Fatality Near Little Jimmy

[gwschenk]

Five hikers fell this weekend and one was killed above Islip Saddle near Little Jimmy campground.
http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2017/02/05/county-rescue-volunteers-lead-ice-chute-rescue/97522896/
http://www.sgvtribune.com/general-news/20170204/1-killed-4-injured-in-hiking-accident-near-islip-saddle-in-angeles-national-forest

[burger]

Sad news. We actually turned around on a hike this weekend when we encountered unstable, melting snow on a high angle traverse.

I hate to say this, but I have a bad feeling about the PCT this year. Tons of snow and tons of hikers, the vast majority of whom will likely have no previous experience with snow travel in the mountains, is a bad combination. There have been big snow years on the PCT before, but in the past, the PCT tended to attract more experienced hikers (at least those who'd done the AT). Now, numbers are 10 times what they were a few years ago, and I think that more of those hikers are inexperienced. When I hiked in '09, almost everyone had Yogi's guide which goes to great lengths to warn about snow and ice. Now hikers just download an app and browse around on the internet for information. It's a recipe for disaster.

I hope everything works out for this year's hikers, but I'm not optimistic.

[Uriah]

Sad news. We actually turned around on a hike this weekend when we encountered unstable, melting snow on a high angle traverse.

I hate to say this, but I have a bad feeling about the PCT this year. Tons of snow and tons of hikers, the vast majority of whom will likely have no previous experience with snow travel in the mountains, is a bad combination. There have been big snow years on the PCT before, but in the past, the PCT tended to attract more experienced hikers (at least those who'd done the AT). Now, numbers are 10 times what they were a few years ago, and I think that more of those hikers are inexperienced. When I hiked in '09, almost everyone had Yogi's guide which goes to great lengths to warn about snow and ice. Now hikers just download an app and browse around on the internet for information. It's a recipe for disaster.

I hope everything works out for this year's hikers, but I'm not optimistic.

Good points. I suspect you're premonition will play out for quite a few hikers, whether such danger will occur coming off Forester Pass (or over any other pass), crossing Evolution Creek, or so on. I envy them all! If they don't possess the requisite skills, it'll add to their adventure (with great possibility of subtraction!), and to our forum fodder!

[gracebowen]

This is why right now im too afraid of this trail to even think about thru hiking it.

[bamboo bob]

My rant. The ATC, PCT, GMC, etc. They endlessly and relentlessly promote the trails. That is why they are crowded and overused. Back country hikers were once self selected and experienced enough to know where to go and where not to go.

[ScareBear]

Did they have hiking poles?

<ducking>

[AllDownhillFromHere]

"everyone has the book" is basically the same as "everyone downloads the app". It's like the Wingfoot book used to be on the AT - the head-in-the-sand bible that everyone followed out of fear of being not a real hiker. People all bought the gear, stayed in the same places, went to the same hostels - I daresay they would have all marched off the same cliff.

[gwschenk]

This is why right now im too afraid of this trail to even think about thru hiking it.

I wouldn't be afraid of the trail. People just have to realize that hiking into high mountains in the spring equipped for a fair weather summer outing may not be optimal. The six years of drought have given new "Wild" era hikers an unrealistic idea of what to expect.

[Engine]

I wouldn't be afraid of the trail. People just have to realize that hiking into high mountains in the spring equipped for a fair weather summer outing may not be optimal. The six years of drought have given new "Wild" era hikers an unrealistic idea of what to expect. This years class looks to be in for a harsh dose of reality...

[ScareBear]

This years class looks to be in for a harsh dose of reality...

+1 This year will be epic...so far the AT hasn't been a cakewalk this year either...