[pct-l] Trekking pole snow baskets for Sierra?

[Steel-Eye]

Good morning, Eric,

 

I believe snow baskets are worthwhile when hiking over snowpack.  Having used them a great deal, I find the small additional weight burden to be well compensated by the improvement in reliable balance.  I feel that way even more so since I didn't use them last year through the Sierras.  That wasn't by choice:  There was a screw-up and somehow they missed being included in my Kennedy Meadows resupply box.  That caused some inconvenience, but going without wasn't a showstopper.

 

I use whatever size comes with the hiking poles, but they are not the large powder baskets seen on some ski poles.  Last year was a low snowpack year in the Sierras, but the overall depth of the snowpack isn't really the deciding factor for me.  Once the depth is such that I no longer plant my foot firmly on the ground, it doesn't matter if the pack is 1 ft. or 50 ft. deep; walking is about the same.  I normally use baskets beginning with about a foot of snowpack.  Remember though, one foot of snow is not the same as one foot of snowpack.  With a foot of snow, baskets won't be much help since the pole tip will probably go to the ground anyway.  The Sierras in June may have lots of snowpack but very little loose snow.  We can most often walk on top of snowpack, except in instances where the crust will only support 90% of our weight and we have to deal with difficult and spine-jarring potholing. 

 

If there had been heavy snowpack last year I likely would have gotten through OK without baskets, except more miles of covered trail would have meant more time that I would have been aggravated without them.

Steel-Eye



^^^^^^^^^^  Serious hikers gather at:  http://www.aldhawest.org/  ^^^^^^^^^^



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Eric Payne 
  To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 4:56 AM
  Subject: [pct-l] Trekking pole snow baskets for Sierra?


  When I hike, I typically don't hike with the baskets attached to my trekking poles.  They just aren't necessary unless you are in deep mud.  However, I'm wondering if I should attach some of the really wide baskets to my poles for the High Sierra to stop them from sinking in the snow.  I know that Andrew Skurka didn't do this when he went thru there last year, but is he just crazy?  I really can't imagine how deep the snow really gets on the sides of the trail.  Keep in mind that I'm a Southerner who hasn't ever seen more than 3 inches on trails.



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