[pct-l] snow training

[m.karon at comcast.net (Marshall Karon)]

I believe most thru-hikers have the same concerns about snow and ice - until
they go through it. Then, if they are lucky - the norm, they wonder what the
concerns were about. Since each year and time is different, you never know
what you will experience.

The main concerns will be: navigating and getting lost, post holing and
getting exhausted, sliding on ice into rocks, falling and twisting an ankle
or breaking a leg. Going with others is a good way to mitigate all of the
above, especially if at least one of the others has some experience. If in
doubt, wait for others to catch up to you, or wait for better weather, or
wait for warmer conditions. You won't be alone.

Marshall Karon
Portland, OR
m.karon@comcast.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Willett" <chwillet@indiana.edu>
To: "Jonathan Cobb" <photocobb@yahoo.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] snow training


I would pick up a copy of "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills."  It has
far, far more information that you will need, but what you will need is
found in it and it makes a good reference if you wish to expand your
outdoor experiences.  Libraries frequently have copies (they have 2 in
the local, south-central Indiana library where I live) if you don't want
to buy it.

Read it thoroughly.  The theory behind simple snow travel is fairly
easy and in practice it is even easier, once you have the right idea in
your head.  At KM, you'll probably want to link up with others going
across the Sierra, or at least from Mt. Whitney north.  This will help
with navigation and confidence and provide some measure of safety at the
creek fords, which present a greater danger than the snow bound passes
(mostly).

Suge

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004, Jonathan Cobb wrote:

>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I've been looking through the archives to find some info on where to learn
how to deal with the snow, but my eyes are starting to hurt do I will just
ask.  I live in Houston where we get 1/4" of snow (or snow like stuff) about
every 10 years soooo. where can I learn how to not fall hundreds of feet
down a slope, how to self-arrest, how not to start an avalanche, etc? Is
learning from others "on the job" sufficient? Is there a class I need to
take somewhere? Will I learn fron others at the bottleneck at Kennedy
Meadows assuming I haven't died before then? ;) FWIW, I  have backpacking
experience including a small part of the CDT but nothing with serious snow.
>
>
>
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----------------------
Christopher Willett
Department of Mathematics
Indiana University
831 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN. 47405-7106
(812)-855-1883
chwillet@indiana.edu
mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet

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