2015 Bob Marshall Wilderness Open

Mike, it appears that you have not set up your PM account?

Greg- should be working, got a couple of pms the other day- just sent you one (included my email addy as well)

thanks

Mike

Looking forward to seeing everyone, should be a good crew this year.

I managed to get in some miles in Denali National Park over the weekend, before I put in a few days of work during a business trip to Fairbanks.

^ looks like fun!

last weekend I tried out a pair of MSR Shifts as I heard that model bantered around here a bit. I have a light pair of running snowshoes, but the grip on the shoes themselves is lacking, the Shifts are much better in this regard MSR lists the sizing up to Men’s size 7 and a max weight of 120, so that was an obvious concern (my grandson can use these regardless so it was worth a gamble :) ), that concern was unwarranted as I was able to get my size 10.5 Hardrocks in the binding w/o any trouble, there are still adj holes in the rear binding which indicates to me it will handle even larger sizes

I really like the binding setup, very similar to my Lightnings, just lacking one strap (I’ve always thought the three forefoot straps a little overkill on the Lightnings)

while these would be frustrating in powder, in firmer snow they actually work pretty well (I weigh 180)- I took them off at camp and quickly found myself postholing, so back on they went

they look very similar to the EVO model, enough so that it’s possible w/ a little fabbing, one could even use Evo tails

anywho, pretty happy w/ the little Shifts

Speaking of snowshoes what would you experts think of these if the snow is crusted, shown next to a size 9.5 shoe for reference.

If those are too wimpy I have a pair of Red Feather snowshoes that are bigger but they weigh about 4 pounds.

Luke- my .02, I ditched the idea of my light running snowshoes as they had no traction beyond the foot crampon- I think some traction could be very handy w/ firm snow-down and up; I'm not a good skier :)

there may be a good way to add some additional traction (I started a thread on the subject), but I ended up going the way of the Swifts as they had adequate traction out of the box

Mike

Thanks Mike, I may just buy a pair of swifts then, its nice that they don't cost an arm and a leg.

Hey Luke,
I'm no expert, but from the reading of trip reports from past years of the BMWO, it seems that a reasonable expectation for the spring is that the snow will likely be somewhat hard/crusty and therefore better able to support weight on a smaller snowshoe (like the swift). Dan D. said in 2013, he just carried them the whole way; although, he also referenced "postholing hip deep a couple of times," at which point, I think I would have used the snowshoes myself.

It's been a pretty warm spring so far in the Flathead, low- and mid-level snow has melted (but still lots in the high country), so, if things don't change drastically, I think the swift snowshoes will work. Of course, it really depends on what happens the last two weeks or so before the trip, so stay tuned. They wouldn't be too good in deep powder of course.

I'm actually heading into the Bob this weekend for a (very early for me) trip on the East side. According to the NOAA snow information website, the North Fork Sun R. valley is already snow free! I intend to find out.

Anyway, thanks to Dan D. and Mike's helpful feedback, I received my swifts in the mail last week and they look great out of the box. Got 'em from Campsaver — excluded from the 'spring20' coupon, but I ordered some little thing and got a "we want you back" 15% coupon on the next purchase that I applied to the shoes.
Hope that helps,
Dan

Thanks for the report mike, I think I'm going to get the swifts. They seem like a good compromise. I also have the evos.

Anybody have an idea yet of what the snow levels will be like?

Dan- good deal! look forward to hear about the conditions you experience :)

Justin- my buddy has a cabin near Holland Lake and they went last weekend, this is the first time in his memory they were able to get into the cabin this early; as mentioned above, high elevation snow is near normal still-lots can change in two months however (either way)

I'm hoping to get into the Pendant area over Easter weekend (staying at buddy's cabin), I'll definitely report what I find if I make it

Mike

I'd opt for the smallest snowshoes you can. Traction is at least equal to floatation in importance. The real question in my mind isn't how much snowshoe, but choosing between snowshoe, microspike, or nothing.

I went on a little 10 mile hike today in a place called Angel Rocks, outside of Fairbanks. I decided to go off-trail and bad things happened as I was postholing with every step. As I broke the crust of snow, the sharp edge would scrap my lower leg (wearing tights). Every now and then I would fall and get sucked into the "quick snow." As I tried to get up my body would sink deeper into the snow. Eventually, I got back onto the main trail and returned to my car at the trailhead. I think it's time to consider snowshoes. Maybe not, because now I'm a professional postholder.

Snowshoes vs other snow travel options is one of the toughest decisions for the BMWO. There are fairly common and semi-preditable spring conditions where trail runners alone are sufficient, but the consequences of being wrong (extreme inefficiency) are substantial. It would only take a few hundred yards of postholing to negate the energy savings of not carrying snow travel equipment. Even if you end up not using it, carrying something for snow travel is prudent unless you've really delved into the snowpack and weather conditions and came away highly impressed.

John's point about traction vs. floatation is a good one. I did a recent ski traverse with semi-nordic equipment where I had plenty of float but lacked traction because I couldn't carve with long skis and free heels in tight undulating trees. I put skins on for more traction (less glide) but still did a lot of crashing down small hills.

During the 2013 BMWO the snowpack was low and generally pretty solid, but there was one spot on the SW side of White Pass where the sun had softened it and I postholed thigh deep. I didn't bother putting my shoeshoes on because I could see bare ground returned in 50 yards or so. With a little more snowpack, those conditions could easily have persisted much longer and the snowshoes would have paid off huge.

