Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 27
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-16-2017
    Location
    California
    Age
    26
    Posts
    33

    Default Start date with this snowpocalypse

    Would getting to Kennedy meadows in late June make the snow more manageable? And if I got to KM say around June 20-25 would I be alone because all the other hikers would have got there much earlier? I don't mind solitude but I at least want someone there to watch me when I get swept away by wicked runoff and inevitably die

  2. #2
    Registered User Engine's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-29-2009
    Location
    Citrus Springs, FL
    Age
    58
    Posts
    1,673
    Images
    10

    Default

    Here's a prior thread which may help.

    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...y-Meadows-help
    “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates

  3. #3

    Default

    One thing I'm still trying to work out - once you arrive at KM, and are sitting around waiting, how do you know when it's ok to proceed? Google?

  4. #4
    Garlic
    Join Date
    10-15-2008
    Location
    Golden CO
    Age
    66
    Posts
    5,615
    Images
    2

    Default

    Even back in '04, there was a decent "trail telegraph." I imagine it's much improved by now. And your decision to go will be based on your experience and aversion to risk, anyway.

    The amount of snow falling now means little compared to the rate of melting in April and May, not to mention the snow fall for the rest of the season. It's all still a guess.

  5. #5

    Default

    I know at Baxter (Maine) they use telescopes and occasional ranger runs up the trail to find the safe snowline in Spring, but I can't imagine there's any reliable reports, other than from hikers trying, and turning around. There won't be any SOBOs in early June I expect.

  6. #6
    Registered User srvand02's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-24-2013
    Location
    Kentucky
    Age
    37
    Posts
    60

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AllDownhillFromHere View Post
    I know at Baxter (Maine) they use telescopes and occasional ranger runs up the trail to find the safe snowline in Spring, but I can't imagine there's any reliable reports, other than from hikers trying, and turning around. There won't be any SOBOs in early June I expect.
    Yeah, I really wanted to start mid June from the Canadian border but as of now it looks like a end of June/beginning of July start date. I'll keep my eye on things - hopefully it will melt fast enough where I can get my June 27th start date just like I did on the Appalachian Trail and the CDT.

  7. #7
    Garlic
    Join Date
    10-15-2008
    Location
    Golden CO
    Age
    66
    Posts
    5,615
    Images
    2

    Default

    There will be section hikers, and day hikers into the area from various trailheads along the Sierra, all giving input to various sources. There will be tales of ease, tales of woe, rumors, braggadocio, assumptions and extrapolations, etc. Someone will take a SWAG at what the north side of a pass will look like after looking at the south side. You'll have to filter through all the information. And the snow changes by the hour at that time of year.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-27-2011
    Location
    New York, New York
    Posts
    394

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    There will be section hikers, and day hikers into the area from various trailheads along the Sierra, all giving input to various sources. There will be tales of ease, tales of woe, rumors, braggadocio, assumptions and extrapolations, etc. Someone will take a SWAG at what the north side of a pass will look like after looking at the south side. You'll have to filter through all the information. And the snow changes by the hour at that time of year.
    This is exactly correct in my experience. I'd add that once you get to Whitney, a lot of the hikers you talk to are southbound JMT hikers who have just been over what you are headed up.

    Embracing the uncertainty and the unknown, knowing that you will not know until you do, it is one of the best parts of the thru hiking experience.

    I'd add that embracing what you don't know is part of the experience.

  9. #9

    Default

    A week can make a huge difference in how much snow you will hike on as I saw far less snow then was reported by those a week ahead of me. Which in turn means you'll hike a through the High Sierra a bit faster than those ahead of you allowing you to close the gap some.

    Years with more snow will have more people leaving KM on later dates. I left KM on June 24th, 2009 and finished Oct.2 in an about average snow year. I still saw other thru-hikers, just not very many and I basically hiked alone for the 1st half of the High Sierra since I was moving faster than those I did see. I was older but I got up earlier and hiked later then those slackers. That was back in the golden age when there was only 300-400 total thru-hikers, so I would have to imagine that you'd see more hikers now.

    That said, due to the drought of the last several years, most advice given out by recent year hikers has people hiking too early to far north for a more normal year; never mind a high snow year. In some previous big snow years, it wasn't uncommon to reach Yosemite sometime after July 4th, pushing hard in NCal and Oregon to make up for the lost time.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    When melt really gets going toward end its about 4" per day. The later it persists, the faster it melts due to warmer temps. A week or 2 makes tremendous difference. Last yr had warm spring and very early melt, thats been trend for last 5-6 yrs.

    Sitting currently at record jan snowpack and precip, with another 6-10' to come by months end. Too early to tell, but interesting as hell to see unfold. Especially given recent drought years. It all averages out. Sunday will be full on blizzard conditions on 395
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 01-21-2017 at 01:28.

  11. #11

    Default

    Sounding more and more like it's a bust.

  12. #12

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AllDownhillFromHere View Post
    Sounding more and more like it's a bust.
    Salient point...is that for people with right skills and gear, its not an issue.

