[pct-l] Got thru the snow

[tsimon10@xxxxxxxxx (tsimon10)]

Here's some first hand info in the snow conditions to the north of Apache
Peak / Idyllwild area. But I first have to thank the person who went ahead
of me along the trail and made some footprints I could follow. Whoever you
are, that went through from Apache Peak to just after Fuller Ridge T H A N K
S very much from Galloping Gourmet and Klondike Pete. You must have hiked
that area many times. Whenever the earth would poke through the few feet of
snow, a look around would reveal we were right on the trail!
The trail is passable and by now there are a good set of footprints to aid
in climbing/going down hills. The dangers are no where near those presented
by a long JMT pass, where a tumble could mean a downhill roll of 1000 feet.
There was an official looking note at the water stops just before Apache
Peak, saying as of April 22nd, the trail was basically impassable past here
going north. The two of us, having crampons, decided to give it a go,
especially since we were finishing our section A & B hike just over Fuller
Ridge.
There is a large amount of snow no doubt. I would say that combining all the
north slope snow accumulations, before and after Fuller ridge, we must have
walked 15 miles of snow at least. But in most cased, a slip would have
resulted in only a slide of a few feet, not down a 2000 foot precipice. Yet,
we still would have been in deep doodoo if we had lost the prints due to new
snow covering things up overnight.
Good fortune and keep on enjoying Class of 2003. One final note. Stop at THE
PINK MOTEL! IT IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE TO HAVE A FEW HOURS OFF! PLEASE,
PLEASE, LEAVE A SUITABLE DONATION. It takes more than you think to keep a
place available for one month of thru-hiker exclusive use each year.