[pct-l] Re: Snow shoes in early season

[brick@webrooster.com (brick@webrooster.com)]

I hiked the Sierra in 95, one of the heaviest snow years on record
http://www.fastpack.com/brick/forester.html is what forester looked like 
July 13


At 10:58 AM 1/10/02, Reynolds, WT wrote:
>I have those plastic MSR shoes with 12" extensions. Do you think that they
>would work in spring snow to avoid post holing?

No. the problem was collapsing and crumbling sun cups. The snow shoes I 
carried did not help.

Nothing seemed to help. .........I grew to really HATE sun cups.

Earlier season hikers may face windpack or breakable crust instead of sun 
cups, so snowshoes might be helpful to them. In the right conditions, 
telemark skis and skins would be great.

>I read Jonathan Breem's account of crossing the sierra in very heavy snow.
>He said that he hiked early and late with crampons while other, non-crampon
>equipped, thruhikers had to wait until the snow softened and had to stop
>when the snow hardened. In your experience would that work better.

I too preferred to hike early and late, when the snow was firm...Then I 
could walk on the rims of sun cups without having them collapse.

  If one camps low, then starts up a pass, the snow is still firm. 
Hopefully it has softened by the time you get to the top, so the glissade 
down is a bit slower (if wetter.)

I did not have, and did not need crampons except for a few places. My 
definition of "needed" gear was something I used often, so I didn't "Need" 
crampons. Cold nights after warm days were not much of a problem that year 
(it was cold all the time) so different weather may have changed what I 
thought was "needed."

While descending from Pinchot pass I came upon an "Outward Bound" group 
climbing up with 12 pt crampons, long Ice axes and full winter gear. They 
looked at me with my ultralight pack and running shoes, and couldn't 
believe it. I could just imagine the group leader lecturing them on being 
prepared, and not traveling like that 'crazy' who had just come from 
Mexico.....

>note: A 5 ounce gps may be indicated if this is truely a heavy snow year

I disagree, at least for the Sierra. Anyone moderately competent with a map 
an compass can navigate easily. You are hiking in deep canyons, and going 
over tall passes above tree line. It is not that hard to put yourself over 
the right pass, and descend into the correct drainage....ots of very tall 
landmarks that are unobscured by trees.

I'm sure some folks COULD get lost, but I never even came close, even with 
10 ft of snow on the ground much of the time

HOWEVER,  I did get lost north of I-80 a few times where the terrain is 
lower and  less severe. One rolling tree covered ridge looks a lot like any 
other. I think 5oz would have been worth it there.