There's always next year.
No change in my plans. Putting in for April 12th and I can find a way to drag feet if it looks like a week later could make a big difference when I get close to the Sierra. Since I'm fortunate to live a few hours from the Whites I'm gonna take an ice axe course at that International Mountain Climbing school over in North Conway. Looking like it could be that kind of year and everyone says don't bother carrying one unless you know how to use it. If anything I'm looking forward to the crowds being a little thinner because I get the sense from the Facebook groups that this is inspiring a lot of people to push their start a month or more later, or switch to sobo/flip flop. Also looking forward to the possibility of better water sources in the dry sections.
Heck I'm excited to travel to California and see some snow, so far it's mostly been another bust year in this part of Vermont.
I looked at their program and it seemed complicated and gear-heavy. Do they have just an iceaxe course?
Originally Posted by mattjv89
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 01-15-2017 at 16:22.
Looks pricey.
Well they don't specifically call it the ice axe course but it's covered in all their basic mountaineering classes from one to three days. It says "The day will be spent outdoors learning and practicing crampon, ice axe, rope skills, and self arrest" for the one day class. Yeah the overnight courses are more gear heavy, I looked on the day program list and I already had almost all the stuff. I agree that Mountain Education course looks great but I'm not looking to spend $900 or 5 days of the hike.
Will microspikes take me to the promised land in the sierras in late june/early july or will i need a full blown crampon setup? I have 2 or 3 pairs of yaktrax sitting around and assumed that would be enough, until these predictions of apocalyptic snow arrived.
Ill be leaving sourhern terminus fot tge pct on april 22. Hiking solo. Hope to meet some ppl to enjoy this with. Hmu if you want to huke togetherfor aportion.
My names christopher. However, no trail name as of yet.
I went in early June in 2016, and I was fine with Kahtoola Microspikes which I think are a bit more aggressive than Yaktrax. A lot of people didn't have any, and I think I would've been fine without, but I definitely don't regret bringing them. If 2017 keeps the record pace, I would imagine you would have even more snow in late June than we did in early June this year, but obviously I don't know for sure. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with snow travel. If you have miles and miles of snow I would think it would be advantageous to hit all the passes early in the morning so you don't posthole, in which case you're at least gonna want some sort of traction to bite into that early morning snow.
Also, for what it's worth, my ice axe gave me peace of mind and potentially saved my ass a couple times
New Trail Name
Henceforth, you are known as "Typo".
+1 thris post wras excellant
Microspikes took me through a big snow year in '11. They were very helpful in the early morning hours when the snow is rock hard. With microspikes those are the hours with the easiest miles.
enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry
I think we need to start assuming this will be a big snow year as well, considering the early and record heavy snowfall. Looks like im bringing spikes for sure.
Originally Posted by gwschenk
Henceforth, you are known as "Typo".
This is very Frunny!
I was just watching the Weather Guessers Channel and saw the crawl predicting several feet of new snow in the central and northern Sierras.
I compared that to the Weather Channel app on my phone for Mt. Rose near Lake Tahoe. 1"-3", that's INCHES, snow for the next 2 days.
What the.....?????
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
Update
Several feet of new snow possible in the Sierras by late next week.
"It ain't over till it's over."
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
Real simple Wayne, Mt Rose is not in central Sierras. Mt Rose is barely in the Sierras at all. It's as far east and north as you can get. It's kind of known more as a Reno ski resort than a Tahoe ski resort. When Squaw is getting a foot, Rose is getting inches... and Mammoth is getting feet. Mammoth is the ski resort you want to go off of with regards to the Sierras. Not Rose, not 6,000 foot base Squaw, but Mammoth, right in the middle with an 11,000 foot summit. If you don't like Mammoth then use Kirkwood.
I miss read the forecast as explained in my Update immediately after my first post.
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
Apparently the real Sierra Nevada mountains don't participate in this program.
Looks like the Nevada Sierra Nevadas are above 200%.
Be safe.
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
Is it fair to say that for around 25 percent of pct hikers JMT is their first real snowy mountain experience?
Posting Permissions
Pacific Crest Trail
Reply With Quote
