Excited for 2017 PCT
Stopping by to say hi to fellow PCT hikers. We'll be on the trail in the beginning of April. Hope to see some of you along the way.
Too bad there's no picture avatars, otherwise we wont even know what you look like!
My wife and I be a couple weeks ahead, starting on March 17th (just booked flights to San Diego, only $83 direct from Denver!), but we're older (60 and 59) and slowing down, but sure looking forward to this adventure!
There most certainly isOriginally Posted by AllDownhillFromHere
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Looks like it is shaping up to be a big snow year. You guys might be holed up at Kennedy Meadows for a while waiting for the snow to melt.
“For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier
Agree, looks like a great snow year in the sierra, but we won't be waiting at KM, even starting in mid March... I meant to say, our plan is Campo to as far north as conditions allow (hopefully KM), then back home for a couple months for other fun stuff, then back on the PCT in early July.
Practically speaking, what do high snow levels mean? I'm thinking that it doesn't affect snowfield travel, since once you have more than a few feet you're postholing anyway. The biggest impact I can imagine is that the streams will be higher/faster/colder/badass. Are there other implications, like road closures, or changes in bug levels?
High snow levels can mean hundreds of miles where you can still remember, 6 years later, every single bit of clear trail. It also can mean very hairy stream crossings, sun cups that you will soon dispise, more blowdowns and avalanche trails. It can mean week after week of continuous wet feet, fish swimming down trails, 6' snow ridges (drift) at lower elevations, cornices at some of the passes (Mather and Forester), nasty postholing and closed resupply points, MTR, Reds and TM. But on the positive side, it can mean virtually no bugs. Check out the start of the Sierra in 2011 in the link below. This was a very high snow year.
BUT, don't let this deter you, there are huge differences year to year and time (weeks) has a way of radically changing conditions. This is why I would recommend monitoring the snow and pushing back start dates. There has been a trend over the last few years, due to very low snow levels, to start early and head into the Sierra very early with some reporting low snow even in May. I believe the next big snow year will catch a few people by surprise as there is advice about timing that is based on multiple historically low snow years.
you will see in the pictures what a high snow year looks like.
http://www.postholer.com/journal/Pac...--Heaven/23814
enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry
sounds like time to start planning a flip
I'm curious. Exactly how would that work? Thanks for any insights.
Wayne
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Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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Way too early. You also have to make sure that there is somewhere to flip. In 2011, people tried flip all over the place but there was snow everywhere. Some years, I think '05 was one, there is a lot of snow in the Sierra but little in the PNW. Those are the cases where flipping becomes an option. In most years if you flip to the northern border on June 1st you would jumping from the pot to the frying pan.
i did a quick check of the snow sensors last night and so far, early in the season, it looks snowy up north as well. Again, way to early to tell. Postholer has excellent snow information on his site. By far the easiest to get a quick gauge. I would ignore the Sierra indication for a couple of months. It looks scarier than it probably really is at this time.
http://www.postholer.com/snow/Pacific-Crest-Trail/1
enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry
Great link Malto. I think I want a summer job as a 'snow gauge' maintainer.
“For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier
And then there was the recent year (2014 or 2015 I believe) when Colorado and New Mexico got a seasons worth of snow in April and May. Watch the gauges and totals like a hawk.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace
Right now snow on the trail is a good thing.
2017 may be the year of washouts, mudslides, etc.
Pray that the trail is still there.
Wayne
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace
To add to what Malto said.
Another factor with a high snow year in Southern CA is that many are not aware that the 'desert' section has some pretty high mountains it goes over long before you get to Kennedy. It is quite possible to run into snow on those heights early in the year, as well as snow, or hail (on Mt San Jacinto last year on or about 29 May we had a hail storm which lasted 45 mins and piled up a substantial depth and then it froze hard during the night), and pretty cold temperatures.
After years of drought ,Hikers from the last few years don't know how scarry Fuller Ridge just after passing Mt San Jacinto can be when it got a lot of snow. The kickoff use to be full of fear mongering about it. I remember one big snow year when the snow on Baden-Powell came all the way down to Hwy 2 and many hikers chose to hike the highway instead. Don't assume SoCal will be a walk in the park.
There are these things called snowshoes that PCTers used to carry all the time. They make traveling over consolidated spring snow easy. Coincidentally, thruhikers will be encountering consolidated spring snow.
Anyone have input on start dates? I am currently planning a May 1st start date. I feel I hike a bit faster than most people generally (did on the AT) and didnt want to get to KM too early. Was looking to average approximately 25MPD. Which thanks to postholers planner will put me at KM on June 1st. The snow this year is insane! But I am afraid to push my start date back even further into May.
It seems snowshoes will be a necessity this year.
Im leaning towards pushing it back at least a week.
showshoes are not necessary regardless of the amount of snow. I hiked in a record snow year and didn't see a single PCT hiker with snowshoes, there is a reason they call it Sierra cement. At best show shoes could be helpful to reduce postholing in the afternoon but there are better ways to manage that by timing. The slight help will come at the expense of placing several pounds on your feet between the snowshoes and the slush.
enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry
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