[pct-l] 2004 prospect questions

[cmkudija at earthlink.net (Christine Kudija)]

Marissa-

I can speak to the instep crampons - they'll be really useful for
peace-of-mind even in the San Jacintos on the Fuller Ridge trail.  I'm a
real crampon advocate for the peace-of-mind factor - they enable you to
traverse hard snow with more or less impunity where otherwise the footing
would be slippery at best, treacherous at worst.   I haven't used mine with
trail shoes, but others have -

I wouldn't go over Fuller Ridge without 'em in a "normal" precipitation year
(whatever that is) in southern Calif - my imagination goes too wild when
confronted with a never-ending downslope punctuated by trees (bounce,
bounce, bounce, etc... ;-) ).  In '94, late April, the trail was largely
snow-free from Idyllwild to just where the trail crests the ridge.
Idyllwild rangers opined that we wouldn't need ice axes or crampons.... so
we left them behind.  It was a slow, miserable, scary crawl along steep
frozen snow, no trail to be seen once we got to Fuller Ridge.  Aarrgh.

Of course, once you're 9,000' down in the desert section the ice axe &
crampons will feel just a bit odd...

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija

Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top.  Then
you will see how low it was."
Dag Hammarskjold


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marissa Ferejohn" <ferejohn@hotmail.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 9:06 AM
Subject: [pct-l] 2004 prospect questions


| Hi all,
|
| I am preparing for a thru-hike next year and, naturally, I have a million
| questions.
| I will limit myself to just two of them in this post, however  :)
|
| 1.  I am debating between three shelters:  The Tarp-tent Virga, the
| Wanderlust Nomad Lite,
| and the MSR Ziod 1.0.  I would love to hear opinions on any or all of
these
| tents- specifically
| if people have had weather or warmth problems with them, what the
| condensation is like,
| if it is a pain to have to be careful about wind direction when pitching
the
| tarp-tent, if the
| Zoid is not worth the weight, etc. Any experiences/opinions are helpful!
|
| 2.  Do people carry those lightweight in-step crampons in the high Sierra,
| and will they work on
| non-booths (like New Balence shoes or low topped hiking shoes)?  I am
| planning on bringing an
| ice axe but am wondering if the lightweight crampons will bring me
| peace-of-mind on the
| steeper, snowier passes.
|
|
| Thanks for your help!  I am sure you will hear from me again . . .
|
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