[pct-l] Start time

[Carl Siechert]

You've got that right.

1977 started off much like 2014: virtually no snow on the ground throughout
the winter. (In December 1976, we climbed 14,000+ foot Mt. Langley, hoping
to get some snowshoe and ice axe practice. No snow to be found. Our only
ice axe practice was using them as hockey sticks on frozen lakes.)

On our 1977 thru hike, we crossed Highway 178 to enter the Sierra in early
May. Still no snow on the ground. Several days in, a series of storms
dumped over two feet of snow, and we were still walking on snow as we
crossed Donohue Pass into Yosemite a few weeks later. Finally got to use
our snowshoes.

The "start early" strategy is good this year, but be prepared for late
storms.



>
> > On Feb 2, 2014, at 2:10 PM, "rbelshee" <rbelshee at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > What snow will exist next week or next month is unknown. There is
> nothing there now. Hence everyone's advice to start early (due to likely
> dry water sources) but be ready to change plans if changing conditions
> exceed your competence.
>