[pct-l] Cold weather gear in Sierra; Snakes in Bags

[kborski@xxxxxxxxx (Karen Borski)]

Two part reponse:

First, for the Sierras, I would recommend a fleece or
some heavy clothing to go under a water/windproof
shell, winter fleece hat and fleece gloves.  If you
tend to be cold, add long underwear.  If you enter the
Sierra at the "normal" time (6/15), you should be OK
with this gear.  Just make sure you have a good
sleeping bag, so that if there is a freak snow storm
with low temps, you can crawl into it.  I remember
nights being in the 40s.

Second, I have heard so many hikers tell the old tale
of the rattle snake seeking the warm sleeping bag.
But I've never seen it firsthand and slept many nights
directly on the ground in So Cal.  I did see a PBS
nature special where they said a rattlesnake can sense
the beating of a mouse's heart from a long distance
(hundreds of feet away) and use it's sense of
heat/smell to track it.  To that end, I would think
such a sense-based animal would hear the beating of a
human heart and know better than to approach.  It
would be like our reaction if Godzilla tromped through
downtown.  So, I don't really worry that they are
going to haphazardly venture too close.

However, I have had scorpions crawl into my boots!
I've never had one approach me, but watch out for
those critters.  And watch where you sit and walk
during the day and night - rattlers are out there.  I
worry more about stepping on them than the other way
around.

Nocona

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