[pct-l] info needed re hiking JMT/PCT Kearsarge pass north to South lake Sept 1...

[Ned Tibbits]

Keep in mind that "September" this year is arriving 6 weeks ahead of the 
"norm." Conditions right now (first week of July) at trail elevation reflect 
a "mid-August" feel. When September comes we may see either a prolonged 
summer with lots of hot and dry or a more normal feeling that Fall is just 
around the corner with cold nights and the threat of snow...



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: gschenk1 at roadrunner.com
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2012 8:13 AM
To: CHUCK CHELIN ; Linda Jagger
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] info needed re hiking JMT/PCT Kearsarge pass north to 
South lake Sept 1...

Just as Chuck says, September is the best time to be in the Sierra Nevada. 
You might go the six days and never see a cloud.

---- CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:
> Good morning, Linda,
>
> September is usually a great time to hike the Sierra.  There won’t be any
> troublesome snowpack or high creek fords, and the mosquitoes will mostly
> gone, and while there can be new snow on any day of the calendar at high
> elevation the likelihood in September is very low.
>
> A common phenomena in the Sierra is the afternoon rumbles.  Air from the
> Pacific move east across California’s central valley and picks up moisture
> as it heats up through the morning.  By early to mid-afternoon that air
> ascends the Sierra forming clouds that almost every day shed some of the
> moisture as rain -- somewhere.
>
> As you know in the Rockies, from the higher aspects one can see about 50
> miles in every direction.  Similarly, in the Sierra one can watch cloud
> banks form north and south, and there will be spotty dark, cloud cells 
> with
> thunder and lightning – somewhere – so assume there is local rain –
> somewhere.
>
> In spite of all that, the chance that rain will fall on any one spot is
> darn slim, and if there is rain it most probably will be a brief,
> refreshing shower.  It doesn’t usually extend into the night because the
> air then passing will not have heated and loaded water over the central
> valley.  http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=194180
>
> You probably won’t resupply in the 6 days.  I usually carry about 10 lbs.
> of base gear plus about 2 lbs. of food per day.  It isn’t necessary to
> carry much water in the Sierra so a total pack weight can be well under 
> the
> 30 lbs. you mention.
>
>  Overnight temperatures will likely be in the 40’s F, but there could be
> light frost.  Daytime temps will likely be in 70’s – simply great.
>
> Enjoy your trip,
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 10:40 PM, Linda Jagger <lindajagger at yahoo.com> 
> wrote:
>
> > Hello, 3 of us are going to hike JMT/PCT Kearsarge Pass north to South 
> > lake
> > beginning Sept 1. I've hiked bits of PCT in CA, WA but not this area. We
> > live in CO and are avid hikers of high peaks and other trails there. We
> > have never done a hike in this part of PCT.  We plan to do 6 days, 10
> > mi/day. We want to carry as light as possible, packs less than 30 lb
> > total?? I believe other than the access trail from Kearsarge pass &
> > South lake we will be doing 40 mi of JMT which is also PCT. Is that
> > right? We know that bears are an issue and will have our bear
> > cannisters. What other general information can you hikers pass on? What
> > are typical temps-lows and highs? Is it true that most likely we are not
> > likely to encounter thunderstorms and rain? I believe we are almost
> > entirely w/in Kings Canyon NP--correct?? Of course we have our permit,
> > etc. We have not been on the PCT digest in several years.
> > Thanks for any info provided.
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