[pct-l] Snow snow snow. Let's go!

[Brick Robbins]

On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 4:08 AM, Casey Stevens <costevens078 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Appreciate the admonishments!

Snow is what seems to concern folks about early entry into the Sierra,
but snow is really not that big a deal. Postholing is a pain and slows
you down, but if you carry and iceaxe and you know how to use it, then
snow travel is fairly safe, just be careful of falling through the
snow into voids caused by running water.

The REAL danger is getting killed in stream crossings. Most of the big
rivers will have bridges, but many of the "jump across" streams will
be swollen to raging waist deep (or deeper) torrents.

I was swept away at Bear Creek, and could have easily been killed.
Kerrick Canyon was downright scary, and a fall would have been deadly.

I had to cross Evolution Creek (in the meadows, well upstream of the
normal crossing) by putting my pack in a bag, and swimming in the
freezing runoff water. Crossing at the normal ford would have been
deadly.

The water was so high that wading was require at both sides of the
Glen Aulin Bridge over the Tuolumne river.

The snow may slow you down, but the water will kill you.

Be careful out there