[pct-l] Lightweighting microspikes?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Mar 16, 2012, at 7:38 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Now, all that being said, this may be a low snow year in which case  
> with
> your experience, instep cramps may be fine.  I used them in the  
> Sierra for
> years and would again except that I love my slightly dull now, Katoola
> Aluminum Cramps.

I hiked most of the Sierras in 2008, a moderate snow year. I had  
instep crampons. The trouble with those is that they are really hard  
to walk on rocks in. If there isn't a lot of snow, they are too much  
of a pain to put on and take off. I ended up not wearing them when I  
needed them and slipped a long way on Mather Pass. The following year  
I had microspikes. I could walk on rocks and bare trail and even over  
logs with them on. They had great traction on icy snow. I would go  
with the Kathoola KTS crampons if I ever did the Sierras in June again.

The weight's not too bad by then. Well actually, it's really bad, but  
most of it is your food and even though you are laboring under the  
weight you are still skipping and running down the trail because you  
are so strong.