[pct-l] WAS:French Speaking Hiker Help, THEN: -- Other Advice Needed -SNOW!!, NOW: This Storm

[Mike Saenz]

I'm watching this storm extremely close, as I will be on The Trail
tomorrow through Sunday hiking from Cabazon to Highway 38 (mile210
through 250, Section "C").

I don't expect to walk further than 15 miles from the I-10 freeway
tomorrow, which would get me to the end of Mission Creek Road at just
above 3k. Snow is not expected to fall that low in this area, although I
expect to be walking through some wild weather in the morning. NOAA is
forecasting thunderstorms and heavy wind!

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=SGX&llon=-117.771247&
rlon=-116.493747&tlat=34.872084&blat=33.594584&smap=1&mp=0&map.x=212&map
.y=167

My biggest concern will be the amount of rainfall within the burn area,
particularly since it's along the east end of the San Gorgonio range. No
vegetation and lots of rainfall equals unstable mountainsides... The
storm is coming out of the northwest, so I can expect the heaviest
precipitation to occur on the west facing sides of the mountains. But
since this portion of the trail is on the end of the range where it
drops off into the low desert, I've seen weather peel off and wrap
around onto this slope (JT usually gets snow because of this effect).

I'll be looking for higher perches to pitch camp on, just to stay out of
the canyon bottom. A couple weeks ago, I was concerned about water
availability in Mission Creek... I just might be fording across
Whitewater tomorrow!

Fortunately, Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be clear and sunny.
Temps will stay low, so I may not have to hiking up a blackened
moonscape- I'll be looking at a moonscape blanketed with pure white
snow!

I'm hoping that any snow won't completely cover the trail, since half
the purpose of this hike is to report on trail conditions in the burn
area (approx. 15 miles of the trail is covered by the Millard/Sawtooth
Complex Fire boundary).

Presently, from my 8th floor window overlooking John Wayne Airport in
Irvine/Newport Beach, I can see Catalina Island and a mix of high light
clouds and puffier low clouds. More white than grey with blue sky
showing through as far west as I can see. Looking over to the north, the
clouds are much more dense and dark grey. The airs in the north look
very unstable. From NOAA's animated satellite images, it looks like
Southern California is just getting the very end tip of the band of
weather that stretches as far north as Canada.

Michael  Saenz
Associate Partner

MVE & Partners, Inc. | Architecture + Planning + Interiors 
Irvine + Oakland + Honolulu

1900 Main Street, Suite 800 | Irvine, California 92614-7318 | T
949.809.3388 | www.mve-architects.com

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Steve Courtway
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 1:06 PM
To: Back Country Mail List
Subject: Re: [pct-l] French Speaking Hiker Help -- Other Advice Needed
-SNOW!!

Mt. Laguna is gonna get hit with a bunch of snow in a couple hours.

s.c.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "goslowgofar" <goslowgofar at yahoo.com>
To: "Back Country Mail List" <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] French Speaking Hiker Help -- Other Advice Needed


> Indeed - it is dumping the white stuff outside as I write this from
the 
> office at 2000'. Yosemite is finally getting winter.
>  Katy
>
> Jim Keener <jlkeener at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Well, as they say on West Wing, don't accept the
> premise. There is a major storm system in the Sierra
> as I type this. New powder. They can get to Yosemite
> Valley by Amtrak train/bus combination from Los
> Angeles and other cities. And from there to Badger
> Pass. If they do not already cross country ski, they
> can get lessons at Badger Pass (and equipment) and ski
> out to Glacier Point. (See photograph at
> http://electricpath.com/yosemite.html). The views
> along the way match any in the world. IMHO. And winter
> is the only time one can camp in the Wawona Grove - a
> grove of Sequoia at the south entrance to Yosemite.
> Snow shoe or cross country ski up hill for four miles
> and camp in a most magic place. One afternoon when I
> was there, the sun came out and began melting ice off
> the sequoia. Diamonds all around. Chickadees swirling
> in the sky.
>
>
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