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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Good morning, Eric,</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>I believe snow baskets are worthwhile when hiking over snowpack.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Having used them a great deal, I find
the small additional weight burden to be well compensated by the
improvement in reliable balance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I feel that way even more so since I didn’t use them last year through
the Sierras.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That wasn’t by
choice:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was a screw-up and
somehow they missed being included in my Kennedy Meadows resupply box.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That caused some inconvenience, but
going without wasn’t a showstopper.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>I use whatever size comes with the hiking poles, but they are not the
large powder baskets seen on some ski poles.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I normally use baskets beginning with
about a foot of snowpack.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Remember
though, one foot of snow is not the same as one foot of snowpack.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With a foot of snow, baskets won’t be
much help since the pole tip will probably go to the ground anyway.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The Sierras in June may have lots of snowpack
but very little loose snow. </SPAN>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.
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">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.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Steel-Eye</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">^^^^^^^^^^<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Serious hikers gather at:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><A href="http://www.aldhawest.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: purple"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.aldhawest.org/</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> ^^^^^^^^^^</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=vaporjourney@gmail.com href="mailto:vaporjourney@gmail.com">Eric
Payne</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pct-l@backcountry.net
href="mailto:pct-l@backcountry.net">pct-l@backcountry.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 05, 2008 4:56
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [pct-l] Trekking pole snow
baskets for Sierra?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>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.<BR>
<P>
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