[pct-l] SOBO

Wed Mar 9 16:46:40 CST 2011

Thanks Devon.
Few people believe me when I say the trail is harder to navigate sobo than
nobo.  It's nice to hear it from another sobo-er.... confirms that I'm not
(totally) crazy.

:)

Austin Williams

www.PlanYourHike.com <http://www.planyourhike.com/>
Info on PCT gear, resupply points, maps, movies, etc.

"*Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a
fruit salad.*"
-Proverb

On Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 2:44 PM, Devon Taig <devon.taig at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm also a SOBO hiker (section hiker) having done the whole thing north
> bound in the early 90's and now desiring to go the other way.  I've
> discovered that the trail is considerably harder to follow SOBO than NOBO
> because there are so many more NOBO hikers that will leave cairns for their
> fellow NOBO hikers in places like the north side of a road crossings where
> the NOBO trail picks back up.  So...here's a huge favor that you NOBO'ers
> could do for us SOBO's.  Please leave a few cairns on the SOBO side of road
> crossings or at navigationally challenging spots along the trail.  I know I
> would greatly appreciate it. THANKS
>
> Devon
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Austin Williams <
> austinwilliams123 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I agree with Barry whole-heartedly.  The June 15 start date is just a
>> ballpark rule-of-thumb.  Hiking sobo, you have to be a lot more flexible
>> on
>> your start date, right up to the last minute.  This is because, as a sobo
>> hiker, you'll be hiking in snow right off the bat, whereas nobo hikers
>> have
>> a while before they hit the sierras.
>>
>> Also, if you are hiking sobo BRING A GPS.  I know you will hear people
>> telling you that you don't need one, but remember, 95% of all PCT hikers
>> are
>> nobo hikers.  They aren't aware of the nuances of a sobo hike.  Sure,
>> people
>> have hiked sobo without one.  some have been very lucky having hiked in
>> low-snow years.  But I promise you... I PROMISE YOU... if you bring a gps
>> on
>> a sobo hike you will not regret it.   even if you're a gram weenie like
>> me.
>>
>> You may only use it once or twice, but let me tell you.... that's all it
>> takes.  :)
>>
>> You can totally ditch it after you get to Cascade locks.
>>
>> If you decide not to bring one then make sure you know how to do a
>> backcountry bail-out (in general, find flowing water, follow it forever
>> until you find a road, follow road to civilisation.  Works everywhere
>> except
>> Australia and remote parts of Canada and Russia).
>>
>> And have fun.  :)
>>
>> Austin Williams
>>
>> www.PlanYourHike.com <http://www.planyourhike.com/>
>> Info on PCT gear, resupply points, maps, movies, etc.
>>
>> "*Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a
>> fruit salad.*"
>> -Proverb
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 9:44 AM, Barry Teschlog <tokencivilian at yahoo.com
>> >wrote:
>>
>> > While June 15 is the typical date bandied about for SOBO, do watch the
>> snow
>> > conditions and adjust if / as required depending on your skill / comfort
>> > level /
>> > desired experience.
>> >
>> > Don't let folks say (as they have been) that WA is below average on snow
>> > this
>> > year.  While that may be true overall, it's not necessarily relevant to
>> the
>> > SOBO
>> > PCT hiker.  In the northern most parts of the trail (where you'll
>> start),
>> > snow
>> > pack is average to slightly above average, as indicated by the Harts
>> Pass
>> > snotel
>> > site readings as of this date.
>> >
>> > Do your homework.
>> >
>> > Start with Snotel.
>> >
>> > http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/
>> >
>> > Click on the little map of Washington.  Then start checking the various
>> > sensors
>> > near the PCT.  You'll want to look at the northern ones to give you an
>> idea
>> > of
>> > what you'll encounter at the start, be it Canada (although be aware that
>> > ICE is
>> > getting their undies in a knot over SOBO border crossings - don't do it)
>> or
>> > just
>> > south inside the US, say at Harts Pass (the northernmost road on the
>> trail)
>> > or
>> > Rainy Pass (northernmost main highway).
>> >
>> > When you're doing this home work, compare previous years plots to this
>> > years,
>> > and read the corresponding previous years SOBO journals.  Correlate the
>> > journal
>> > entries descriptions of the snow conditions with the snow sensor
>> readings
>> > from
>> > the same date (or the plot of how the snow melted and the last date for
>> > "zero"
>> > snow), then compare to this years sensor readings.  You should be able
>> to
>> > deduce
>> > what is likely to be encountered.
>> >
>> > Moving from north to south, click on the site, then click on each of the
>> > "snow
>> > depth" (daily readings) and "snow water equivalent" (daily graph).
>>  Check
>> > the
>> > following snotel sites:
>> >
>> >  - Harts Pass (On the PCT)
>> >  - Rainy Pass (On the PCT)
>> >  - Lyman Lake (near the PCT in the Glacier Peak area.  Note that the
>> nearby
>> > Miners Ridge is no longer in service)
>> >  - Stevens Pass (on the PCT)
>> >  - Olallie Meadows (on the PCT near Snoqualmie Pass)
>> >  - Stampede Pass (on the PCT ~20 miles south of Snoqualmie Pass)
>> >  - White Pass (on the PCT)
>> >
>> > Other resources:
>> > http://www.stevenspass.com/ (check the web cams and compare to the
>> Stevens
>> > Pass
>> > snow sensor)
>> > http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/  (check the web cams and compare to
>> the
>> > Olallie snow sensor)
>> >
>> > Note that just because a snow sensor reads zero, doesn't mean there is
>> no
>> > snow
>> > in the area - in fact there may still be significant snow in the area.
>> >  Last
>> > season, for example, the snow sensor at Stevens Pass showed "zero" yet
>> the
>> > web
>> > cams for Stevens Pass Ski Area showed the slopes still ~2/3 covered
>> quite
>> > some
>> > time later.  One factor influencing this effect is that here in
>> Washington
>> > the
>> > passes are the LOW points of the trail, not the high points as is the
>> case
>> > in
>> > the Sierra.
>> >
>> >
>> > Another data point to consider:  Last season the WTA scheduled a log out
>> of
>> > the
>> > PCT between Harts Pass and Rainy Pass for July 5-10.  It was canceled
>> due
>> > to
>> > high snow (we logged out trails further east, in the Pasayten Wilderness
>> > instead).  This year, the log out for that stretch of trail is scheduled
>> > for
>> > July 18-22.
>> >
>> > All that said:  Folks SOBO successfully every year.  Just go into it
>> fully
>> > informed.
>> >
>> > Standard Disclaimers:
>> > YMMV, HYOH, 2 cents, opinions and back sides, value of free advice,
>> yadda,
>> > yadda, yadda....
>> >
>> >
>> >
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