[pct-l] Bear Creek crossing 2010

[Jim & Jane Moody]

Watching Fuzzy Monkey's video, it seemed t o be the same creek our group (which included Shroomer and Smiles) crossed on the Cas cade Trail, just after it leaves the JMT / PCT, heading toward Red's Meadow.  Ho wever, Mile 868 is south of the VVR turnoff and the Cascade Trail starts around 890 , so maybe I'm wrong. 



Those of you who enjoy Shroomer should be grateful that he pulled me out of a wedged-in fall in a shallow but swift creek near Bear Creek, before he pulled out his camera.  If he had left me there upside down and backwards ,  with water cascading over my head, while he took pictures, I would have killed him. 



Mango 



----- Original Message -----


From: "Scott Williams" <baidarker at gmail.com> 
To: "James Vesely" <JVesely at edmsupply.com> 
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012 10:15:50 AM 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear Creek crossing 2010 

Good God I remember that crossing.  Smiles and I charged across and mid way 
yelled back at the others to find a better place.  Turning around was just 
as bad as continuing across, so we forged on, bent into the force of the 
current.  Upstream, we anchored ourselves to some vegetation and then 
started an arm in arm chain out into the creek.  As each of our group came 
across we could help them the last bit and the chain got longer, but the 
pain of that icy water.  Wow! 

Smiles kept her Eric the Black book in her pants pocket just like Fuzzy 
Monkey, and several times jumped in a stream and jumped right out again 
when she remembered her maps.   At least she had the book and could dry it 
out and continue using it.  I have to say, his books looked like hell after 
those little swimming episodes, but still worked fine, wet or dry and 
wrinkly. 

One other tip is to make sure you attempt a crossing like this in your 
hiking shoes or boots, no flip flops or camp shoes, and no way barefooted. 
And tighten your shoe laces before wading in that kind of fury, or you'll 
be hiking only partially shod out of the mountains as one dear friend had 
to do. 

Anyone hiking this year should take a look at this YouTube.  Even with the 
lower snow year, if a good warm spell hits the Sierra while you're there, 
this could be what you'll be facing.  If you come to a dangerous crossing 
in the afternoon, make camp as the water is always lower in the morning. 
The melt off slows down overnight due to the cold temps.  Icy cold shoes 
first thing in the morning is not pleasant, but it's much better than a 
knock down and swim in the afternoon. 

While camping one evening along the Tuolumne River in Lyell Canyon, the 
river had flooded its banks and come right into the meadow.  We all took a 
quick icy swim and had an easy out right onto the grass.  By the next 
morning it had fallen at least 2 feet.  It was that dramatic. 

Good to see Fuzzy Monkey again. 

Shroomer 



> 
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