[pct-l] Yatrax/cramp-ons

[CMountainDave@xxxxxxx (CMountainDave@xxxxxxx)]

In a message dated 1/2/03 12:13:59 PM, Slyatpct@aol.com writes:

<< I witnessed a couple, after a failed attempt of Mt Shasta (theirs, not
mine!
: ) doing a sitting glissade (in a chute) with crampons on, on the way down.
I was really surprised that they didn't break an ankle.
 >>

And I believe Cindy Ross's future husband did break his when he slipped and
fell while wearing them. A most common accident: foot stops, body doesn't,
weak spot gives. If a confidence boost is needed, I recommend insteps, but
only if you are one of the first to enter the Sierras. Steps placed by others
generally make a snow slope quite easy to cross with an ice ax. If I was
going across a virgin moderate snow slope and could not kick steps due to
hardness, I would opt for the insteps. I pretty much got everywhere in the
Sierras just a few days after melt out, and do not recall wishing I had
crampons anywhere along the PCT.
  Funny thing was, I didn't really use my ice ax until somewhere between
Seiad and Ashland where a late season snowbank blocked the trail on a very
steep hill. The only option was to cross hard ice for about 15 feet where a
slip would result in a steep slide into rocks. I chopped steps.
  Wow, the snow pack really jumped up the last two weeks-over 4 feet in some
places. High snow levels predicted for about a week. Rain up to 6000 feet.