Re: Disaster trail stories
Trash bags would have helped her out immensely. Key, light-weight
gear I carry is about three 33-gallon trash bags. Makes a great
emergency poncho. Can help keep things from getting wetter. Can
use as head cover. Can use as lower body cover, etc.
This is one of the key items I teach to carry in the Hug-a-Tree
session for kids.
Two Dogs
On 4/13/2023 16:42, John Ladd wrote:
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One of
the best disaster trail stories I know was a trail journal
post by SoloGirl (aka Censored, aka Katalina) at
Postholer.com for the 2009 PCT season - her entry for Jun 3
I
don't know for sure if the link works and you probably have
to register (free) at Postholer to see it, but try
If the
link is non-functional,
go
to postholer,com
login or register
try the link again
if that doesn't work
go to trail journals for PCT 2009
look down the list for SoloGirl
go to her 38th post (for Jun 3)
Great
story.? She made some mistakes (more than most, but we all
have some under our belt) and she describes the consequences
really well.
I met
her about 2 weeks later, just South of Muir Trail Ranch, and
we had a nice talk.?
If you
don't know it, Postholer is a great site originally
dedicated to the Pacific crest trail but with a lot of very
useful stuff for us.
John Ladd
415-648-9279 (landline)
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Re: Disaster trail stories
Great stuff here John!? Amazing how a cold, wet, tired, panicked?mind can react.? I'm reminded of Theodore Solomons' many troubles due to overreacting in snowstorms rather than (as Muir advised), just holing up and waiting out the storm. Having a 911 option just escalates the number of folk involved in bad decisions. One thing I like about the InReach vs the Spot is you can actually communicate with rescuers and let them know what's happening and what the nature of the problem is. With the Spot they must always assume the worst.
Ethan
"When you see a new trail, or a footprint you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing."? - Uncheedah
On Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 5:11?PM John Ladd < johnladd@...> wrote: [Edited Message Follows]
EDITED 4/13/23 5:11 pm
Since we have all made mistakes, I don't think it is disrespectful to identify the mistakes here and to learn from them
Lost hiker story - use an Incognito browser to open it if you aren't a SF Chronicle subscriber
?
I'd say this is the key passage of the SF Chron article:
"... he fell off the trail and slid perhaps two to three body lengths down a steep grade. He could have attempted to scramble back up the loose rock, but opted for what seemed like an easier tack. He angled along the steep face and walked parallel with the trail, thinking he could intersect it."
And therefore the key lesson of this story:
Even with a well-travelled trail, it is really, really dangerous to try to angle back to your trail after you'd lost it. For example, the JMT is heavily travelled but if you happened to be dead reckoning back, you might well cross it at a place where yo don't see it (e.g., granite). So you think the trail is still ahead of you when it is now actually behind you.
This is an even bigger mistake on a trail that comes in and out of visibility, as was the case here
So, for me, the key lesson here is>
There is noting wrong about losing a trail via a fall or just a wrong turn. Happens all the time.
You do make a mistake if you don't promptly return to your last known point where you were, for sure, on the trail. Even if you have to cut back a substantial distance.?
Never, never try to intersect a trail that you strayed from. Admit your mistake, turn around, and retrace your steps.
Prior thread on this:?/g/JMT/topic/85831842#75052
--
John Curran Ladd
San Francisco, CA?
415-648-9279
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Re: Disaster trail stories
Snow season guru Ned Tibbits had these thoughts:
I finally got around to reading Sologirl's account in the snow short of Trail Pass on the PCT last June.
?
First, it is interesting that we were in that area just weeks earlier teaching our annual Snow Advanced Course from Kennedy Meadows, up and over Forester Pass, and on out Kearsarge Pass to Onion Valley!
?
Now, the first thing she did that put her in trouble is not preparing for the worst that can be ahead. In other words, her gear and clothing and training were dangerously insufficient for what the sierra can throw at you! A little pre-hike snow training would have taught her what "works" when things go so badly.
?
Second, she should have "read" the storm and sought shelter from the start. Her decision to try to "walk through it" lead to the "exposure," wet conditions, and inability to create both shelter and heat that she later experienced. There is no shame in stopping early on during a bout of precipitation to assess it, plan how you're going to stay warm and dry through it, and what you're going to do if it gets worse. Just pitch while you're still warm and dry!
?
We can all learn from the mistakes of others. At least she was humble enough to share them with us so we can!
?
Parable of the story? Be Prepared, even if it means more planning, training, knowing yourself, clothing, gear, and weight....
?
