Hiking partner: Kings Canyon-JMT-Whitney Portal Mid Jun ’09

I 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

I might like to go if you can go after June 30th.

It'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.

Just 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

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First: 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.

.

as 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.

Sikandar-

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

> 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

Bob 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.

Roger,
Thanks for your response.
Would you like to make further communication via PM?
I entered the email adr. in my profile.

sure

I am planning on traversing Bishop Pass the first week of June. Would anybody do this without an ice axe or crampons?

Thanks.

I 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.

68% 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:

http://tenaya.ucsd.edu/tioga/

I have never had a problem with the high passes in mid june when snow was below 100%.