[pct-l] Sierra Trip Report

[Jim Banks]

For anyone planning a Sierra hike or through hikers that skipped the Sierras
and are thinking about coming back now to do the Sierras:

 

I just finished a four day, three night hike in the Sierras.  August 7 to
August 10.  I went in at Kearsarge Pass to the PCT hiked south over Forester
Pass down to Crabtree Meadows and out over Whitney.  There are a lot of
mosquitoes, be prepared.  There is also a fair amount of snow on the North
side of Forester (and some on the south side).  People were getting through
ok with just boots or trail runners, but I lugged my micro spikes up there
so I used them and they made the going a lot faster.  I never thought I
would be using my micro spikes in August! The sun cups were incredibly deep.
The snow does not create dangerous conditions, it just makes it a hard, slow
slog.  I do not believe a horse could make it over Forester.  I talked to a
packer at Guitar Lake and he said they were not going over Forester or Glen
passes yet.  He didn't know about the snow conditions on any passes north of
Glen pass.

 

None of the creek crossings were a problem.  I crossed all of them where the
trail crosses.  Three or four were mid-shin deep, and the others even less.

 

On August 17 I am going in at Kearsarge Pass again and this time heading
north to Reds Meadows.  When I get back I will do another update.

 

I-Beam