[pct-l] Ice ax

[woodsps@charter.net (WoodsPublishing)]

I covered that stretch last year in late April. Not to say it will be =
the same this year, and the rangers around the area weren't much help. I =
meant to post some comments about Cedar Spring also:
Cedar Spring is in a pretty little grove of some old-growth cedar, =
really nice if a little dim in the evening.=20
Last year my party and I tried to short-cut the long southward backtrack =
to the PCT by following a trail out of Cedar Spring that exits uphill to =
the west and follows the contour to the north. Some maps have a trail =
marked, including 'Topo,' that ascends west -nw from that trail up to =
the PCT. Probably an old fire break, as we found some brushing-out =
evidence, but the trail is long-gone. Lost the morning bushwhacking up =
the hill because we didn't want to backtrack what would have been about =
five miles by then. I still wear the scars on my legs. Literally "Don't =
Go There!"

Ended up at Apache Spring rather than Devil's Slide that day.
Apache Spring should be good this time of year, a box spring with a few =
skeeters about, and a great view of Palm Springs at night.

Ice Ax territory:
There is a shady stretch on the east side of the ridge that runs north =
to Red Tahquitz from Apache Spring. There were a couple of old drifts =
down over the trail with a rather hairy drop to the canyon below. I =
would have roped with a partner, if I'd had a rope, and would have =
dearly loved the use of an ice ax. Made it across with a very high =
pucker factor. And I used to frame houses for a living.=20

There's an E/W stretch on the north side of Tahquitz that I think =
usually leave folks baffled when the trail disappears under the snow. I =
postholed so much through there that I trashed my ankes and had to bail.
Snowshoes would have been handy.=20
I heard later from my partner that Fuller Ridge was more of the same for =
about ten miles. =20

Seems like there was a post about the Black Mountain/Fuller Ridge area a =
few weeks ago.

The mid to north Sierra is getting another shot of snow this week, but =
accumulations are only in inches mostly.
Rick




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