Dealing with the High Sierras

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#1

Ok, I’ve done mucho planning for my 2002 PCT thru-hike. And I’ve decided, planned and made much of my gear; but I am now reading “The Pacific Crest Trail” by William Grey (thank you Bushwack) written in 1975, and he has made mention, several times, of bivouacing above treeline in subfreezing temps on cornices and glaciers. This does not sound as kosher as many have led me to believe. He was carrying 60+ pounds, averaging 10 miles/day, and arrived at the high sierras in may/june. My question is this: do most people not make note of this beacuse they carry less weight and are able to do more miles and thence camp in lower elevations? I will be carrying an ice axe for the appropriate locations, no crampons, and I’m now considering an “emergency” bivy sac, mainly for cold, but a tarp for most nights. I’ve done the Appalachian Trail and know that most “publicity” is really just hype, and that everything always works out, but still, if you could, answer my question I would be greatful.

Hungry Howie GA-mE 2000, PCT 2002

Hungry Howie

#2

Howie, you got the book, great!. Lots of good info but I think just a little out of date. Gear has change a zillion fold in function and weight. Knowing that weather at altitude can change from sixty to winter in one breath I would take a man and a half three season like our Mountain Hardware Light Wedge 2. Five pounds and has proven able to stand up to 70 mph winds and snow oy my MH Walrus. mountainhardware.com for pictures. Dehydrate all your food and you can add some tougher safer gear with the weight savings. Tarp to the mountains and tent higher up. Log on to bpbasecamp.com and see if any of the editors have a suggestion. OR makes a bivy tent but I think is’t to small to be functional if you want to wait out a storm. Don’t forget to practice your glisade…does it snow in Montgomery?

Bushwhack

#3

Back in 96, we had quite the blizzard; 1 inch, gone by noon. That shut the town down for weeks. It was a catastrophe. Dear Lord, there were dead bodies flying everywhere. Ok, so I exagerrated a little on the dead bodies, but you get the point; it rarely snows this far south. I am aware of the massive progresses in modern day equipment, and this is why I wonder why the author speeks of high sierra bivouacing when everyone else that I’ve talked to has made no reference to it. There advice is usually, “yup, a tarp works great!” The tarp that I am currently using (The ID SilShelter) is far stronger than modern day tents save the extreme high altitude assult tents. I plan on doing 20 miles/day, and if I can do 30+m/d on the Appalachian Trail, certainly, I can book it down the PCT if need be.

Hungry Howie

#4

You runnin on caffiene boy? 20 plus days at altitude, huh. Your either 6’6" or hyper as all get out. I guess tarping is cool-and light. I just remember walking out in the Wind River Range in a wopper of a snow storm and no tarp would have saved our butts. Goretex and sheer endurance got us out of 13,000ft and 70mph winds. I do love the open space of camping under the stars though. I guess it’s more a question of do you have shelter for any weather conditions. Clothing and a shelter. You can always hang out in your water proof duds if need be. I’ve done that. I just prefer a tent if I know the weather is going to be bad. Makes it easier to spend time with my better half too. She carries the clothes and I carry the. If you have the tarp I don’t think you need the bivy. In what method do you set up a tarp, besides over head only. I assume that part of it is the floor and part one wall and the roof with the back to the wind? Kind of in a “C” shape sort of.

Bushwhack

#5

clever, clever title my man. I just thought about something else. Back in 1975, the trail was merely 70% complete. That could have “some” impact on this type of situation. But, of course, trail or no trail, five feet of snow covers it none-the-less. I think I’m overdoing the worrying bit just a little. I’ve got another year and 4 months before I set off. When are you hitting the AT? I’m going to be out there over my spring break (march 24-April 2 -something like that) and will try to hike from Springer to NOC or FOntanna. It is going to be TOUGH to turn around when I get there and not hike on. ARGH! I hate the in-between fun times of life.

Hungry Howie GA-mE 2000

Hungry Howie

#6

Your right, I forgot that the trail wasn’t finished in '75. Do you get BackPacker mag? The last issue has all the long trails and I think it mentioned at the end of the PCT blurb that there is a Trail group like the ATC. They may have some current weather and trail location histories. There are guide books out there as you know but those are always a couple of years old at best. E-mail Aswah, in the journals section, he did the AT last year and is planning the PCT this year.
Were heading out Feb 18th so we will probably miss you. Nutz

Bushwhack

#7

The PCTA is the ATC of the PCT…if that made any sense. The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s website is www.pcta.org if you’re interested. The PCT has a data book and a “companion” like the AT, which I never knew until I started researching. It’s a lot tamer than it used to be; kind of like the AT.

Hungry Howie

#8

Most thruhikers don’t go through the Sierras until mid to late June - following the Jardine idea of leaving Kennedy Meadows around June 15. As you know, in the Sierras you bounce from low valleys to high passes to low valleys again. In a normal year, there won’t be much if any snow in the lower areas after mid-June. 2002 looks like it might be a high snow year - though it is still a bit early to tell. If so, aim to go through a little later. We went in a low snow year, so left KM on June 2. That was a bit too early. There was a lot of snow at the passes, and snowmelt was a real problem, but we still camped dry every night. The snow melts out in patches, even in the snowcovered areas. People who left KM mid-June had no problem with either passes or snowmelt. We aimed to cross one pass a day, and only did two passes once–which just about killed us. You want to set up the passes so you cross late morning, when the snow has softened but isn’t slush. If you carry crampons, you can cross earlier in the day.

Ginny