[pct-l] Early start, early finish

[Brick Robbins]

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 3:56 PM, Robert Shuman <robertbeanie at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am going to hike the PCT this coming spring. I was thinking about leaving significantly earlier then the normal crowd. Most likely around March 1st. I was looking for some feedback on this idea<<

A couple of things.

You won't have any snow on the ground Campo -> Hwy 79 (Anza) then no
snow Agua Dulce -> Tehachapi, but you might have some pretty foul
weather.

The area around Idylwild covers some pretty dramatic terrain that is
dangerous to cross without winter mountaineering skills. There are a
couple of chutes in the section where the trail has been blasted out
of the sheer rock that might have avalanche dangers. Boots, crampons
and an ice axe might be good for this section too, depending on how
much coverage there is (which you won't know till you get there)

Big Bear/Wrightwood is more doable with snow, and the areas where the
trail goes is more likely to have less snow, but the areas that are
covered will be VERY slow going. Not much avalanche danger in this
section. Bring a GPS.

As far as doing the Sierra at the date you are likely to arrive, I
would expect a very slow trip, requiring some pretty stout winter
mountaineering skills. Touring skis would be a better bet than Snow
Shoes for this section.

You probably won't have much avalanche danger that late in the season,
but there are sometimes late seasons snows, and when you have a fresh
layer on top of the consolidated base, the avalanche danger is really
high.

Me? I'd wait till April or May.