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[pct-l] Baden Powell/Wrightwood conditions



Hi Will Baden Powell be doable by the end of August? Will there still be
some snow?   Ground Pounder
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Monty Tam" <metam01@earthlink.net>
To: "David Toms" <ukstoveman@hotmail.com>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Cc: <jackcain70@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 6:15 PM
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Baden Powell/Wrightwood conditions


> Right Dave
> Just west of Islip Saddle is no good.
> I roadwalked southbound through the two tunnels next to it.  Other than
> that the trail worked well for me.
> On the South Fork.  Beautiful, I mean really nice 5 mile canyon, white
> water below, no snow, saves miles, water on the trail, I loved it.
>
> Tough part was connecting the Manzanita and South Fork junction. Vague.
> After 5+ miles(NOBOs) on the Mazanita/High Dessert Trail, turn left/north
> at the grey rocky campground before the river.  Very first left on the
> campground road.  Follow it up the river direction past where you walk in
> the river 50-100 feet (shallow) where there's a little trail washout. 5++
> miles uphill.
>
> Monty
>
> (Michele, thanks for the granola bar.)
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: David Toms <ukstoveman@hotmail.com>
> > To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> > Cc: <jackcain70@hotmail.com>
> > Date: 5/15/2005 3:29:05 PM
> > Subject: [pct-l] Baden Powell/Wrightwood conditions
> >
> > Just a short conditions update from Michele and me (Dave) regarding
> > conditions on the PCT from Wrightwood.
> >
> > 1) Most importantly: if hikers are uncomfortable with snow travel, the
> > alternate route presented at the kickoff (Manzanita/south fork trails to
> > Islip saddle) may be inappropriate. This route brings you onto the PCT
at
> > Islip saddle, leaving you to pass over the 7900 foot high ridge of Mt
> > Williamson. The descent from this ridge has a northerly aspect and
> > considerable snow in places. It took longer to descend this route than
to
> > ASCEND Baden Powell. Other hikers used Manzanita/Burkhart (brings you
out
> in
> > cooper canyon and reportedly a nice hike) or planned to roadwalk around
> > Williamson. Whether the road tunnel is safe for hikers I don't know.
> >
> > 2) 'Official' PCT from Vincent Gap towards Baden Powell hits snow
> rapidly.
> > By 6900ft you are in continual snow. The trail was not visible at all.
> > There is what appears to be an old avalanche slope (40ft wide, no trees,
> > 35-45degree slope) that leads pretty much all the way to the summit of
> Baden
> > Powel; this is what we took. There were 2 other sets of footprints both
> > ascending and descending.
> >
> > 3) This slope is relatively exposed; we were using 6 point crampons (not
> > insteps) which cover the whole front of the foot. We also used ice axes,
> and
> > at times were close to the limit where we felt comfortable unroped (ie
if
> > we'd had a rope we wouldn't have used it, but if the slope had steepened
> > 5-10deg we would have).
> >
> > 4) At 7700ft the gradient drops to a comfortable 25 degrees or so, the
> views
> > opened out and it was a nice fast ascent - 3hrs from Vincent gap to
> summit.
> > At summit the monument is not visible.
> >
> > 5) We followed the ridge from Baden Powell over Burnham, Throop and
> Hawkins
> > - this isn't the true PCT; we were just above it. Beware of the
cornices;
> > some break lines were at least 12 feet back from the edge. Following the
> > true PCT 100ft below the ridge would be much less scenic and misses all
> the
> > summits. 6hrs from Baden Powell summit to Little Jimmy. At Windy gap the
> > trail sporadically reappeared.
> >
> > 6) We spent the night at little Jimmy. There were fresh adult & cub bear
> > tracks in the morning near the camp. We've already heard of other hikers
> (at
> > South Forks camp on the alternate route) having bears in camp. We've
been
> > hanging our food since Wrightwood.
> >
> > 7) At little Jimmy there is so much snow that the outhouses are
> completely
> > buried. You can walk over the roof and not realise, until you see 2
> inches
> > of the roof poking through the snow. I guess that means 8-10 feet of
> > consolidated snow at 7500 feet.
> >
> > 8) After little jimmy we followed the PCT until 0.2 miles from Islip
> saddle
> > where it disappeared under a huge avalanche. I suspect that when the
snow
> > melts there may not be a PCT underneath any more. We couldn't find the
> exit
> > from this avalanche and descended it to Hwy 2 and roadwalked the last 4
> > minutes :-)
> >
> > Hope this is of use to people; I've cc'd it to Jack Cain at the
> Wrightwood
> > hardware store who requested a conditions report so he could put it in
> the
> > register.
> >
> > Hike safely. Baden Powell will be there next year.
> >
> > Dave & Michele
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Winks & nudges are here - download MSN Messenger 7.0 today!
> > http://messenger.msn.co.uk
> >
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