[pct-l] RE: JMT Hike questions

[Bighummel at aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

As an alternative, consider hiking the JMT after Labor Day or later in 
September.  Temperatures can be in the day from 70's to 80's and drop to freezing at 
night, you can even get snowed on if you're lucky.  However, there are almost 
NO people in the Sierra after Labor Day as most schools go back into session 
and it becomes only the retired people's playground in general after that.  
The weather in the Sierra this year was hikeable into December!  The snow survey 
sites in the Southern Sierra did not begin to show appreciable snow until mid 
December!  You could have hiked the JMT in October or November if you wanted 
to this year and were prepared to be snowed on.  In general snow storms in 
early Fall don't drop much and typically melt off quickly.  So no panic if you do 
get snowed on, just enjoy the beauty and solitude that the white stuff brings 
to the environment that you have worked so hard to attain.  

YMMV,

Greg