[pct-l] A thought on so called impassable snow

[Jim Eagleton]

For me, just a few hours can make a big difference.  Usually, it is better to wait until late morning to cut steps, but sometimes late can make it difficult to stay on top to the suncups and post holing is worse.  Also, following footprints can give a lot of psychological help as well as better footing, so just a few minutes can make a big difference.  

toc
 
> Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 10:36:14 -0700
> From: tokencivilian at yahoo.com
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] A thought on so called impassable snow
> 
> In addition to markv's good point below about the huge difference a few days make, I'd add:
> 
> One person's "impassable" may be merely a welcome challenge for you - fodder for good story telling over beers sitting in Manning Park in September.
> 
> Go see for yourself.  Go judge for yourself.  This is especially so when you're hearing 'impassible' from a non-thru hiker.  Their standards of impassable are.....well, often times quite different from the typical thru hikers standard of 'impassable'.  Even within the thru hiker crowd, there's a full spectrum of standards on 'impassable'.  If you don't like what you see, certainly turn back, but decide for yourself.
> 
> Approaching Chicken Spring Lake a few days out of KM, we heard "endless snow - it's impassable" 2nd hand from fellow thrus.  Once we climbed over a 10' high drift just above the lake, we dropped onto dry trail.  The real snow didn't start until near Forrester many, many, many miles later.
> 
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> 
> Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 08:35:45 -0700 (PDT)
> From: mark v <allemande6 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] a thought on IMPASSABLE snow, the Fuller Ridge
>     question
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <411258.30622.qm at web53911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> 
> It's possible that many of us seriously underestimate just how fast snow melts and conditions change.  I could rattle off a dozen examples, including this and last year's San Jacinto information, and non-PCT examples, but here's the one that really hit home for me:
> 
> Last year, the news from those in front of me entering the Sierra was that there was a ton of snow and route-finding was difficult.  I entered a week later, and had an ice axe.  I found there to be some snow and obscured trail, but not such a huge deal, and ditched the axe in Independence.  At the time, i assumed everyone had just been a wuss and was overstating the snow.  (This can happen, for sure.)  Then, at Red's Meadow, i had a planned exit for 8 days  from the trail.  When i came back, the snow was practically gone!  
> 
> Then, when seeing the class DVD this year at Kickoff, i saw pictures taken by those just 3-6 days behind me in the Sierra.  Pictures of exact spots where i took pictures, like Bighorn Plateau, the bowl and lakes below Forrester Pass.  In my pictures, it's covered with snow.  In theirs, there is practically NONE.  Just 3-6 days difference.  In Squatch's movie, there is a sequence of 2 guys going up one little snow patch below Mather Pass.  A week or 10 days before that was shot, i did the same route to the pass, but because the entire area was white, with no trail visible.
> 
> So, as this pertains to Fuller Ridge, it's possible that those early-birders encountered conditions that just simply won't be a big deal as the herd moves through now, 10 days later.  Supporting this, the group of friends i had to bail on that went across Apache Peak 10 days ago encountered less snow than was reported a week before they went up.
> 
> Snow melts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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