[pct-l] June snow in Tahoe

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Kristy,

Since Mountain Education runs a lot of its winter trips out of Echo 
trailhead and I work nearby as a ski patrolman, I've got a clue on this one!

Right now there is about 3 feet of snow in the Desolation backcountry and it 
appears to be consolidating fast. Although the trail is still covered above 
7,000, the lower lakes are melting out. If the weather warms up during the 
day with lots of sunshine while the nights fail to reach freezing, the thaw 
will start early in the sierra and your start date should be almost 
snow-free!

Your problem in this area and north will be more the navigation challenges 
where the snow remains in the trees. However, if the patches and drifts are 
small (less than house-sized in diameter), you'll be able to locate the 
trail where it emerges out the other side and navigate just fine.

Many people get lost when trails disappear under snow and they don't have 
the experience to know how to find it, especially in the trees. There are 
numerous "tricks" you can do to "sniff-out" where the trail went and as you 
go, you'll learn them. Better to find out how before you're on your own.

You won't need an ice axe! Because it is so easy to slip on any size of snow 
patch or field, especially in the mornings when the snow is hard, we always 
carry hiking crampons to maintain our balance and peace of mind whenever we 
suspect snow ahead. However, we also always have in hand the self-arrest 
hiking pole made by Black Diamond called a Whippet. I have slipped and 
fallen on narrow (near to far) but long (right to left) snow drifts across 
the trail (think coming down from Dicks Pass) in the soft afternoons and had 
to self-arrest to keep from hitting the rocks below. I'm always glad I have 
my Whippet pole in-hand!

Regarding the sierra thaw, you'll be in the right place! The creeks are 
shorter in the northern sierra, thus their sizes and melt volumes are less 
than in the southern, higher sierra, so your creek crossings will not be 
difficult at your time of year. Good news.



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: Kristy Margulieux
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 8:22 PM
To: Pct-L at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] June snow

Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback on my previous question about hiking solo! 
Here's another question....do you need an ice axe and micro cleats in early 
June? I'm starting at echo lake and not sure what I need at that time of 
year since the snow fall has been so weird the past few years...thanks!
Kristy

Sent from my iPhone
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