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[pct-l] Ice Axe and Crampons are cheap light Insurance



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 Remember 1977?? Lowest snowfall in recent history.  Sierra's turned into
what looked like a trip to Pole!!  Anyone who attended the 1977 reunion
would have saw what ugly weather can show up in late May or June . I would
hate to wake up to 2 feet of fresh snow and no ice axe. Alum. crampons work
well with running shoes and add about a pound and a half to your gear. Their
quite nice if things stay frozen all day as can happen in mid June. An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Which breaks down to crampons , under
certain conditions , prevent slips.
    At least try " Flyin Brian's " trick of screwing a few 1/2 sheet metal
screws into your running shoes for studs.
   I would have hated to do the PCT in 1977 with only a tent stake to stop a
fall.  I watched a friend fall 60 feet straight down off Donahue Pass .( And
he had an axe but didn't know how to use it) He looked just like the "
Freedom of the Hills"picture as he tried to roll over and stick in the bottom
point in snow and ripped out of his hand. He lost his glasses, torn off a few
fingers nails as he tried to dig them into granite. Seeing a hiker
somersaulting down a steep incline with a 60 pound Kelty Pack isn't pretty!
That year nine hikers were rescued by helicopter out of the Sierras. A record
that still stands!!
   Just because we had a low snow year, don't think it can't backfire with a
last blast of weather!!! It can happen. ( It did happen!!)