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Re: [pct-l] JMT in July
At 09:27 AM 5/22/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Anyone on the list do a July '95 JMT trip? That year looks like it
>was similar in terms of Sierra snow levels. We'd love to hear about it!
I did the pct portion of the jmt in july 95. I passed crabtree meadows
northbound on july 13. Solid snow from bighorn plateau to Vidette Meadows,
horrible snow cups, 20 foot vertical cornice on Mather pass, so I did some
class 4 rock to the side of the pass. (Mather, NOT Forester is the most
difficult pass with snow). About 20 feet of snow over Muir pass (started at
Grouse meadow on the way up). My normal hiking day was 30-35 miles for most
of the PCT, but on the JMT section my longest day was 20, and one day a
snowstorm stopped me at 15.
I got washed down stream trying to cross Bear Creek. On the advice of a
ranger I crossed evolution creek in the meadow where the old trail goes:
upstream from the current ford. The icey water was up to my armpits (I'm 6
foot) and I held my pack over my head. The normal crossing was very deep
and very swift, and is not that far upstream from a tall waterfall.
Crosing the south fork of the kings river on the log about a mile upstream
from the trail-ford really scared me (the ford was not crossable). The
water was up to the bottom of the log, and the river was raging. The log
was slick with spray and moss: one slip and "splash" and there was no doubt
that I wouldn't have time to die of hypthermia or drown before I was
smashed on the rocks.
Interesting trip, and I'm glad I did it. I wouldn't do it in the same
conditions again.
To see a picture of Forester Pass taken 13 july 95 see
http://www.netcom.com/~brick/forester.html
Good luck
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