[pct-l] Re: PCT-Prep Clinic

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

Hi, Ironlegs!
 
Thanks for your inquiry.  Once a month, after the snow flies, we run  snow 
camping weekend clinics for youth and adults alike to show them they can  camp 
in the snow, opening an incredible white wilderness awesome for them to  enjoy, 
and safely backpack year 'round.
 
PCT-Prep, our version of a supervised, instructional pre-thru-hike  shakedown 
cruise for winter/spring High Sierra terrain, is offered on  demand.  It is 
our contribution to all attempting long distance thru hikes  that you be as 
educated and prepared as can be, especially with hands-on  training.  These trips 
are, therefore, nonprofit and set per your  schedule, not ours. You request 
the weekend that works best for you and/or  yours, we coordinate other names on 
the waiting list to make the group big  enough to cover our costs to offer 
it, thereby making it less expensive for you,  and the date is set. This is a 
four-day trip.
 
Since most hikers leave from Campo around the middle or end of April, we  
suggest a weekend in March or early April, when the snow pack conditions most  
resemble what you'll see in May and June.
 
PCT-Prep does not emphasize snow-caving nor take the time  teaching how to 
build these amazingly warm shelters, but rather daily travel,  simulating the 
rigors and trials you'll have ahead over snow.  Some of the  areas emphasized 
are, avalanche awareness, recognition, and avoidance, ice axe  use and 
self-arrest techniques, stream crossings, travel over ice, suncups, and  mush, over 
exposure, hypo/hyperthermia, dehydration and more.
 
Still interested?  Any further questions?  Drop us an  e-mail!
 
Hope I answered your questions.
 
Mtnned