[pct-l] Southbound Hike

[David Bergquist <dbergquist@yahoo.com>]

I live in Seattle and am planning a Southbound thru-hike because
leaving later in the spring is better suited for my work schedule.  I
will miss spending time with the the many Northbound hikers, but there
is something to be said about going against the flow. 

I am concerned about the snow this coming spring.  The hype in Seattle
is that this year will be worse than 1997.  I did alot of hiking on
PCT in Washington during June and July '97.  Following these
preliminary hikes I spent about a month and solo hiked Washington. 
That year was a pretty heavy snowfall for the Cascades.  It was a
"route find" most of the time above 4000' until the last week of July.
 As possible proof of this hype I will offer the following piece of
evidence.  

On Friday, November 28th I went skiing at Stevens Pass.  Snow levels
at the base of Stevens Pass were already at 50+ inches .  Old-timers
were commenting how they have never seen this much snow this early in
the season.  One guy said he thought it broke a 30 year record. 

Considering all this about heavy snow, I still plan to go south.  Even
if I have to leave mid-July (worse case senario), I am certain I can
make it through the Sierras before getting forced off trail by snow
storms.  I say this because I hike lite, which allows me to go fast
when necessary.

The weather in the spring and early summer will be a decisive factor
regarding the trail conditions.  In spring of '97 there was lots of
rain and cooler temperatures.  That is a major factor why the snow
lingered so long.  When it finally warmed the last two weeks in July I
witnessed 4-5 feet of standing snow melt in less than two days.  This
deciding factor cannot be known until when May and June arrive.  Thus,
I will make my plans knowing that even in a worse case senario it is
still a "GO". 

I would like to keep in touch with any of you other potential
southbounders.  Please reply directly to me and I will send the list
of compiled names and email addresses to PCT-L in a week or so.  This
will allow us to keep in touch and discuss possible strategies and
plans for heading south.  Since I live in Seattle and ski at all the
ski resorts along the PCT, I can get first hand information about the
conditions.  

David Bergquist
Seattle, WA
davidb@speakeasy.org
dbergquist@yahoo.com



---Slyinmd@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 11/26/98 12:57:43 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
> Jeffzclimb@aol.com writes:
> 
> >  
> >  Looks like theres quite a few people planning a pacific
> >  crest trail thru-hike in '99, and from what I read on the
> >  list, seems like everybody has planned to start at the
> >  Mexican border.
> <snip>
> >  I was wondering if anybody has given thought to start
> >  at manning park, if snowfall was higher then normal in
> >  the sierras and lower in the cascades. 
> 
> >  keep my options open on were to start depending on snow
> >  conditions. 
> 
> That's an excellent idea!  Through-hiking any trail takes a
particular kind of
> daring and fortitude within reasonable realms of safety.  
> 
> One thing that has worried me, from the get go, is an above average
snowfall
> in the sierras.  I've heard of others that didn't make it through,
turned back
> and either quit outright or flipped.
> 
> My opitions are open,  Sly
> * From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List | 
http://www.backcountry.net   *
> 

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