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[pct-l] s'no worries
Alright, so El Nino is for real after all. And it seems the larger it looms
for the west coast, the less I'm reading on this list of the plans for
fellow '98 thru-hikers. So, as California, perhaps temporarily, gets a
reprieve from the rain and snow, let me get all worried and doubting for
a minute or two...
What is the wisdom among those who _know_ the PCT...
Is this year already guaranteed to be one resulting in what Jardine's book
classifies as "Heavy Snowpack" (ie snow slogging interminably, route finding
ad infinum, mountaineering in the high passes)???
If El Nino were to turn around at this very moment, leaving the PCT route to
a more normal weather pattern thru California, could a "medium" or even
"light" snowpack situation possibly result in time for an early May
departure date?
Would it make much difference to leave on say, May 20, vs. May 5, for
instance? Would leaving two weeks later help the situation to any
noticeable degree?
One thought I had, should El Nino wreak total havoc, would be to simply
wait out most of the melting process, start later, and go only as far as the
California/Oregon line (Ashland). I'm reluctant to do this, though, for fear
of being far behind an already small pack of hikers, and thus being largely
alone for three months.
A genuine lack of discussion of this very real snow dilemma indicates that
maybe all interested parties online have jumped ship, and are awaiting a
more favorable year to thru-hike this trail. I'm just not sure what the
best course of action for myself is at this point. Food is bought, but
parcels aren't packed, and plane fare isn't purchased. I'm still
flexible, but not for long.
And the voice in my head which says this isn't _my_ year for this hike is
trying to persuade the rest of me to head back to the Appalachian Trail,
rekindle some memories, make some efficient training miles, and set sights
for PCT '99.
All opinions welcomed.
- Blister>Free, AT '96-'97, PCT?
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