[pct-l] Forester Pass

["Chris Bailey" <hikertrash@earthlink.net>]

reynolds@ilan.com wrote:

> Subject: [pct-l] Sierra Snow Report #3

> Mt Whitney Area
> Forrester Pass is the highest pass on the PCT. An avalanch chute cuts
> across the trail making Forrester Pass very dangerous. Last year Jonathan
> Breem used Ski Mountaineers Pass to cross from The Kern to the Kings
> drainages. In 1998 I interviewed a party that crossed Forrester pass the
> first week of August. They were young strong and had ice axes. They
> reported lots of snow but no problem crossing the pass in the snoft snow.
> The current data indicates that the conditions on June 1, 1999 will be
> about the same as August 1, 1998. This means that you could leave Kennedy
> Meadows on June 1, 1999 and be faced with much the same conditions that
> they faced -- Lots of snow but soft and easy to traverse. Ice Axe
> recommended but not required.

I would like to amplify two of Tom's points:

1)  In early season, Forester Pass seems to be awfully hazardous to me too.
 We crossed over Ski Mountaineers Pass (so that's what it's called?!?) on
June 18, 1998 a day or so before Jonathan Breen.  We chose this route
despite knowing nothing about it (other than what we could see on the
guidebook map (H3)) and having no tracks to follow, because it looked so
much safer than Forester.  It is a good route and makes me wonder why the
trail goes over Forester at all.  I've heard -- but can't confirm -- that
it's because SMP is mostly loose talus and scree and difficult to
impossible to keep a tread in.  FWIW, Jason Lakey (another thru-hiker)
apparently crossed Forester about June 20-21 without incident.

2)  I would suggest that if you're leaving KM in early June (which seems
reasonable in most years), you would be taking unnecessary risks by not
having an ice axe.  Skip the crampons if you like (we did), but unless you
are a highly experienced alpinist (in which case you probably wouldn't
dream of not taking an ice axe) don't even consider not taking one.  You
probably won't need it for travel (like chopping steps) but one unarrested
slip -- as unlikely as it may be -- could end your thru-hike or worse. 
Just not a chance worth taking:  plan on carrying it from KM to Tuolumne,
then send it home if it's a burden for you.

If this really chafes your butt, think of all the other things you can do
with an ice axe:

1)  The best cat-hole tool ever invented
2)  Doubles for a lost tent/tarp stake
3)  Good for digging fire pits if you're into that sort of thing
4)  Fend of black bears as a last resort
5)  Good for probing the thickness (or thinness) of snow bridges
6)  Makes a passable camera stand
7)  Great for getting your food a few extra inches off the ground in that
counter-balance
8)  Could be used inside your pack if you're using a no-suspension ruck
sack
9)  You might need it to extricate yourself from a particularly deep
post-hole (seriously)
10)  Great prop to have in those gnarly, hard-core Sierra pictures
11) Big-time cool factor in resupply towns
 
If anyone's interested in my further take on the Sierra passes in early
season in '98, I was asked to write an article for ALDHA-West on the
subject, which I've posted to http://skydivenet.com/pcthike/articles.htm 

Hope this helps.

Chris.
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