[pct-l] snow shoes

[Gary Wright]

On Oct 25, 2010, at 3:32 PM, Brick Robbins wrote:
> Has anyone else seen anything that works?

Probably not what you meant but it should be mentioned, that timing is everything.

1) Wait for more snow to melt before entering the high country.
2) Plan to make camp so that you:
	- start crossing snow fields in mid-morning
	- cross the pass around noon
	- leave the snow fields by mid-afternoon

Not always possible to do this but it helps you avoid the frozen, icy conditions
of early morning on the passes and the melting, post-holing conditions of mid to
late afternoon.  It can also help you avoid late-afternoon thunderstorms at
the passes if that is the sort of weather pattern that is in play.

I did pretty well with this strategy in 2004 but ignored my own advice when
crossing Muir pass in 2007.  That was a really long slog.  I think I added a
couple miles by zig-zagging between rock outcroppings to avoid postholing.

Radar