[pct-l] Sierra Navigation!

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Ok. A couple of things on this subject...since we teach it:

- It is best to simply plan for over-the-snow travel, whether over miles of 
undulation, traversing, climbing, and descending or just over patches on 
steep side-slopes,

- If you know that you just had a heavy winter and have no idea what it's 
like up on the trail in May, keep in mind that Mountain Education is the 
first out of Kennedy Meadows and over Forester each year (we started an 
annual Advanced Snow Course two years ago, the SAC-1) using a sat phone to 
call in trail conditions and snow level and depths as we go. We try to offer 
the SAC-1 starting the first week of May, to teach spring snow travel to the 
thru hikers of the next year (then they'll have the first-hand experience to 
plan for what worked for them). If we have a light winter (like Hummel did 
in '77), everyone will be worried about the start of another drought and you 
won't have to worry much,

- If you leave the border "early," say April 1st, you will have snow 
(outside of the peaks in SoCal) from KM on north with snow bridges and 
low-volume creek crossings. If you leave KM during the "thaw," once the melt 
and higher temperatures have already started (this could be when the Pack 
goes through), you will have snow only a little less deep with fewer snow 
bridges and much higher volume creek crossings. If you wait even later to 
enter the Sierra, hoping for that "dry trail" experience you planned for, 
and if this next winter is anything like the last two, you will still have 
snow only a little less deep with even wilder creek crossings. Keep in mind 
during your logistics planning, the more time you can schedule for your 
adventure, the lower your daily mileage can be (whether or not that is your 
desire is your choice). Also, it doesn't matter whether you're walking on 
two feet of snow or twenty (consolidated, hard, springtime, no-avalanche, 
good stuff), the skills to do so safely are the same, just the creek 
crossings will be different),

- Following in the footsteps of others is no guarantee you'll get where you 
want to go--they may not know where they're going! Also, footprints can be 
more slippery than un-tracked snow. Thus, make your own path toward your own 
objectives (seen or via GPS),

- joining a group to get through the snows of the High Sierra is better, but 
they may not be prepared for it either! So what you become is just another 
opinion in the group as to where to go, what route to take, when to summit 
the pass, how to cross the creek, and so forth. Safety is best in numbers, 
however!

- Navigation over snow is easier once you get used to how trails are routed, 
as Sir Mix-a-lot said, but line of sight works best above Timberline and a 
GPS with a good topo are best below Timberline. When you can't see through 
the trees for distant landmarks to navigate to, you'll need a good topo to 
"see" the terrain around you. If you're not too savvy with reading maps, the 
GPS with installed tracks (Halfmile's) is great. In general, once above the 
trees, you will be able to see where you want to go and, with a good memory 
once down in the trees, can find your way back up to the next bowl, saddle, 
or pass. The difficulty comes when you're down in the trees and can't 
remember nor see your landmarks above to navigate to. If the route through 
the trees is lengthy, like north of Yosemite, northern California, or even 
Oregon, you're going to need to know what you're doing with a map, compass, 
and GPS. We spent about 100 miles of the PCT and TRT this past spring 
navigating through dense trees and canyons simply following old "blazes" cut 
in the trees from long ago; it worked, but it was slow, so plan for low 
miles once on snow.

- and that brings up "speed of travel" and "caloric burn rates" on snow. We 
tell our thru-hiking students to cut the pre-Sierra miles in half and double 
the food for the Sierra section (KM to Donner). There is little that 
consumes more energy and requires more strength and balance than wallowing 
through miles of suncups, balancing on poor footing on steep traverses, 
saving yourself multiple times a day from slip-and-falls or postholes, 
kicking steps all day in snow, heel-plunging, and in general, just walking 
on snow. Keep in mind that your feet want to slide apart from each 
other--this means that your adductors will be getting a workout (which they 
didn't know on dry trail because your feet have traction there)! Snow-hiking 
is just a part of the PCT experience. You'll need to move slower so you 
don't slip. You'll need to kick your footsteps into the snow to get a better 
platform for balance and a better "hold" or traction. You won't be able to 
"push" off your toes as you do on dry ground; you'll learn to "place" your 
feet for balance, almost like walking on your heels. You'll be using your 
poles a lot more for lateral balance, thus burning more energy.

- Depending on the winter and spring, all of this may not be an issue to the 
advancing thru hiker. Even a heavy winter is no big deal if followed by an 
early and hot spring! Don't forget that when the snow is melting in a fury, 
the creeks will be high and fast and dangerous to cross (of at least 
requiring lots of time to search out the safest crossing method and 
location).

So much to teach on this. We're here if anyone has any further questions...



"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: "Sir Mix-a-lot" <atetuna at gmail.com>
To: "Cameron Szakall" <cszakall at hotmail.com>
Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Sierra Navigation!


It's very easy when there's no snow, but we won't know what the snow
situation will be like for several more months, yet we still won't know what
the snow will be like when the herd gets there.  In any case you'll probably
get there a couple months later, which will melt a lot of the snow.  Even if
there is still plenty of snow left, there should be footsteps to follow and
you can always link up with a group.  After a while the trail becomes easier
to find even under snow because you get a feel of where the trail should be
and you'll recognize more signs that indicate where the trail is...and 700
miles in southern California will give you plenty of time to improve your
map & compass skills.

If you're going nobo and considering altering your start date because of the
snow situation in the Sierras, I don't think that's a good idea.  There
could be record high levels of snow, but the snow could melt early and
quickly, but the opposite could also happen.

On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 8:01 PM, Cameron Szakall 
<cszakall at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm hiking the PCT next April, and wondering how the trail finding is in
> the sierras. I have mediocre map and compass skills, I have hiked plenty 
> in
> the ADK with map and compass, but only for about 10 miles or so of 
> unmarked
> trails. I was wondering how difficult the sierras will be to navigate. Do
> hikers generally group together and hike during these difficult sections? 
> Or
> is it all up to chance? Any advice will help!
>
> Thanks
>
> Cam
> Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
> Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is is prohibited without express permission.
>
_______________________________________________
Pct-L mailing list
Pct-L at backcountry.net
To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

List Archives:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
Reproduction is is prohibited without express permission.