[pct-l] shoes/new member

[goforth@xxxxxxx (Joanne Lennox)]

>
> We are very excited about our first trip to the Sierra's.
>
> We are planning on starting at K.Meadows in early June.  I know this is
> the early season, however I've been reassured that our journey, though
> fraught with challenges, is possible.

Looks like a good snow year so far for the Sierra.  This is your first trip
in the Sierras; and you are going to do the JMT in early June???????   Hum.
>
> keeping in mind we'll be on snow a lot.

Chances are if it is cool or cloudy or after about 5 in the afternoon you
will be skating on ice.  The snow freezes Hard (can't get enough snow into
a pan to melt it if you don't use an ice ax) as the sun gets low.  When it
warms up between 9-12 on a sunny day; you will be postholing.  Most
thruhikers have developed their leg strength in the months reaching the
Sierras; even then the postholing can be a real strain.  If your feet get
to the ground there will probably be water running over them.   hours of
this can be most unpleasant.

This is not the AT - you will be camping above 10,000 feet.  What I
remember about the Sierras in mid June on a low snow year was the snow .  I
was probably on snow about half the time; and it was almost never easy like
it is inthe Cascades in the summer. ( I like snow in the Cascades because I
have bad knees and I can just plunge step down a slope or rest step up a
slope choosing my own pace and steps.  the snow "consolidates" and is firm,
your shoe or boot just makes a nice depression in the snow.  This is not
true in the Sierras).

When I would finally find the trail, it was useless.  Like a small creek,
interspersed with 4 foot high snow drifts that always ran across the trail.
 As I went lower, the forest got quite cool and dark.

The biggest obstacle you will face are the river crossings.  After a few of
these you will think more fondly of the snow work; but all the long hours
on snow, you will be thinking and wondering about the next river.
And when you hear that Sierra water ROARING, you will ask yourself many
questions with no answer.

I would nibble first. Take a shorter trip to test yourself and the
equipemnt  Go in at independence and come out Bishop Pass maybe - that is
about 70 miles counting the coming and going. This is a difficult area to
resupply and you will probably have to come in and out of those resupply
points anyway.

The Kennedy Meadows area is quite "tame" relatively speaking.  Once you get
over Forester Pass it is a differnt ballgame.

Goforth