[pct-l] South Sierra update

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

Thruhikers have been pouring through for weeks, but it's difficult for
some of them to pass on trai conditions so...couple items: Mulkey/Trail
passes dry. Cottonwood Pass dry-as-bone except for teensy snowpatch at
top that can be walked around or over. Trail dry/warm below 12,000' in
southern region. New Army Pass has only a small remnant of the cornice
reported earlier, but a sizeable snow/ice section below the top; not a
good choice right now. (BTW, S&R says the fallen hiker took _Army Pass_,
not New Army. Being more direct-looking from the Trail , and some 700'
less of gain, it might seem a reasonable alternative to New Army, but if
you check a map, you'll see why it was pretty-much abandoned long ago. I
used Army several years back just for the heckofit, and it was a mess:
still snowpacked in summer and rockfall all over - ugh.) Sorry to harp,
but please, please stick to Cottonwood/Trail/Mulkey Passes to leave the
trail for Lone Pine.

Chicken Spring Lake is a yucky swamp, IMHO; never seen the south Sierra
so dry - and warm; everything's melting really fast, but the creeks are
quite low because there wasn't that much snow to melt in the first place.


Kearsarge Pass is snowy, but there's a clear groove from all the people
gone over, and you just really need poles for balance. Rangers are still
suggesting "poles or an axe, depending on ability", but that's kind of a
Catch 22 situation, IMHO: if you're quite experienced/competent on snow,
then you're unlikely to fall/need an axe; OTOH, if you're an unsteady
novice, you're unlikely to have solid self-arrest capability! Don't sue
me <g>, but I personally think folks'll be fine if they do the snowy
passes late-enough in the a.m. to get a good bite with their bootsoles.
The bear canister regulation is in effect on the K. Pass Trail/Fs
jurisdiction; National Park Service has recently downgraded the emergency
reg to a "recommendation". The bear problem hasn't gone away, tho; please
use canisters or bear boxes even if you're not concerned with a citation.

Shepherd Pass is dry to Anvil Camp, snowy thereafter through the trees,
then dryish again above treeline. 60%-70% snow on the switchbacks to the
top ("poles or axe" - I'd say _both_).

Last week (10-12,000' mostly) I saw nary a mosquito; however on the last
two miles back to the truck, my shoulder was nearly knawed off by the
blankety-blank things - all the bug-stuff was by then stashed deep in the
bowels of my pack, of course.

Here's a lil' tidbit for summer JMT hikers ( I didn't have the heart to
tell you guys "in person"; hope I dreamed the whole thing <g>.). Quote:
         "Mt Whitney Trail Delays. During August and September, visitors
can  expect delays of up to 1 1/2 hours (one way) due to major trail   
construction and repair work occurring on the '99 switchbacks' between   
   Trail Camp and Trail Crest. Periodic blasting, rockfall, and obstacles
on    dangerously exposed sections of trail are safety issues that the
Forest will    manage during the trail work. Day hikers in particular
might be    inconvenienced by the potential 3-hour delay {snip] Closure
typically will    occur between 10am and 3 pm, but might not happen every
day. [snip]    For your safety, please respond to the instructions from
the trail crew or    rangers while hiking this section of trail." 

"Blasting"? Yipes!

One more thing vis a vis Whitney: please only use the solar toilet for
#2; do most of your peeing well away from the toilet. Nobody's gonna be
closely monitoring your output <g>, but it's important to observe this
nicety so that they can airlift out the wastes... If anybody needs help
in mastering backcountry sphincter control, maybe Nurse Barbara will
favor us with a post on Kegel (sp?) exercises.... Joke, joke; no offense
Barb! <VBG>

Thanks/credit to C. R. (Ranger Extraordinaire), Inyo Sheriff's Dept, FS
trail crew, and bug-bit, sunburned Yours Truly.     bj




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