[pct-l] re:crampons in August

[mardav at charter.net (Marion Davison)]

cmkudija@earthlink.net wrote:

>Well...if it were me....I'd still carry instep crampons *this* August, just
>in case.  Perhaps it's just me, but I like the stability and the ability to
>crunch over frozen snow.  It may also have to do with the fact that I don't
>have depth perception and that having the extra traction makes it easier to
>"see" the better foot placements.  I'm probably also concentrating on
>thinking about cross-country passes rather than those on the JMT/PCT.
>
>Llamalady wrote: <<The pack string riders have their own routes over the
>passes that dodge the snow and the dangerous spots. >>
>
>Marion, dumb question - where do the packers go over Forester when the chute
>is full of ice?
>
>Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
>PCT partially '94
>
>
>
>  
>
They don't go over Forester when the chute is full of ice.  You will 
notice a scarcity of horsecrap on the trail over Forester.  Not many 
packers make the trip at any time of year.  It's an especially dangerous 
pass for stock even without snow.  Muir is another pass that is quite 
hazardous to stock--I refer to it as Stockkiller pass.  I have seen a 
dead mule on one side and an abandoned horse on the other side, on the 
same trip.    Cottonwood Pass, Goodale Pass, and Silver Pass are three 
that I can think of, right off the bat, that we have used the stock 
trail instead of the standard trail to get over it. 
llamalady