[pct-l] San Gorgonio Pass to Hwy 74 (Pines to Palms Highway)

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Ah, can't resist on this one.

As our students will tell you, even six miles with relatively little 
elevation gain over snow, especially any kind of powder snow, is very hard 
and exhausting! (Just got back from another Snow Skills Training 
Course--will tell the List about it in a minute).

We (Mountain Education) will not be researching the area until after the 
Kickoff for our Snow Guide to the PCT, but I would not go up onto that ridge 
until I knew what kind and amounts of weather that area has received in the 
past month or two and what the local Avalanche Center has to say about the 
area's avalanche-prone conditions. Any ice up there? What are the slope 
angles and mountain aspects where you want to go?


"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
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brick Robbins" <brick at brickrobbins.com>
To: "Devon Taig" <devon.taig at gmail.com>
Cc: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 1:27 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] San Gorgonio Pass to Hwy 74 (Pines to Palms Highway)


I think northbound would be better.

I'm thinking the area between Apache Peak and Red Tahquitz might be
"interesting" on show shoes, and might actually be rather technical in
that much snow. Ropes, Pickets, Crampons?

Also the section between Saddle Junction and the Marion Ridge trail
looked to me like it might have a pretty high avalanche danger.

Sounds like a hellava trip. Have Fun!

On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Devon Taig <devon.taig at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have 7 days next week, and am seriously considering a (largely) 
> snow-shoe
> journey consisting of the 60 miles or so between Interstate 10 (San 
> Gorgonio
> Pass) and Hwy 74 (Pine to Palms). My guess is that at least 75% of this
> will be under snow. I haven't been up there in 20 years so my memory is a
> little sketchy on what to expect. I remember something dark and foreboding
> about Fuller Ridge though. I'll be taking a GPS with Halfmile's GPS tracks
> / waypoints loaded, so even if there isn't a trail visible, I'm hoping not
> to get too far off route.
>
> Would anyone care to comment on the fool-hardiness of this endeavor (e.g.
> "we'll try not to trip over your body when we hike by in May")? I'm
> wondering specifically about avalanche potential and snow-shoe traverses
> along and across steep slopes. I'm normally comfortable walking 20 miles a
> day, so hopefully 10 mpd won't be more than I can handle in snow.
>
> Devon
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