[pct-l] Re: jmt in june

[dencisco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Encisco)]

Nic,

There are some of us who think June is the best month of the year to
go backpacking. Typically I start my season in April, quit backpacking
in mid-July; start again the last week in September and continue until
we get hit with the early December storms.

My only advice is, assuming you've had experience with snow travel,
begin the JMT in Yosemite and head south. If things get rough for you
it's a lot easier to bail out at Devils Postpile and hitchhike back to
the Valley via 395. You'll know your limits and what you're in for
once you make it over Donohue Pass. If everything looks good you can
always ditch your crampons at Mammoth and continue on (Keep in mind
that once you hit Mather Pass every pass afterwords gets a little more
challenging. I don't know what the pct-l consensus is on what's the
most difficult pass along the JMT/PCT, you'd think Forester coming
from the south, but I've had a Hell of time going up Glen Pass coming
from the north in early season and it's happened to me twice! I think
Glen has it in for me). Unfortunately this doesn't look like one of
those years where it would be wise to leave your crampons behind,
although I always have a tendency in the Spring to carry an ice ax and
crampons just to be on the safe side. It also allows me to be more
flexible if I decide to bag a peak.

Good luck!
Dave

> From: nfleming <nfleming@uclink.berkeley.edu>
> I was planning on leaving to hike the john muir trail around the 9th of June
> and I was wondering about how much snow is usually on the trail at this time.
> I assume the peaks have a bunch but is there a lot on the trail at lower
> elevations? Does anyone have any guesses on how this year's snow melt will
> differ from other years and how passable the trail will be? Also would it make
> much of a difference whether I hiked N-->S or S-->N in encountering snow?
> Thanks a lot!
>
> Nic