[pct-l] L 9 O

[dwilsonsprint4@earthlink.net (Don Wilson)]

Here's a link from a couple who thru hiked from the south in 1998.
(http://www.skydivenet.com/pcthike/)  A big snow year requires more
preparation and patience in going thru the Sierras - and maybe a later
start date. It's still early and a long winter is ahead. This latest
storm only brought the snow level up to average for mid-December in the
southern Sierras. 1998 was about 180% of normal by April 1.

I'm with Randy - I'll try to keep my hike continuous from south to
north.

Don




On Tuesday, December 17, 2002, at 01:19 AM, Randy Forsland wrote:

> Hilsensvenn,
> mange takk
>
> I plan on heading out this spring from Campo and had considered
> flip-flopping due to fears of the predicted El Nino snowfalls...but,
> since
> time is not as great a factor to me...and hearing from you about your
> experience..I think that I will try the complete  Mexico- to- Canada
> thru-hike...
>
> Glad that you spoke up...
>
> thanks again for your story..
>
> Randy of the Redwoods
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Svein Eriksen" <svein_eriksen@yahoo.com>
> To: "Jim Keener" <jkeener@backpacker.com>; <pct-l@backcountry.net>
> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 11:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] L 9 O
>
>
>> 1998 was called a El Nino year. I thruhiked that year
>> and was forced to jump around (called a flip-flop),
>> which means hiking first from the Mexican border to
>> Kennedy Meadows. Then go north and hike southbound
>> back to Kennedy Meadows.
>> A lot of people (probably most) either quit or tried a
>> flip-flop in 98, but a lot quit in Wa as the snow
>> levels there were fairly high.
>> Quite a few people made it thru the Sierras and hiked
>> the complete PCT nortbound though. Doing a flip-flop
>> isn't (for me) how a thruhiked should be done, but I
>> had a time constraint that meant I had the choice of
>> either doing the whole trail by flip-flopping or doing
>> most of the trail northbound. I chose the whole trail.
>> As I live in Norway it's also not that easy to go back
>> and finish it another year.
>> So it's certainly possible to thruhike in a El Nino
>> year/high snow level year, but probably (since I
>> haven't tried both) more enjoyable when you don't have
>> to deal with that much snow. If 2003 is your chance
>> then go for it.
>> High snow levels also have some advantages making
>> southern California easier. There were almost no water
>> problems. It actually rained when I entered the first
>> major "water alert" area in the Databook (25 miles
>> without water), and almost all streams were running.
>> A high snow level year in California doesn't
>> necessarily mean high snow levels in Wa/Or, so it
>> could still be a good southbound year.
>>
>> Svein
>>
>>
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