[pct-l] WXcarrot update, n. sierra snow

[Michael Henderson <mikeh@royalrobbins.com>]

JUST got off the phone with weathercarrot, calling from chester (south of
mt. lassen).  the pct has a re-route out of belden to avoid a bad washout
from the 97 floods.  the re-route is high and snowbound.  while glissading
down the last slope back to the pct, he lost the compass.  since they could
see mucho snow ahead, they had to get out and get another compass.
walked/hitched along dirt roads and backroads highways about 30 miles to
chester.  there, he and sam decided to hitch forward 3 days to old station,
to avoid the lassen area and all of the snow that it still holds.  the next
3 days from there will be less than 6000' and snow free.  it was an
agonizing decision, but one that has been made by practically every
thruhiker attempting the trail this year.  weathercarrot says snow looks to
be about normal june 1 levels in the northern sierra still, despite the
recent 100* temps in the valley.

they should hit burney on monday.  from there it is about a week to
castella, with hopefully little snow.  from castella, it's into the
trinities and marble mountains, where there is certainly more snow (the
trail will climb above 7500' again).  if anyone has some definite,
eye-witness accounts of where the snow level is in the trinities, let me
know, i'm sure they'd appreciate the knowledge.  they'll be carrying ice
axes well into oregon.

more updates as they happen...


mike
ke kaahawe   AT92 TYT94 PCT2000
mikeh@royalrobbins.com
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