[pct-l] Desert Weather (was: Rides Needed)

[dsaufley at sprynet.com]

I heartily second that.  The variable and unpredictable weather can continue through May and June in So Cal.  Like GroundPounder Bill says, Be Prepared!!! 

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: gwtmp01 at mac.com
>Sent: Jan 8, 2007 12:23 PM
>To: bluebrain at bluebrain.ca
>Cc: PCT MailingList <pct-l at backcountry.net>
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] Desert Weather (was:  Rides Needed)
>
>
>On Jan 8, 2007, at 1:13 PM, bluebrain at bluebrain.ca wrote:
>
>> There's no chance of snow between Camp and Warner Springs in April,  
>> is there?
>
>There certainly is a chance.  Last year I hiked to Warner Springs  
>before the
>kickoff and we bailed from Pioneer Mail to the motel due to high  
>winds and rain.
>(about 50 miles from the border). When we awoke the next morning  
>there was a
>couple of inches of snow at the Mt. Laguna store and lots of ice  
>covered chaparral
>at Pioneer Mail.  The wind was still howling almost knocking us over  
>several times
>until we finally dropped down into Chariot Canyon.  We met several  
>hikers who had
>a pretty miserable time camped out that night in the Lagunas.
>
>I think it isn't all that unusual for PCT hikers to think that a  
>desert is always
>hot.  It just isn't true.  You need to be prepared for cold weather  
>(below freezing)
>right from the start on a PCT hike.  And yes, it can rain in the desert.
>
>Oh yeah, if you haven't practiced setting up your tarp/tent/tarptent  
>in a sandy soil
>with high winds, you might want to think about it now before you have  
>to figure it out
>on the trail.
>
>And please be prepared to navigate a snow covered trail in the San  
>Jacintos.  Lots of
>people will warn you about Fuller Ridge but last year I ran into many  
>thru-hikers who
>were not prepared to navigate the trail south of the Saddle Junction  
>in the snow.  They
>just figured they wouldn't have trouble until *after* Saddle  
>Junction.  I would recommend
>getting the Tom Harrison San Jacinto Wilderness map if you need to  
>navigate over snow
>in the San Jacinto's.  Doing it with the guidebook maps is a real  
>challenge (especially
>if you've never done that sort of thing before).
>
>Gary Wright (Radar)
>
>
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