Re: [pct-l] Re: crampons and ice ax, Kerrick Canyon

[Brick <brick@fastpack.com>]

 "Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net> wrote:

>Brick thanks for the inflo on your 95 trip.  Could you explain the terror
>in Kerrick Canyon?

Where the trail goes through Kerrick Canyon the terrain is steep (about 45
degrees), north facing and had a rather large raging river at the bottom
several hundred feet below. The snow was icy, went all the way into the
river and totally obscured the trail. The day before the temps had been in
the 70s, and it froze that night. There was a 1/4 inch verglass crust.  I
camped at snow line below Seavey Pass, so I got into Kerrick Canyon about 9
am. The slope is so steep and heavily wooded that it was still icy at 11am.
I spent 5 hours going 3 miles, chopping steps with my toy plastic ice axe
wearing my running shoes. I was inching from tree well to tree well. I
suspected that I would be unable to self arrest due to the snow
conditions......

When I got to the river crossing the water was so high I could barely get
accross on a log 1/2 mile upstream, and it was doing the afternoon rise
thing: every minute I delayed decreased my chances of getting accross. From
the high water mark, I could tell that the water would probably rise
another 12-18 inches that afternoon. I was low on food becasue of my pace.
The day before I had fallen through the snow into a  thigh deep creek while
descending Benson Pass. I was up to my armpits in the snow and it took me a
while to get out, and I had images of being stuck there for the rest of my
life. I hadn't seen anyone since Toulomne Meadows, so no hope of
rescue...........

Not the high point of my trip.

>I was mostly refering to steeper slopes, and in June. Your trip was almost
>3 weeks later and in July, it would be unrealistic at this point to be
>inflexible and have fixed dates for transet of any point on the PCT, but I
>was hopeing to be through the southern Sierras by mid July. 

The weather that year was unseasonably cold and cloudy. The sun angle has
less impact than the cloud cover on snow conditions, so what I had in July
was probably more representative of May. On June 17, 1995, it snowed over a
foot at Kennedy Meadows

>We might have some idea by the first
>of April of what to expect, but mostly we have to arrive before we will
>know.

You should have a good idea by that date, because that is when the snow
survey publishes their annual water content report for the farmers. You can
get a good idea even earlier from the remote telemetry data from the snow
pollows. See http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/index.html

> Is there anywhere to find
>more of your stories and experiences from 1995? It doesn't sound like you
>did a flip-flop.

I have never published by logs on the net. In 95 the web was new, and this
mailing list didn't exist.

>  I will definitely have an ice ax, and one of the reasons I
>carry it when I am a lone female, is for defence

That is the last reason you should carry it, unless you practice using it
in that mode. Using a weopon you have not trained with is asking for
trouble. There is a reason that "grunts" practice with their M16s till they
can take it apart and put it back gogther blindfolded.

>
>I still haven't heard from the ULTRA people, does this subscribing business
>take quite a while? I did a web search and noticed a couple of different
>sitesfor ULTRA..

It should take about 5 minutes. Try again. Complete directions are on 
http://www.fred.net/ultrunr/lists.html

Also, another REALLY good resource for the physical aspects of ultra
running which cross over into long distance hiking is
http://www.fred.net/ultrunr/

here are some of the topics 
===========
On the Trail 
Alone , Water Purification , Wildlife Hazzards , Ticks ,Defecating , Poison
Oak 

Hydration 
Sport Drinks etc. , Systems , Weight Calc. , Weight Gain &  Bloating ,
Soda/Pop, Carbonation , Beer 

Injury, Prevention, Cure and Care Blisters/Foot Care , Foot Injuries ,
Cracked Feet , Black  Toenails , Ankle , Achilles Tendinitis , Shins , Knee
, Leg  Swelling , Thigh Chafing , Hand Swelling , Lower Back , Bloody Urine
, Asthama , Ice Treatment , Immunity , Massage ,   Stretching , Acupuncture
, Ammonia , Sleep
===========

> I also thought about getting a ice-ax-trekking pole
>combination, but realized I didn't trust the thing that much without having
>used it on steep, rough terrain.

I have used my Terminators ski mountaineering extensively. I trust them,
probably too much, -they have saved my rear end several times- that is why
I took one with me.

--
Brick Robbins                       Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!
mailto:brick@fastpack.com        http://www.fastpack.com/brick 


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