    People do hike, ski, and snowshoe the sierra all the time in the spring, and camp on snow.

    still, way too early to predict anything. Might be last storm of season.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 01-21-2017 at 13:16.

  13. #13

    Default

    You can't rely on the fearmongering that goes on about the snow on the PCT. Just remember, like said above, the amount of snow right now doesn't mean much, it's how much melt occurs in early spring.
    I hiked the PCT last year and the same thing happened, so much fear mongering about El Nino. I left Kennedy Meadows in mid May and there was a lot of snow, which was to be expected for that early of a date, but although it was challenging it was the best thing I've ever done. So beautiful and rewarding.. I say start your hike when you want and head north at your own pace without worrying about snow! Worst case scenario all you have to do is turn around if its too crazy after KM.
    - Young Blood | AT2015 | PCT2016 | CDT2017

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-15-2016
    Location
    Sierra Madre, California
    Posts
    275

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Salient point...is that for people with right skills and gear, its not an issue.
    Exactly. If you enter a major mountain range in spring equipped for fair summer weather, you might be disappointed.

    Who knows? Some rain comes along and all this snow disappears quick.

  15. #15

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    PLOT_SWC.pdf

    Getting interesting.

  16. #16
    GAME 06
    Join Date
    10-15-2004
    Location
    Prescott, Arizona
    Age
    69
    Posts
    724

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Puddle sleeper View Post
    Would getting to Kennedy meadows in late June make the snow more manageable? And if I got to KM say around June 20-25 would I be alone because all the other hikers would have got there much earlier? I don't mind solitude but I at least want someone there to watch me when I get swept away by wicked runoff and inevitably die
    June 20-25? Well if you think 50 other hikers is alone you might be. I arrived Kennedy around 15 June last year and there were probably around 100 hikers there. In a heavier (maybe as it could get warm and melt out earlier than many expect) snow year a week to 10 days later I expect you will have lots of company.

    Like others said above it is too soon to know what is going to happen by June. Be flexible. Last year a number of folks I was with jumped north to Rt 50 due to the snow north of Kennedy but it was a mistake. They hit snow too deep up north and by the time our little herd got to Kennedy you could just go right into the high country as it got up to 100 degrees in the desert and there was big melt in the southern Sierra.

    Gear up a little bit. Micro spikes are a good plan. Some take an ice axe. Hiking poles are helpful in snow and especially for stream crossings. One can always pair up with a couple of people for a scary stream crossing as it is far easier working together. Stream crossings were the issue last year as the melt was fast and the water was high - the woman I was hiking with got swept down one stream a ways. Scary. You don't have to cross just where the trail is either as in some places there are better high water crossings just up or down stream from the regular trail crossing.

  17. #17
    GAME 06
    Join Date
    10-15-2004
    Location
    Prescott, Arizona
    Age
    69
    Posts
    724

    Default

    I just thought of a few other things.

    Last year a friend of mine who was about 2 weeks ahead of me said a number of folks fell and got hurt on Fuller ridge due to the bad ice and snow when she was hiking through there. In a heavy snow year it is possible that the ridge will have those conditions later in the year. Two weeks behind her there was no longer any snow but we got hit by a 90 min hail storm (yes 90 mins) which then froze solid during the night. When we started the next morning it was very icy. You might need micro spikes there also so keep track of what is happening and if you need them get them sent to you. We also got snowed on a little just south of Wrightwood. The mountains in the south can surprise you as they can also be harsh as they are pretty high.

    Another thing is that if you leave later from Campo (I left May 9th) the odds of hitting real heat goes way up (we saw 100 deg at Ziggy and the Bears which is 5 miles from the bottom of Fuller Ridge - see above - and it was 106 just to the east in the Mojave). When we hit the aqueduct it was hot enough that no one was hiking that section in the day time.

    There should be lots more water than the last few years so that will be a big plus in the south.

    As long as we are tying to scare you You are not afraid of rattlesnakes are you?

  18. #18

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Wyoming View Post
    Stream crossings were the issue last year as the melt was fast and the water was high - the woman I was hiking with got swept down one stream a ways. Scary. You don't have to cross just where the trail is either as in some places there are better high water crossings just up or down stream from the regular trail crossing.
    Being swept downstream in sierra isnt good. Boulders are polished slick , people have been carried along for a mile...until a small 10' waterfall killed them . If they dont get drowned in a strainer first..

  19. #19

    Default

    Without the Tioga road (Tullome meadows road) and the road being open down to Red's meadow, the resupply from KM COULD be very long indeed for those early spring hikers trying to get through.
    Yes, you could get out to resupply somehow, but it could be very difficult.
    Especially if the snowpack is 200% of normal (or more as it very well might be)

    I'd say late June, or even early July for leaving Kennedy Meadows might be a good idea this year.
    Of course we won't know until April or May.
    Careful on those fords.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  20. #20

    Default

    Sounds like Maine in June.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •