[pct-l] Sierra reports from bloggers

Thu May 22 18:06:43 CDT 2014

I have been on many a SAR mission in similar conditions where our Incident 
Commander pulled us off the search because he decided it was too much of a 
risk, white-outs on the steeps.

These people get through because they haven't a clue, but have a lot of 
luck. They ride the narrow edge of disaster by thinking they must travel in 
these conditions. Staying warm & dry in their tents for a day or two would 
have still gotten them to Canada...

Now that this storm is passing to the east, does anyone know if Inyo SAR got 
any Call-Outs?

Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: echoplex
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 11:27 AM
To: ned at mountaineducation.org
Cc: walt Durling ; Luce Cruz ; pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Sierra reports from bloggers

Not my pictures, but posted by Heidi Zhang on FB earlier today-

https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10401896_10203688272908912_6906197983389047619_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10372008_10203688273148918_8513324828665677479_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10308272_10203688273388924_3870049814825681335_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10408937_10203688273588929_5937353865229727256_n.jpg

"Descending Forester and Kearsage in whiteout conditions two days in a
row. My team and I had no snow tools but we made it through. The new
snow actually helped the situation a lot by making postholing a lot
easier and reducing icy conditions. But I wish I had microspikes on
icy spots."

On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 9:50 PM,  <ned at mountaineducation.org> wrote:
> Great report, Walt!
>
> Mountain Education was in the area at the same time! Too bad we missed 
> each
> other!
>
> Since pictures and videos "are worth a thousand words," we have them from
> our Snow Advanced Course between Kennedy Meadows, Forester Pass, and
> Kearsarge Pass, May 9-18, and will post them to the Mountain Education
> Facebook page under Photos/Albums or Videos.
>
> So, keep an eye out for them!
>
> Realize, the sierra is about 5 weeks ahead of season, so right now it 
> looks
> and feels more like July 1st than May 21st! (cool days, not freezing at
> night, and no bugs)
>
>
>
> Ned Tibbits, Director
> Mountain Education
> www.mountaineducation.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: walt Durling
> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2014 1:47 PM
> To: Luce Cruz
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Sierra reports from bloggers
>
> Hi Andrea. It's me again, from earlier.
>
> I just returned from KM 4 days ago.  While it was earlier than planned, I
> took the opportunity of a ride that was available to get me to Bakersfield
> to fly back east for a family to-do.
>
> The week before last I flew to Reno and took the regional bus to Lone 
> Pine,
> thinking I'd catch the bus the next day to Inyokern, hitch a ride to 
> Walker
> Pass, and then proceed north from there.  But after speaking with a couple
> of thru-hikers at the Whitney hostel who had traversed the 50 miles 
> between
> WP and KM, reporting very little water and temps to 100, I decided to
> re-plan. One of the hikers, Daniel, had summited Whitney 2 days before and
> had got caught in a snowstorm at the top, necessitating he spend the night
> there in terrible conditions.  He backtracked to Lone Pine to rest.  I 
> think
> he's posting a video online about it.
>
> The next day I managed to hitch a ride up the mountain to Horseshoe Meadow
> campground, where I stayed for 24 hours acclimating to the elevation.  I
> then hiked up Trail Pass to the pct and headed north, wanting  to see
> Whitney.  After several miles I ran into 2 day hikers who told me that 
> more
> snow was coming.  That was a surprise because it had snowed 3 days earlier
> and there was a lot of snow - mostly frozen - on the trail, but I had 
> heard
> nothing while in Lone Pine about more snow.  Anyway, I turned around and
> about the time I got back to the Trail Pass junction it began snowing.  It
> was late in the day so I went down the pass a bit and pitched my shelter.
> Fortunately only about 2 inches fell.
>
> Anyway, for the next 2'days the daytime temps rose into the low 50's with
> plenty of sunshine.  The downside was the snow on the trail softened 
> quickly
> and I found myself postholing quite a lot on long stretches of trail 
> between
> 10,500 and 11,500'.   I think I only made about 11 miles those 2 days.
> After that the snow became more infrequent.  The third night out I got
> caught in a hellacious windstorm near the top of Mulkey Pass.  I didn't
> think my cuben fiber shelter would hold up - a lousy night of howling 
> winds,
> shearing wind gusts, and holding onto slim shelter pole hoping it wouldn't
> snap!  Each night the temps went below freezing.  :)
>
> When I got to KM there were about a dozen thrus hanging out and chowing 
> down
> on burgers and dogs.  Between just south of the portal and KM I had passed
> about  2 dozen hikers, all in the vanguard of this year's class.  I was 
> able
> to pass on up-to-date trail conditions to them at least to Cottonwood 
> Trail
> junction.
>
> Spring in the high Sierras is nothing if it isn't unpredictable, which I
> found out.  I still had a great time and the mountains are beautiful. 
> Most
> of the seasonal streams from KM up to Whitney portal are running, so water
> availability isn't a problem this early.  Of course, the long climb north
> out of KM is arduous and has long stretches of arid hiking.  A few miles
> above the Kern Bridge - the 1st one you cross shortly after leaving KM,
> there's a seasonal stream running well which crosses the path.  North of
> that  Cow  creeks have water to get you the second Kern Bridge.  Beyond
> that, Death Canyon Creek awaits, which has plenty of water.  So, too, does
> Diaz Creek.
>
> Several weeks from now, what with the low snow and persistent draught, I
> fear that the 50 miles from KM to Cottonwood Trail might not have as much
> water as it does now.  I overheard one old local geezer hanging out at the
> store lamenting on how low the Kern River was, though it looked like it 
> had
> plenty of water to me!
>
> Anyway, this is what I encountered.  Unless it shows again I think there
> will only be patches around.  I imagine Whitney will have snow, as will
> Forester Pass, but I also think that much will have melted and will be
> passable.  Once my family to-do is finished, I'll figure where to return 
> to
> the trail.  Hope this helps somewhat, and have fun!  Walt
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On May 19, 2014, at 15:07, Luce Cruz <lucecruz13 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 11:41 AM, Andrea Ogston
>> <andreaogston at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Greetings:
>>>
>>> I am heading to Kennedy Meadows Friday and was wondering if anyone has
>>> read
>>> a PCT blog of someone currently in the Sierras?
>>>
>>> Andrea
>>
>> Folks in the Sierras right now may not be able to get their reports 
>> posted
>> due to technical limitations. We have to either be patient, or bold.
>> --
>> Luce Cruz
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