-- John Curran LaddSan Francisco, CA?415-648-9279
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Re: Disaster trail stories
Another thought on Sologirl at the start of this thread
If I had a worry for myself in situations like Sologirl's it is that hypothermia would cause me to lose my mental abilities, so even if I have the "guts" to stay alive, I can't do it if my brain has stopped working and I don't have a hiking companion to help me out. I like hiking solo but I do think it can be riskier.?
In general, if you can keep?dry, you can keep?warm.? That's why I hate seeing people leave raingear at home because it "rarely" rains in the Sierra summer.? (No disrespect to UL hikers, but I personally think it's a mistake even if many hikers do it)
--
John Curran Ladd
San Francisco, CA?
415-648-9279
|
Re: Disaster trail stories
EDITED 4/13/23 5:11 pm Since we have all made mistakes, I don't think it is disrespectful to identify the mistakes here and to learn from them Lost hiker story - use an Incognito browser to open it if you aren't a SF Chronicle subscriber
?
I'd say this is the key passage of the SF Chron article: "... he fell off the trail and slid perhaps two to three body lengths down a steep grade. He could have attempted to scramble back up the loose rock, but opted for what seemed like an easier tack. He angled along the steep face and walked parallel with the trail, thinking he could intersect it." And therefore the key lesson of this story: Even with a well-travelled trail, it is really, really dangerous to try to angle back to your trail after you'd lost it. For example, the JMT is heavily travelled but if you happened to be dead reckoning back, you might well cross it at a place where yo don't see it (e.g., granite). So you think the trail is still ahead of you when it is now actually behind you. This is an even bigger mistake on a trail that comes in and out of visibility, as was the case here So, for me, the key lesson here is> There is noting wrong about losing a trail via a fall or just a wrong turn. Happens all the time. You do make a mistake if you don't promptly return to your last known point where you were, for sure, on the trail. Even if you have to cut back a substantial distance.? Never, never try to intersect a trail that you strayed from. Admit your mistake, turn around, and retrace your steps. Prior thread on this:? /g/JMT/topic/85831842#75052-- John Curran LaddSan Francisco, CA?415-648-9279
|
One of the best disaster trail stories I know was a trail journal post by SoloGirl (aka Censored, aka Katalina) at Postholer.com for the 2009 PCT season - her entry for Jun 3I don't know for sure if the link works and you probably have to register (free) at Postholer to see it, but tryIf the link is non-functional,go to postholer,com
login or register
try the link again
if that doesn't work
go to trail journals for PCT 2009
look down the list for SoloGirl
go to her 38th post (for Jun 3)
Great story.? She made some mistakes (more than most, but we all have some under our belt) and she describes the consequences really well.I met her about 2 weeks later, just South of Muir Trail Ranch, and we had a nice talk.?If you don't know it, Postholer is a great site originally dedicated to the Pacific crest trail but with a lot of very useful stuff for us. John Ladd 415-648-9279 (landline)
|
Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
The post office and store were open last year. Can’t say about the grill?
Does anyone know if the TMCG closure has implications on the Post Office (ie resupply) or grill??
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
Does anyone know if the TMCG closure has implications on the Post Office (ie resupply) or grill??
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
Oh ok. I know last year, I was able to make reservations via Travel Yosemite (Aramark) web page, about this time last year, even though it was canceled and refunded.
Note: I have backup reservations at Curry Village just in case TM Lodge doesn't open this year.
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
Thanks for the feedback Inga!
It will be great when the backpackers campground opens again. We stayed there a copy times the date before our hike, be nice to have that option again.
Hoping TM Lodge will open, but expectations are not high
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
?I have not heard that my reservation, which I made a couple of months ago, has? been cancelled.? Two weeks ago I was assured over the phone that it is still good.?
However, at the Travel Yosemite (Aramark) web page, a search returned no available dates for the entire season.
SO for making plans I am assuming it will not be open, and I have once again made Aramark an interest-free loan .
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
The TM backpackers camp will be closed this year and probably next year. In fact, the website states it might be closed until 2025. I wouldn't count in the lodge opening but we'll have to wait for official word.?
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
Thanks for the feedback Peter.
Oh, that's good news, will try and see if I can get reservations too.
Yes, we also did part of the loop last year and like you had reservations at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge that were cancelled, also in 2020 and 2021.
We usually plan to stay a night or two before and/or after our hike.? Yes, I've heard that too, but wondered after I found out Tuolumne Meadows is actually considered a HSC, and I saw that on a sign when we were looking for Tuolumne Meadows Lodge in the dark after coming over Donahue pass back in 2016, from Reds Meadow ... we thought we were lost cause the sign at the PCT junction just before the Ranger's station pointed right and said "HSC" ... we were perplexed until some people came down the trail and confirmed ... LoL ... thank God we didn't turn around and head to backpackers campground, cause we had reservations at Tuolumne for the night.
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Re: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
I have a similar hike permitted starting the 9th.? I have a a reservation at TM Lodge for the 13th, and was told a couple of weeks ago that it is still good and intended to be open.
That said, I had the same deal last year, and it was cancelled on May 12', and I would not be surprised to have the same result this year.
Bill, also wondering whether you are hoping for a stay there before, after or during your loop trip?? I was hoping to use it during the trip, and I think it is just as much of a wilderness itinerary as the backpackers camp or any of the other High Sierra Camps, but according to the Wilderness office, that would terminate the trip and? permit.
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Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) - Will it Open for 2023 Season
Greetings,
Just had permit application approved last week for partial high sierra camp loop hike for Sept. 5th.
We've been hiking in high sierra camp loop last couple years, but unfortunately the?Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC) has not been opened.
Last time we stayed there was in 2018 and we loved it, before and after our hike.
Has anyone heard yet if Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (HSC)?will open for the 2023 season or not ?
Also, the Tuolumne backpacker's campground was closed last year for "reconditioning" ... has anyone heard if it will re-open for 2023 season ?
thanks
regards
Bill V.
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Re: Podcast: Hiking the PCT in a high Snow Year
#Conditons
There are also many beautiful trails in the Sierra that stay somewhat lower in elevation.? These might be a good choice in July this year.
Rick M.
I’ve been making my way through the Backpacker Radio podcasts and haven’t gotten to this one yet. Thanks for this. I’ll bump this episode to the top and start listening to it today. ?
This year will be interesting, but we will be attempting a long-distance hike on the PCT with the expectation that we may have to turn around before we get too deep in. We will be starting at Kennedy Meadows South, going NOBO, and will go as far as we can safely go.?
We attempted the JMT in 2017 (NOBO starting at Cottonwood Pass) but turned around after summiting Glen Pass and decided it wasn’t safe for our skill level. I've taken some snow safety courses since then and have been out in the Sierra almost every year since, and am more comfortable with the terrain. We’ll see how it goes. I suspect this will be another year where we spend the rest of our time cruising around California in a rented car.?
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Re: sfgate.com: Why the Pacific Crest Trail will be more dangerous than ever this year
#Conditons
Sometimes if you search the title of the article other venues/sources will carry the same article without a paywall.
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Re: Podcast: Hiking the PCT in a high Snow Year
#Conditons
I’ve been making my way through the Backpacker Radio podcasts and haven’t gotten to this one yet. Thanks for this. I’ll bump this episode to the top and start listening to it today. ?
This year will be interesting, but we will be attempting a long-distance hike on the PCT with the expectation that we may have to turn around before we get too deep in. We will be starting at Kennedy Meadows South, going NOBO, and will go as far as we can safely go.?
We attempted the JMT in 2017 (NOBO starting at Cottonwood Pass) but turned around after summiting Glen Pass and decided it wasn’t safe for our skill level. I've taken some snow safety courses since then and have been out in the Sierra almost every year since, and am more comfortable with the terrain. We’ll see how it goes. I suspect this will be another year where we spend the rest of our time cruising around California in a rented car.?
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Re: Podcast: Hiking the PCT in a high Snow Year
#Conditons
I listened as well a couple a days ago. Sobering account of 2017, starting every day at 2am to make miles before the snow starts to melt. Snow shoes vs crampons vs microspikes and other important factors to consider. I hiked the PCT last year and microspikes were fine for me for a below average year, but clearly not the case this year.?
Matthew?
Just finished listening to that podcast this morning, I recommend as well.? The first guest Daniel Winsor talked about his 2017 PCT hike focusing on the high Sierra, which I found a very interesting account (lots of discussion on his thought process on planning
for and executing the hike.)? Warning, the whole episode with both Daniel and Ned is almost 4 hours.
Greg
Stumbled across this podcast where Ned Tibbits speaks about trail conditions sharing some good recommendations..
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Re: Podcast: Hiking the PCT in a high Snow Year
#Conditons
Just finished listening to that podcast this morning, I recommend as well.? The first guest Daniel Winsor talked about his 2017 PCT hike focusing on the high Sierra, which I found a very interesting account (lots of discussion on his thought process on planning
for and executing the hike.)? Warning, the whole episode with both Daniel and Ned is almost 4 hours.
Greg
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From: JMT@groups.io <JMT@groups.io> on behalf of Rick A. <nobohiker@...>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 2:41 PM
To: JMT@groups.io <JMT@groups.io>
Subject: [JMT-groups.io] Podcast: Hiking the PCT in a high Snow Year #Conditons
?
Stumbled across this podcast where Ned Tibbits speaks about trail conditions sharing some good recommendations..
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Derek Koonce
John Ladd
Andrew Paisley
Inga
Lisa G