ice axes, snow levels and resupply

>>>Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:31:40 EST
>From: Montedodge@aol.com
>Subject: [pct-l] Prison Trail Labor

>Just an Idea, we have prison people help maintain trails in the capital state forest here in Wash. The inmates can reduce the stay in prison for working on trails. (only certain inmates can apply) With all the budget cuts, I would like to see the park and forest service get involved with this to maintain PCT and other trails that are being neglected because of budget problems. The inmates are happy to get out plus can reduce there time and do something positive.< 

Jenelle and I ran into a convict crew working on a BLM trail reconstruction project in the North Fork Mission Creek drainage in Southern California on our thru-hike last year.  They were doing good work in an unseasonable snow-storm -- really lousy conditions.  Couldn't really say if it's cheaper to use con crews than Forest Service, Park Service or BLM regulars, though.

>Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 17:10:37 -0500
>From: "Mike \"Snoop\" Paton" <snoop@erols.com>
>Subject: [pct-l] Where will I be using my ice ax?

>I would like to know which sections or passes I can expect to be using my ice ax ?  Also, which post offices can someone recommend to mail out from, and receive their ax ?  Would these be the same PO's I could send my winter gear ahead?  And last, which areas will I need my winter gear?

>>Depending on the winter in So Cal, you may need your ice axe in San Jacinto from about the beginning of map B9 to where you cross Black Mountain road on Map B10. You may need it again on Mt Baden Powel - map D5.

>>I depending on how "pure" you want to be, I might suggest leaving the trail in Map B4 and visiting Kamp Anza and picking up your ice axe there. You can paralell the trail on terwilliger road (it goes all the way to hwy 371, though the map doesn't show it) and then follow hwy 371 to where it joins hwy 74, his is where the resraunt is  where you will need to visit for water anyway. Then about a mile back to te trail. 

>>You could also backtrack to the trail. It is about 2 1/2 miles one way. If you are planning on sending a package to the Anza Post Office, then send it to Kamp Anza instead, It it MUCH easier to get to from the trail.

>>The folks at Kamp Anza  friendly, they hold hiker packages, and the green grass and showers are a welcome site after miles and miles of chaparall.

Kamp Anza
4560 Terwilliger Rd SP19
Anza CA 92539
1.909.763.4819

>>The next areas you will want your axe start around Mt Whitney. If you are going out to Lone Pine over Trail Pass for resupply then pick it up there, if not, then pick it up at the Kennedy Meadows store. If you are planning on going to lone pine over Mt Whitney, then you will need your axe to get down to Whitney Portal. The resupply route is MUCH harder than Trail Pass.

>>I dont' think you will EVER need winter gear in a normal year.

>>>Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 21:14:36 -0700
>>>From: mark dixon <mdixon@bigsky.net>
>>>Subject: Re: [pct-l] Where will I be using my ice ax?

>>>Mike,

>>>Last year we had our ice axes sent to Idyllwild for the stretch along
Fuller Ridge in the San Jacintos, you won't need them before this. We made the mistake of sending them ahead to Kennedy Meadows from Big Bear City and needed them at Mt. Baden-Powell. If there turns out to be little or no snow in the southern mountains this year you may not need the ice axe in either of these places. My advice would be to send the axe to Idyllwild priority mail. By the time you reach Idylwild you'll have been able to assess whether the ice axe is necessary for Fuller Ridge and Baden-Powell. If you don't think it is, just forward the package to Kennedy Meadows where you will need the ice axe for the Sierras. You can forward priority mail for free if you don't open the package. You'll need the ice axe on through to at least Tuolumne Meadows, but maybe further depending on the snow conditions around Sonora Pass at the time. 

>>>You may not need "winter gear" at all. You might want to send an extra layer to Kennedy Meadows and again when you get to Washington state in September or October. Good Luck!

>>>Mark Dixon

Mike:  Jenelle and I were a couple of weeks ahead of Mark last year and were really, really glad we had our ice axes in a couple of spots before we got to Saddle Junction and the Devils Slide Trail into Idyllwild.  Now, we're not particularly faint of heart about snow travel, but there are some spots along the trail around B8 and B9 which can hold snow and are quite exposed.  '98 was a big snow year in So. CA and in '97 when I did that same section, I didn't need an axe for any of the San Jacinto traverse.  If it's a low to normal year, I'd say go with Mark's advice, but if it's normal to high in So. CA, you might think about Brick's approach.  Your decision will also have a lot to do with your start date.  

