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[pct-l] re: JMT, ice axe vs ski poles

i think it depends on the amount of snow, and thus on the time of year you
are hiking.  in 93, a bigish snow year, i hiked most of it, with three
friends who did the whole thing.  we started aug. 10 i think, in yosemite.
none of us had an ice axe, and only one used a hiking staff.

there was some snow on some of the passes, silver pass being the most
memorable in my mind, but it was late enough in the season that it was not
dangerously steep (subjective evaluation here), and enough hikers had been
over the passes that good routes with good footholds existed.  i was never
once concerned that i had neither axe nor poles.

i'll also say that i was not an experienced axe user, having only carried
one once before.

IMO, if you start in mid august thru early sept, you should be fine with
poles.  and don't forget that this advice is worth what you paid for it...$0.

mike
ke kaahawe

 .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .
/ \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \  / \
   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \/   \

Michael Henderson		mikeh@royalrobbins.com

Success is a state of mind that anyone can use to climb their own
mountains.  -- Royal Robbins
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