Topic
Hiking partner: Kings Canyon-JMT-Whitney Portal Mid Jun ’09
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Campfire › Hiking Partners / Group Trips › Hiking partner: Kings Canyon-JMT-Whitney Portal Mid Jun ’09
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Mar 15, 2009 at 9:14 am #1234823
Looking for a partner for a backpack from Kings Canyon/Roads End through the Southern JMT to Whitney and out at the Portal. Ideally Jun 15-20, '09
Mar 15, 2009 at 10:01 am #1485738I might be interested. Though you might want to reconsider the dates. Their is still quite a bit of snow on the passes and I would imagine Forrester Pass would be a interesting challenge as well as Trail Crest, but not as much
Mar 15, 2009 at 7:19 pm #1485850I might like to go if you can go after June 30th.
Mar 15, 2009 at 8:15 pm #1485869AnonymousInactiveIt's a beautiful trip I wouldn’t mind doing again.
Are you going the roads end, paradise, woods creek, rae lakes, forester route or roads end, vidette meadows, forester?
I agree with Ken snow in june is something to be considered.
Mar 16, 2009 at 8:34 am #1485929Just curious, since you are from NY, how are you planning on getting to Kings Canyon?
I hiked the JMT last summer and that part of the trail is incredible.
Good luck with the snow.
Michael
Mar 16, 2009 at 9:58 am #1485961.
Mar 16, 2009 at 11:13 am #1485978First: my trip dates are constrained by other factors.
Next: travel: JetBlue(free)to Oakland; Amtrak to Fresno;
Fresno to Road's End, TBD; (Local volunteers??)
Family from Whitney back to Orange County.
Route: Road's End-Paradise-(how can one pass up a trip to Paradise)-Rae Lakes-Glen Pass-Vidette-Forrester-Whitney.
Alternates/Contingencies:
Glen Pass iced over: Call family for pick-up at Road's End
(I carry a Satellite Phone.)
Forrester is an ice slide: Find the High Sierra Trail.
Would crampons be an effective alternative to an ice axe?
I'll tune my snow/ice sensors flying over the Sierra.Mar 16, 2009 at 11:34 am #1485987.
Mar 16, 2009 at 1:29 pm #1486014as a guide on denali with 13 summits heres my 2 cents worth. i would rather have an ice axe than the crampons. you wont need the crampons for long or very often and would not be worth the weight. you can cut huge steps with the axe if you need to cross any snow. also if you do any glissading the axe is a neccessary tool. just make sure you know how to do a self arrest. otherwise you should probably wait till later in the day and the snow softens up. then just plunge step or kick steps.
Mar 16, 2009 at 4:56 pm #1486095AnonymousInactiveSikandar-
Once the day is set let me know I should be able to get us a ride from Fresno Amtrak to Roads End (I'll be arriving Fresno Amtrak too) I'll be coming up from Orange County
-Roger
Mar 16, 2009 at 5:50 pm #1486116> Would crampons be an effective alternative to an ice axe?
In a word, NO.
Other posts are good — just one thing to add — crampons can help prevent slipping in the right conditions. However, once you do slip they are no help. You will want to self-arrest with that ice axe while keeping your crampons up in the air before you catch them on something and hurt yourself.
— MV
Mar 16, 2009 at 7:02 pm #1486137Bob is right. Once you self arrest with crampons you are SOL. The thing about self arrest is that you also dig your feet into the snow as hard as you can. With crampons on, it is rather hard to do.
The snow will be an issue. Dunno if you have ever crossed Forester before, but it is a sight to see, and you are left wondering how the heck they built the trail over it. I am not trying to disuade you, it's just that it is dangerous. An option that could help. If Forester is impassable,You could cross over Kearsarge and hitch to town. Less stressful but unfortunately less fun than crossing Trailcrest and summiting Whitney. Good luck on your trip. I cannot attend due to the date.
Mar 17, 2009 at 6:12 pm #1486504Roger,
Thanks for your response.
Would you like to make further communication via PM?
I entered the email adr. in my profile.Mar 17, 2009 at 10:36 pm #1486599AnonymousInactivesure
May 5, 2009 at 11:29 am #1499207I am planning on traversing Bishop Pass the first week of June. Would anybody do this without an ice axe or crampons?
Thanks.
May 9, 2009 at 7:57 am #1500155I have changed the planned dates; starting Jul.13; finish Jul. 18. 'Postholer' averages show no snow in Southern JMT in July. Glenn/Forrester passes?
Reservations already made: Jet Blue to Long Beach.
Best ride so far from Fresno to Roads End is Yellow Cab.May 19, 2009 at 11:04 am #150218168% of normal – the first PCT hikers will probably be over Forester in the first week of June, followed by the rest of the bunch. The Snow is melting fast again, just like last spring. Tioga Pass will open for the coming weekend.
see for yourself – there's actually more snow in Yosemite than in Kings Canyon:
I have never had a problem with the high passes in mid june when snow was below 100%.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.