Re: [pct-l] Ice Axe Spots

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

On Tue, 2 Mar 1999 20:16:34 -0500 "David B. Stockton" <davstock@tiac.net>
writes:
>The place where the two hikers I mentioned a little while back took
their 
>unwanted 30-foot slides on tree-infested slopes (in separate 
>incidents) was 
>Fuller Ridge, just after Idyllwild northbound.  [snip] I 
>don't know if this year's currently lighter conditions would imply 
>that the snow would be gone or not.

Dave, I was skidding down Fuller Ridge (by moonlight, no less) a couple
of days ago, and, while there's snow-cover at the top, it's not deep at
all next to the trail, and the trail itself is doable in running shoes/no
axe. I was wearing boots (because I was hiking other, higher, places as
well), but I met a couple who were happily/confidently getting a thruhike
early-start in sneakers - neither one of them hardened
mountaineers....<g> In some places the trail resembles an icy
tobaggan-run, true, but one can scoot carefully or edge around such spots
without risk, IMHO, and I'm no daredevil, that's for sure. Naturally,
everybody's perception of "danger" is different, but....

The locals have never seen the San J.'s so dry in winter. Only the
lightest snow dusting (if that) is forcast for the next couple weeks, and
if La Nina brings warmer-than-normal weather this spring (which is
just-around-the-corner, isn't it amazing?), the slippery stuff'll be
either slushy or gone altogether by the time even the earliest
pct-listers hit that part of the trail, I betcha.        bj





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