[pct-l] Sierra snow report (firsthand, very long and tedious...:-)

[cmkudija at earthlink.net (cmkudija@earthlink.net)]

Congratulations and thank you for such an extensive report.  I'd recommend
sending your post to the PCTA as well, providing the website's responsive.
I particularly like the "blind luck" part.

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
PCT partially '94
www.pcta.org
Join Now!

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

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net]On Behalf Of David Toms
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 4:52 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Sierra snow report (firsthand, very long and tedious...:-)

Today being ray day seems an appropriate time to be posting a conditinos
report for the Sierra.
First, a disclaimer. The conditions will change (the report is up to 15 days
outdated) and my memory may be incorrect due to stupidity, altitude etc. Our
equipment and mountaineering experience may be different from normal.

Background
Michele and I (Dave) entered the sierras on 1 June at kennedy meadows,
carrying 11 days food and planning to see how far we could get. We hiked
looselty with freebird until whitney portal where he exited to begin a
planned flipflop. thereafter we hiked with Mr Roboto, who we'd met at KM and
all agreed to team up once the snow got significant.

Summary
We made it to VVR in 11 days, then 2 days more to mammoth after a nero and a
zero at VVR (which is an amazing, fantastic place that we can't speak highly
enough of).  The sierras are therefore passable to correctly equiped,
skilled parties. The trail was 90% snow free from KM to Whitney Portal.
Thereafter around 30% snow free until Mammoth. Snow conditions are hard/icy
until 10-11am (refreezing above 10k FT after 5pm). Snow level minimal below
9k FT, near constant above 10k FT annoying in between as insufficient for
x-country travel but enough to make trail-following difficult. Add 1k FT to
these heights for S slopes and subtract 1k FT for N slopes. The snow softens
10-11am to give frequent postholing in the afternoon, There is extensive sun
cupping, usually 6-12" deep although up to 3 feet deep approaching mammoth.
River fords were often on snow bridges above 10k FT, others presented no
problems. Evolution was mid calf deep only, Bear was knee deep. Mono was
waist deep but short, silver was waist deep and also short.

Navigation was by major features (mountaineering style) above 10k ft, by
trail below 9k FT, and by blind luck in between.

Passes in order of difficulty (hardest first) were Mather, Glen, Forrester,
Pinchot, Muir, Seldon.

We were not the first hikers through - Squeaky left KM on 23 May arrived in
VVR 30 May.

Equipment: We used 6 point crampons, cassin ghost axes, Garmin foretrex GPS
preloaded with More-than-a-mile waypoints. We wore trail runners rather than
boots. We have both suffered some nerve damage (minor frostnip) to our toes
leading to a loss of sensation. Mr Roboto had instep crampons and a real
steel headed ice axe which was much better for cutting the huge row of steps
across forrester. Toll for using these is 1 beer.

Weather. Days 1-7 were clear and sunny with patchy pm clouds. Days 8 & 9
were cloudy with light rain/snow (1" fresh snow on Seldon). Day 10 was
sunny. Temperatures bottomed at 10-15F overnight at 12k FT.

Other comments.
1 The sierras were incredibly beautiful and wild. We saw only 2 other people
- one 2 hrs out of KM, the other at the woods creek junction who'd hiked in
for a day.
2 We had to hiked very long tough days, but it was worth it. We averaged
around 1.2mph.
3 There were absolutely no mosquitoes.
4 The conditions were not nearly as bad as people speculated in advance. THe
postholing was not too bad if you got the snow over with in the morning, the
passes were not particularly steep (Mather was the only one where we'd have
roped up if we had it, and then because of soft chossy snow), the fords
weren't as deep, the navigation not as hard, ....  Most importantly, VVR was
open (in fact, it now opens in April!).
5 The hardest thing was timing tyo get over passes before posthole hell
started at 11am and to set up the next pass for an early ascent the next
day. As a result we had 4 nights at over 11.5kFT; this is debilitating.
6 We used bear canisters the whole way and managed to get 20lb of food into
each, and carried an additional 10lb for the first 2 days. BEtween 2 of us
we ate 50lb of food and were still hungry.
7 Finally, special shanks to Tom Reynolds for his immense help in discussing
snow and water conditions. Almost everyone else we spoke to would spend
hours listing the problems. Tom was unusual in devoting his efforts to
finding solutions. It was largely through his influence that we entered so
early, in an effort to ensure the fords were all manageable. This appeared a
successful strategy.

I'll send a second mail detailing each day and route.

Dave & Michele.

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