[pct-l] Lost Hiker

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

jeffmoorehead1@cox.net writes:
Maybe it is time to start a discusiion/data series concerning 
the southern ranges and not just limit the prognosticating to the Sierra. 

Tying trail marking ribbons high on trees and establishing a Sth Calif. 
mountain snow conditions discussion/data collection/reporting website or such . . . 
would all be fine if these were common conditions, however, as Donna pointed 
out, these are not common conditions at all, but abhorations of conditions 
once in every ten, twenty or perhaps even 100 year occurances.  

Reports on the snow conditions in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San 
Jacinto mountains are already available if you look deep enough into the web.  
Yep, they might not be specific to the PCT but they are to general conditions.  

If conditions warrant in the mountains of Sth Calif. and/or the Sierra, 
simply start later or consider a SoBo hike instead.  Hikers simply should not 
attempt to travel in snow conditions unless experienced and equipped.  Ultra-light 
does not compute in snow conditions, for the most part.

Whether any of this has contributed to the recent missing hiker situation is 
yet to be seen.  It may turn out that circumstances not yet considered may be 
at work.

IMHO,

Greg