[pct-l] Early Season Fording Techniques?

[themtgoat at yahoo.com (Stephen Gookin)]

As far as the boots/shoes go......
 
I have for years, just taken my boots/shoes off and crossed those streams, though sometimes, if it is particularly difficult, I will take off just my socks and cross in boots/shoes so I don't end up with wet socks.I have never had to cross a stream above waist deep. But on the other hand I have never done the Whole PCT. Snickers and I last summer did Kirsarge pass to red meadows in 10 days, but the worste stream crossing we ran into was after selden pass and it was about 2 feet deep. We did it on July 3rd. If were doing the whole pct, then it would probably have been higher and we would have been there 2 weeks ealier.
 
 It seems that a number of other hikers would probably argue that if it is at all difficult you should wear boots/shoes, better to keep your life safe and get shoes wet, then loose it all. Which is hard to argue with. In my planning for PCt2005, I am planning on buying a pair of DIVA spider (at REI). They will serve me for stream crossing and an alternative to my hiking shoes on the pct. They are being sold as reef walking shoes for $35  I believe.
 
-The Mountain Goat-

RBALCORN@cs.com wrote:
I'm reading Blistered Kind of Love. They talk about stream crossings in the 
Sierras chest high. This is early season - cold, snow melt water, etc. They 
don't say how they dry off. My assumption is they are hiking in quick dry 
synthetics and walk till they are dry. For those of you that have done it, how do 
you avoid hyperthermia? Do you take your boots off, etc? I hike this area in 
summer, and take considerable effort to stay dry - boots off, switch to 
lightweight river shoes, but water never more than thigh high, so wondering how you 
early season pct hikers do it?

Ralph Alcorn
www.backpack45.com
Shepherd Canyon Books
Publisher of We're in the Mountains, Not Over the Hill: Tales and Tips from 
Seasoned Women Backpackers
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