[pct-l] trip report words

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Very good. You passed. Got the drift!


"Just remember, Be Careful out there!"

Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "giniajim" <jplynch at crosslink.net>
To: <ned at mountaineducation.org>; "PCT MailingList" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Cc: <johnmuirtrail at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] trip report words


> See my interpretations below... :)
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <ned at mountaineducation.org>
> To: "PCT MailingList" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Cc: <johnmuirtrail at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 8:10 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] trip report words
>
>
>> (Seriously, take this with a grin...)  One of the things I find 
>> interesting is how people "read" trail reports. I think many read these 
>> reports for entertainment, expansion of knowledge about the trail 
>> experience, for tips about the trail from those who have just returned, 
>> and as a source for trip planning and preparation. Now, with that in 
>> mind, how do they interpret these commonly used words:
>>
>> "passable"   A 20-something trained athlete has a 75% chance of making it 
>> through with no life-threatening injuries
>> "it's (not) a walk in the park"  See above, 50%
>> "survival"  See above, 25%
>> "partially or completely covered"  Postholing for most (but not all!!) of 
>> the day
>> "the snow is good to work with"  Igloo time!
>> "there is some snow"  Bring snowshoes
>> "dangerous"  Send your annoying neighbor
>> "wild"  Party time for snowbunnies!!
>> "exhausting"  Near death, 3-day recuperation
>> "doable"  If you've got a few months and an army of sherpas, go get 'em!
>> "it's tough going"  Whew, I made it!  And I beat the elementary school 
>> cheering leading team to boot!  Woohoo!
>> "It's physically and mentally draining hiking though that much snow"  So 
>> I'm off for a beer or three.
>> "easy" and "piece of cake"  The cheering team beat me!
>> "treacherous"  Don't go; you'll embarrass me if you remember the stories 
>> I told at the bar last night.
>>
>>
>> What is "passable" to me may be "impossible" to you. What does "good to 
>> work with" mean in practical, descriptive, physical-action, 
>> what-do-you-see,-really terms? How much snow is "some" and what does that 
>> mean for my trip planning? Does "doable" mean that I'll survive the 
>> experience? What's "easy" to me may mean a trip in a helicopter to 
>> you....
>>
>> No wonder hikers still don't know what it's like up there, how to prepare 
>> for it, and what to do when they see it.
>>
>> Of course, the answer is to describe what you saw rather than qualify it 
>> based on your own skills, abilities, and prior experiences, so that the 
>> readers can imagine it for themselves, remember if they have been in such 
>> a situation, and evaluate if they might be ready for it (skills and 
>> knowledge) and if not, get prepared.
>>
>> For example, "Mather Pass had an easy approach on its south side, but the 
>> north side was tough, so we glissaded down on the left." Did that paint 
>> any kind of picture for you? I want to know what made it "easy" and 
>> "tough" and why they chose to glissade on the left rather than anywhere 
>> else?
>>
>> How about this, "Mather Pass was in the center of the saddle and we could 
>> see it from afar above timberline over the two-mile snow approach after 
>> Twin Lakes. The trail was dry most of the way except for the last mile 
>> which was all suncupped, slippery, and prone to post-holing in the 
>> afternoon sun and heat. We had no problem cruising up to the bottom of 
>> the pass, but found that the tracks we had been following went both left, 
>> right, and straight up the center over the snow from there. Since we had 
>> been there in May the year before, we chose the center route, made our 
>> own switchbacks up the center by kicking aggressively each step with our 
>> boots for our foot-platforms, crested the melting cornice with the help 
>> of our ice axes, and relaxed on the big, flat rock at the top while 
>> eating lunch. Once rested, we tried to follow the trail direction to the 
>> right on the northern descent, but it was too soft and suncupped and we 
>> postholed many times through onto rocks and boulders beneat
>> h, so we went back up to the pass and took the left and steeper descent 
>> where we knew we could glissade on our rears with enough speed in the 
>> soft snow to make a fun ride to the bottom."
>>
>> I know it is wordy, but did that help you to "see" what we had to deal 
>> with so you can evaluate for yourself if it is something you are ready 
>> for?
>>
>> Trail journals are used by people to plan for their own hikes. If you are 
>> writing one, be a bit more descriptive so your reader can understand what 
>> you had to deal with and why you did what you did. If you are looking for 
>> one that will help you  plan a future trip, find one that paints a 
>> picture with many words rather than qualifies with a few.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Just remember, Be Careful out there!"
>>
>> Ned Tibbits, Director
>> Mountain Education
>> 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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