[pct-l] More defense of Jardine + BJ

[Carl Mears <carl@remss.com>]

Tom (reynolds@ilan.com) wrote-
>BJ-
>Sounds good EXCEPT I listened to Strider [Greg Hummel] describe whiteout
>conditions going over Forrester Pass and I personally experienced such a
storm
>on Trail Crest in August to make me not believe the idea that the Sierra
is so
>beign. I also remember a huge storm droping a couple of feet on Donahue in
July.
>I remember because I hiked over in snow on July 4. I also read the
accounts of
>the early sierra traversers last year and personally talked to 3 guys that
hiked
>a portion of the Sierra in early August. I also talked to people that had
huge
>gashes in thier legs because of a misstep in a stream crossing last year.
I also
>faced an avalanch across the trail that, two weeks earlier, required serious
>rope work and heard the story from a Ranger I know tell of how a very
>experienced backpacker broke his collarbone on a collapsing snow bridge.
>
>It is not as you, and others, say. The Sierra can be dangerous. Without a
good
>tent and decent boots you are taking a big risk early season.
>
>The early traversers are wearing boots, and in some cases, crampons. In
one case
>skiis. Even so the accounts tell of silver dollar sized blisters -- wet feet
>will do that you know. One account, of Jonathan Breem, talks about the
advantage
>that crampons gave him. He was able to walk on the snow crust while another
>party had to wait until the snow softened.
>

Hi Tom

I basically agree that the Sierra are not completely risk free (but what
is), but I'd like to put a few of your points into (my) perspective....


 1) everybody that attempted the Sierras in June last year was doing so in
    conditions for which Jardine said the Sierras should be bypassed, and
    that hiking them would be a winter mountaineering experience, not a hiking
    experience.  Therefore, it seems reasonable that Jardine's methods are
    not appropriate for those conditions, and skis and crampons are
appropriate.

 2) Tents and boots won't protect you from lightning.  If you are in the
    Sierra's in mid summer, and see evidence of convection (rapidly growing 
    puffy clouds) before, say, 10:30 or 11:00, there is a very good chance 
    that there will be a strong thunderstorm -- plan accordingly.
Personally, 
    I'd say that continuing to the top of Whitney in such conditions is 
    idiotic.  A careful reading of Jardine's book will show that he agrees 
    with me on this subtle point.  Similarly, if you are approaching Forrester
    Pass and it starts to snow, you might consider altering your plans for the
    day, and hunkering down a few thousand feet lower.

3)  Boots don't necessarily protect you from gashes, unless they're of the 
    gestapo variety, and certainly don't protect you from collapsing snow 
    bridges and avalanches.  

Personally, I used a tent, but mostly for protection against
mosquitoes!  Hiked in cross training shoes, and passed many people who were 
tripping over their crampons descending 25 degree, soft, sun cupped slopes.
 But
of course, we planned our days so we didn't have to do the passes early in the
morning.

>I think its important to realize that Ray Jardine and company have
>enough cash coming out of the nose and ears to afford to be heliported off
>the Trail and also stay in a hotel room at every resupply stop!

Somehow, I bet Ray and Jenny were never heliported off anything.  I 
think what *is* important to remember is that Jardine is a pretty 
good physical specimen, and has a level of toughness (mental and physical)
to which most of us can only aspire.  If you don't believe me, go to 
the Valley and try and climb some of the climbing routes he put up in
his previous career.  So when reading his book, one should consider 
that many things that he considers a mild annoyance, might be considered
to be an epic, near death experience by others.

I think that by going ultralight, you are *risking* a few days of 
*significantly* more discomfort for the nearly certain gain of hundreds
of days of less discomfort.  But, if you turn your head on before 
you start, and look before you leap, and look at the sky from time to
time, there's no increased risk for injury or rescue.  It's all
a matter of personal taste, I suppose.  For me, even though I have not
adopted every line of Jardine's recommendations, his book has greatly
increased my enjoyment of hiking.  Now if I can just figure out
the best way to go ultralight in winter, so I don't have to ski with
a @#$!@$ 45 pound pack.... 

-Carl

P. S. Somebody suggested putting interesting quotes or poetry in every 
post to reduce conflict.  On that note, here is a Haiku I wrote while 
hiking a particularly overgrown part of section B...

chaparral tunnel
my shins look like hamburger
pick the scabs later

(Kinda supports the boot advocates, doesn't it...)



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Carl Mears

Remote Sensing Systems
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Santa Rosa, CA  95401

Voice:  707-545-2904 ext 21
FAX:    707-545-2906

carl@remss.com
http://www.ssmi.com
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