[pct-l] Snow Safety this April-June

[Ned Tibbits]

Many of you are watching the Sierra weather and accumulated snow pack intently as you prepare for long hikes and even thru hikes of the PCT and JMT this April, May, June, or July. You want to be prepared for the hazards that exist in the mountains during this time of year, usually considered too early for dry-trail hiking, and that is good! 

So, you ask, “How can I go into the Sierra at this time of year and remain safe while having fun?”

The early-season challenges are primarily:
-  Snow
-  High creek crossings
-  An occasional snow storm
-  Freezing nights (pre-thaw) and cool days
-  Postholing, suncups, snow blindness, and exposure (during the thaw)

If the snowline is at 10,500, most of all the trails below that elevation will be snow-free, but not always dry! Once the thaw starts, about mid-May, the Sierra heats up, the snow melts rapidly, and water is running everywhere, especially right down the trail, until it finally reaches the creeks! Although this is a minor thing to prepare for, it contributes to chronically wet feet and lots of slip and falls.

So, you’re climbing up toward Forester (NoBo on the PCT) or Donahue (SoBo on the JMT) and you see the snow ahead at the end of the canyon. You continue on and hit patches of snow in the shade below trees, in corners of the trail, or up high enough where the snow is everywhere and you can’t see the trail anymore. What should you do?

The things that should be on your mind are:
-  How do I walk on snow such that I don’t slip and fall?
-  How much traction will I need to solve this?
-  Where is the trail going because I can’t see it at all anywhere?
-  Postholing is exhausting and can potentially cut my skin and hurt my knees. How do I solve this issue?
-  Suncups are nasty, slippery little depressions that slow me down. What is the best way to get through?
-  I can go straight up and down, but going across steep side-hills is terrifying. What now?
-  The snow is ice in the morning and soup in the afternoon. I can’t move in this stuff! Not fun!
-  The creeks are foaming, frothing, wide and deep, roaring, freezing nightmares. How do I cross them?

There are solutions. There are techniques that work well to keep you safe, warm, and dry. You need to know what to do before you are in the midst of these predicaments. An ice axe or crampons will not solve everything. Researching what others faced and learning about how they dealt with all this will help, but doesn’t solve everything, either. Yes, learn before you go. Better yet, Practice before you go!

Now, combine the two, Learn and Practice! So, you have a permit that allows you to enjoy the Sierra during these months, but you really have no idea what the place is going to look like nor how you will have to modify your summer skills to deal with winter and thaw issues. Crampons and ice axes are not the end-all to your safety concerns. But you have learned, realized, that they can help!

Have you ever walked on an ice arena? Do you remember what it was like to walk up to the ski area lodge wearing your sneakers on snow? What you need to do these next few months is to go up into the snow and go snow-hiking and snow-camping to practice what it will take to stay upright, balanced, and moving slightly forward while not falling. 

Have you ever tried climbing down into a snow-filled creek to get water without falling in? How about walking on a frozen lake? Do you know when it is safe to walk over a snow bridge without it collapsing and you falling into the creek below? Now, some of these conditions will not be present during June or July, but if this winter trends toward “heavy,” they certainly have been in April and May! 

Learn and Practice before you’re out there miles from help or rescue. Yes, an ice axe can be used to arrest a tumble or slide down a steep slope, but do you know when that will happen such that it is in your hand before it does? Yes, a Whippet solves this problem, but do you know how to self-arrest? Take a class in the snow somewhere that shows you what you need to do, teaches you how, and helps you to practice it to perfection. Be prepared for the expected conditions. Be wise!



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education, Inc.
www.mountaineducation.org 
ned at mountaineducation.org 


Mission:
"To minimize wilderness accidents, injury, and illness in order to maximize wilderness enjoyment, safety, and personal growth, all through experiential education and risk awareness training."