A lot of people on the standard re-supply plan (Warner Springs to Idyllwild) carried their axes from Warner Springs.  This could make you feel a little silly.  If you see a fair bit of snow by the time you hit Saddle Junction, I'd at least carry an axe out of Idyllwild for the rest of the San Jacinto traverse.  Unfortunately, I don't think there's a real reliable source of information for that short, but steep stretch before Saddle Junction, which makes it really hard to know how to go, unless it becomes obvious that you're dealing with a drought winter.  (Perhaps a treking pole with a self-arrest grip?)

Again unfortunately, you don't really need an axe from Fuller Ridge to Big Bear City, but unless you go to Cabazon or Palm Springs, there's nowhere to get rid of it until BBC.  Once again, you might end up feeling a little silly carrying an ice axe in this stretch.

Even with a bunch of snow, Jenelle and I didn't carry our ice axes past BBC for the San Gabriels.  We found Baden-Powell and the traverse to Islip Saddle to be fairly safe without them (we learned a reasonably effective soft snow self-arrest with our telescoping ski poles).  There was one morning traversing around the NW slopes of Mt. Williamson (north of  Islip Saddle), we had to do some bushwacking to avoid some icy slopes, but just having boots on would have made a world of difference there.

(Isn't it funny that Mark said he didn't need an axe where we said we were glad to have one, and we said we didn't need an axe where he wishes he had had one?)  

Beyond Mt. Williamson, you won't need axes again until Forester Pass.  Brick's advice about resupplying via Trail Pass is good.  Alternatively, you could go KM to Kearsarge (what we did) in one leg, in which case you'd want to carry your axe from KM.

We resupplied at Bridgeport (via Sonora Pass) and shipped our axes home then.  We were glad to have them from Tuolumne to Sonora, but in a normal year it's probably not necessary.  Also, I totally agree with both Brick's and Mark's assessment about winter gear.  Hope all this helps.  Chris.

>Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 20:53:43 -0800
>From: "Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>
>Subject: [pct-l] Seasonal Resupply points?

>Because I hope to reach Kennedy Meadows quite early in the season, I have been toying with the idea going to Castella and hiking south from thereabout mid may,  hoping to reach Forester Pass about July 4- somewhere fairly far on the South end of the Sierras. And then going North again and hiking North from Castella to Manning.

>I am concerned that most of the major resupply places in the Sierras may be closed before July 4th.  I can understand that some of the resorts may be closed.  Are the Post Offices seasonal as well? Is there any place to find out when the resupply places open for the season?

Joanne:  In '98, the road over Tioga Pass to Tuolumne Meadows didn't open until July 1, and the P.O. opened around the July 10th.  I understand it often doesn't open until late June.  You can hitch to the Yosemite Valley's P.O. anytime prior to that or to Lee Vining to resupply once Tioga Pass is open (the little store in Lee Vining is a passable, if limited full resupply point).  Red's Meadow Resort opened around 6/30 this year when the road to Mammoth was opened to traffic.  Worst case, you'd have a several mile roadwalk to get to where the road would be open at the ski area.  Vermillion Valley Resort seems to get open pretty early, even in bad years.  I hear they hire their own bulldozer to punch through in the springtime.  Obviously, any of the P.O.'s down out of the mountains to the east or west are going to be year-round.

>I also wonder how much more snow there will be in the Northern Sierras and points North.  THe elevation falls off a lot after Tolumne, but the snow
may be just as deep and unconsolidated at a lower elevation as it is say at
Trail Pass or Forester ( at higher elevations in the Southern Sierra). 

>Sincerely, 
>goforth 

Joanne:  What you describe here is exactly what happened in '98.  The further north in the Sierra's we travelled, the lower and lower the snow levels fell.  While we didn't hit solid snow til 9-10,000' in the Southern Sierra, the snow levels were down to 6-7,000 feet in the Northern Sierras, despite the passage of a month's time.  We still had patches (up to 1 mile at a time) of solid snow north of Sierra City in the third week in July.

With an apparent reversal of last year's weather patterns, No. CA could again get 200-300% of average.  (Lassen National Park didn't open the main road until July 9th, '98, and got an extraordinary amount of snow after Memorial Day (something over 20' I believe, though someone may be able to correct me)).

Unless you have a really compelling reason to hike south from Castella, (maybe you've already done So. CA?) you could leave Campo early to mid-May and be at Forester Pass by July 4 on a moderate schedule.

Hope this helps.  Chris.

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