pick it up at Kennedy Meadows, mile 697.
send it home from Echo Lake, mile 1089.
Some hikers get rid of their axe at Tuolumne (mile 935) or Sonora Pass (mile 1013). But, there is a stretch of trail just before Carson Pass (mile 1073) called the Elephant’s Back. In 2002 and 2003, this was just like all the early passes. So, if you’re going to carry an axe, you’ll need it here, too.
yogi
We carried ice axes on both the PCT and CDT, and were very glad we did. Unless you are starting quite late, don’t skip carrying one. We used axes that were long enough that when walking on a snowy slope (whether up down or sideways) we could dig the point in. The idea was that rather than need to use an axe for self arrest, which risks serious injury, we would keep ourselves from falling in the first place. Being really cautious worked for us. We knew several people who had to use their axes for self-arrest on the PCT, but as I am very cautious, and dug the point in at every step if the slope was icy, I never fell. Going down slopes, if the snow wasn’t too soft, we would glissade, and the axes made great brakes. (Dropping 1500’ in about 5 minutes down the backside of Forrester was great fun, though awfully wet!) When you will need an axe really depends on what kind of snow year you have. We have friends who hiked in very high snow years who had to carry their axes all the way from Campo to Manning. Fuller Ridge above Idyllwild is notorious for bad snow if you are early in the season or it is a high snow year. We glissaded with our hiking poles, but saw a couple of other hikers fall and slide down to the rocks. Ouch.
Spirit Walker
Be cool and stay in school. Use an ice axe, and get all the cool pictures others dream of. Shoot- maybe it’ll save your butt! I used the Cassin Ghost (7 0z.). I have two of them (Island Mama’s also). I’m not now sure what we’re doing this summer, but we might not need them. I think we might rent them for a nominal price. Let me know if anyone is interested.
Tha Wookie