What up guys,
Any word on the snowpack in the sierra this year? I'm trying to decide if I really need to bring along the ice axe. I-know-I-know you're supposed to take one, but I do have a good bit of experience with apline hiking, and there's definately a meaningful distinction to be made between "ice-axe" snowpack and "non-ice-axe" snowpack. I'm no daredevil, and I want to be well and responsibly equipped, but I also don't want to carry useless snow equipment if the conditions don't call for any extra tools.
What, really, is the snow like in the sierra? Is it "big" coverage (like, whole valleys totally coated), or is it just little fields in the last couple hundred feet under the high passes? Last summer I had to leave my axe in Europe because the airport security hassled me over it, and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the $100 for a new one!
Thanks,
-David