Went in Gibson this weekend and as far as the pack bridge on the S Fork of the Sun before rafting back out. Ran into Dan, nice to meet you sir. Not a hint of snow anywhere in the valley bottom and only a little ice in spots. Snow line was waay up on both sides of the drainage. Still plenty of snow up high and in sheltered spots, but melt is definitely far ahead of schedule which will if nothing else influence river levels significantly come late May.

The only other time I'd ran that particular section of the Sun was during the '13 Open, and it's quality sort of faded into the background of what was a 100% amazing trip. It's a fantastic stretch; fast, clean, great scenery, all quite moderate except for that gnarly 100 meter gorge down near the confluence.

I am, generally, excited.

hmmm- might have to pour over the maps again and give the east side a closer gander :)

Hi folks,
So, I thought I would go do a little early reconnaissance of conditions in the Bob and take a few pics for you . . . so, on the way I took this shot of the watering hole/gathering place for Friday night:

and then my camera battery died. I swear I checked it the night before and the camera said the battery was full! Grrr. Have to fall back on words instead of images.

My plan was to make a loop of going in on the East side at Gibson Res., up the west side of N. Fk. Sun R. to Gates Park, cross over the pack bridge and return south on East side. First day was great, just patches of ice here and there, mostly in the trail itself. Never occurred to me before that the hollow formed by countless pack animals is like a mini root cellar, making the trail the last place to thaw. Down to 30 degrees that night, but all was well and I hadn't spoken to a soul all day.

Second day, the trail bends away from the river for a couple of miles in order to avoid the canyon crossing at the mouth of Moose creek. I figured I might run into snow in a few spots, but since the elevation gain is only a few hundred feet, didn't expect more than patches in the shaded spots. Well, I was right about the snow, but wrong about the amount. Once I passed through the burn (read: "blow down"), the trail enters a heavily wooded section and that's where the snow was hiding. After an hour and a half of knee-deep post-holing, I made it to Moose creek, cursing myself the whole time for deciding to leave at home those shiny new snowshoes I just bragged about buying.

Moose creek looked about just over the knee-deep; certainly a manageable ford; however, I realized that conditions were not likely to improve, which meant I was facing another 5-6 miles of post-holing, so I decided to accept the reality of the circumstances and turn around. Conditions back in the valley were still magnificent and I worked at reminding myself: the point is to be in the woods, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, as long as I'm in the woods. (paraphrasing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).

Hiked all the way back to Gibson that day and camped at one of the wide spots. Still hadn't spoken to anybody, so that was still good. Not actually anti-social, I just like to keep track of 'days without talking to anyone' as a measure of the wilderness experience.

Third morning, just about to roll out of the sack when a huge wind and rain storm came up out of nowhere. Gibson is a bit of a wind tunnel that way, so not completely unexpected. I waited it out, ate breakfast cold and observed how my new tent (Solong 6) handled the wind (not bad). By the time I was done, it had died down enough to pack up and get on the trail.

About three miles left to the trailhead, I see my first hiker approaching and think to myself, "Oh, so close to the end without talking to anyone, what bad luck!" But, as it turned out, it was incredibly good luck, because that ONE GUY I run into in the entire BOB happens to be none other than BPL's Dave C! Dave very generously stood and chatted with me about gear and trails (suddenly I can't be shut up) for a half an hour in the wind and spitting rain. Pleasure meeting you too sir.

I guess the lesson in this is that it's always better to be prepared for the mountains and all they can throw at us, rather than expecting 'good conditions.' After all, it's all good, right?

Dan

Dan-thanks for the update! your camera situation sounds like something that has happened to me a few times :)

our running trails are the same way, they are semi-scooped out, so what melts during during the day freezes at night and melts and re-freezes for weeks on end- the hill sides are bare and I'm still running w/ microspikes!

Mike

What are you guys using for shelter? Based on the pictures I've seen, the area looks pretty well forested. Planning on bringing a flat tarp. I prefer my flat tarp for forests and my duomid for exposed areas.

my plan is to bring my eVENT bivy and small (5×5') tarp

Likely a Golite poncho tarp and a Titanium Goat bivy.

I'll be bringing a mid (Locus Gear Khufu) + groundsheet. There is lots of forested terrain down low, but I like having the option of setting up camp pretty much anywhere in case in want to attempt a pass with questionable daylight left.

Back in 2012 I had a flat tarp and it worked fine, but switched to a mid for 2013 because its simpler to pitch and more versatile.

I'll be packing a ZPacks Duplex tarp-tent. Last month, a Freind and I met at the top of Tanner Butte (4,500' peak in the Cascades) when a wind storm came through from the east. I pitched on the summit (everyone thought I was crazy), and the Duplex took 55 mph gusts like a Rab double wall. My hiking partners weren't so lucky; their freestanding tents collapsed down to their faces in heavy gusts throughout the night. Even more
Impressive, I also used the Duplex for a basecamp at "Lunch counter" (9,400'') before submitting Mt. Adams, and it stood proud all night! The more I read the forums though, considering the weight savings, a tarp and bivy does seem appealing but I just can't commit yet…soon.

Can't recall ever doing one of these with anything more than bivy's and tarps, usually two bivy sacks one inside of the other and a ground tarp that doubles as a shelter. I do like a lot of the mini shelters I've seen discussed here, however.

You bringing a sleeping bag this year Greg? ;)