[pct-l] To Crampon or not to Crampon

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

Everyone's input thus far has been right and good but not very  explanatory.  
Let's take the closer, more practical look.
 
To Crampon or not to Crampon on steep slippery or icy spring snow.
    First of all, you have the choice to avoid  it.  Wait for the ice to 
soften by traveling later in  
    the morning when you can get a better grip on the  snow.  Snow melts 
during the day and
    freezes at night.  Be smart and give it an  hour or so before venturing 
out.  Go easy at 
    first, testing your traction with each step.
 
Plan your climbs for midmorning, when the snow isn't icy and not soft  enough 
to post-hole. 
    Once you get to the top, glissade or butt-slide  straight down on the 
softening snow. This 
    is a gas, but be ready to self-arrest if you lose  it.  If the snow is 
post-holing already and 
    you still have a lot of snow ahead, you can either  stop for the day or 
seek alternate
    routes either out of the snow onto rock or into the  trees where the snow 
is colder.
 
If you must travel on slippery snow, because of schedule constraints or the  
sudden discovery 
    of an icy path ahead with no way around it, on the  Crest in the spring 
use some form of 
    traction improvement on your feet with an uphill  ice axe in your hand.  
Whether you use 
    screws in your shoes, rope tied around your feet,  instep crampons, 10 or 
12-point 
    crampons, or simply chop foot holds for each step,  be prepared to do 
something to help 
    you hang onto the mountain.
 
I carry an axe and instep crampons and wear deep lugged vibram soles with  
pronounced heels for braking.  I can still glissade the steeps and suncups  and 
grip ice and rock fine in the morning. My axe is long for use as a rudder,  
chopping, plunge-climbing, and balance in the creeks.  The insteps are  small 
and light and don't kill me if I inadvertently brush against them when  tied to 
my pack.  Since I have these crampons, I do my passes very early in  the 
morning when the snow is still hard.  I can move faster without fear of  slipping 
or post-holing by doing my miles early in the day.
 
The efficiency of your progress is based almost entirely on the snow  
conditions.  Know how to travel over each condition and you will reach your  
destination safely.  Know the snow.  Dig a snow pit once in a while to  see how the 
pack is settling.  If there's still corn or granular snow in  there, beware of 
possible sluffs caused by your own compression of the pack or  your tracks 
creating a trigger fault line on a traverse.
 
Food for thought.
 
Mtnned