, we dodged the last storm storm that hit the Midwest and East (it swept below us) and I enjoyed a balmy 20-degree day, cloudy, but with clean enough rouds to drive to the mall to finish my Christmas shopping.
 
Who knows what the next few months will bring. Perhaps it will be like the winter of 1979-1980 when above-average snowfall (the number 280% comes to mind) encouraged the GMC Expedition (Garrison, McKinney, Castillo) to pack 2 tents between the trio. One was a Jansport Dome, with Garrison and McKinney sharing the weight. The other was a Jansport Wedge, which Castillo packed himself. Both tents got plenty of use, and offered protection from multiple snow storms throughout California.
 
So I guess my advice for the day for prospective 2011 thru-hikers would be this: Take a look outside (or tune your TV to the Weather Channel). Tell yourself: "Self, if a storm like this hit the PCT in March, or April, or May, would the gear I am packing protect me?"

Ernie Castillo
PCT Class of 1980, the "C" in GMC, founding member of Revolving Ramen, and somebody who you could take one look at his pack and say "Now there goes a Heavy Trucker"


 
> From: ned at mountaineducation.org
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:40:38 -0800
> Subject: [pct-l] Tahoe snow
> 
> This morning it was snowing, then it started raining and raining hard, and now it is blowing and snowing and Heavenly just shut down the whole mountain. When I went in to work at 0630 to demonstrate to my supervisors that I was too sick to perform my ski patrol duties (their motto is "Don't Call In, Crawl In!"), they had already received 14 inches overnight. I don't know what the storm total is, but this thing is not done, by any means!
> 
> 
> 
> "Just remember, Be Careful out there!"
> 
> Ned Tibbits, Director
> Mountain Education
> 1106A Ski Run Blvd
> South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
> P: 888-996-8333
> F: 530-541-1456
> C: 530-721-1551
> http://www.mountaineducation.org
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