Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

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rlown
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by rlown »

get the knee fixed and start thinking after school is out. Might be a better strategy. If you're set on something at spring break, car camp somewhere and do day hikes. That would afford your group hike/fish time. It could even be in Trinity or near the Yuba. Both ok, but we don't know the weather yet. If the high pressure moves out, we could get hammered, which would be very nice given our lil' drought.

As you said your team might fish, that sucks time. factor that in.
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by maverick »

Hi Ross,

March is to early for his knee and for Yosemite (unless this drought continues, which
is not likely, we should get some storms coming thru in the next few months).
Do some local hikes, then try some more difficult ones like Mission Peak. If all goes
well try a 2 nighter at Henry Coe, Olhone Trail, Point Ryes, or Skyline to the Sea, and
then by early summer go check out Yosemite.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by SSSdave »

Stay away from the High Sierra until late May. Otherwise much hiking can be done about coastal parks.

http://www.bahiker.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also SF Bay Area is a hotbed of meetups hiking groups. plug in your local area into the location field and "hiking" into the search box.

http://www.meetup.com/find/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by balzaccom »

Remember that hiking on snow is really hard on knees. You slip, you slide, your knee reacts very quickly to all of this. Not a good situation for someone who is a bit concerned about knee stability.

That said, you can probably hike from Hetch-hetchy to Rancheria Falls--that's a reasonable 6.5 mile hike without a huge amount of climbing, and not much snow. And the next day, you could leave your base camp at the falls and hike to LeConte Point, with great views of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The streams are closed to fishing-but you could fish the reservoir at Hetch-hetchy...

And back out on day three. Or Continue on to Till=till Valley for more miles

There is trip report from about this time of year on our website in the destinations section...
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by Tom_H »

First: you need to read this thread:

http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... =1&t=10388" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Secondly, you haven't listed your and his real knowledge and experience level. Unless you are both highly experienced at winter survival and snow camping, if you go there and it snows, in all likelihood, you both will die. I am not trying to be unkind, but that's just the simple truth. I played high school football too. At the beginning of the season, we did 3 a day practices on the edge of the Okeefenokee Swamp in 104F temperature with 99% humidity. In college, I became an instructor in backpacking, mountaineering, snow camping, whitewater. I can assure you of this, hiking through deep snow at that location/altitude/time of year is suicide. It is far more demanding than football. You need to be accomplished backcountry nordic ski-packers/snoeshowshoers/moutaineers to do what you are proposing. Are you skilled at these things? Do you know how to build igloos, snow caves, and quinzee huts? Are you skilled with crampons, ice axe, and snow belay lines? Do you have advanced first aid for winter survival, including frostbite and hypothermia?

Thirdly, (again, this is not meant to be unkind, but you are asking about something that can easily kill you) what you ask about this knee tells me that you are not experienced with backcountry snow. Do you understand what postholing is? You have to stomp down with a little bit of pressure to make the vibram lugs bite into the snow. If there is solid ground beneath the snowpack, it usually supports your weight. If, however, there is a manzanita or small sapling tree beneath the snow, or a boulder beneath and to the side of where you place your foot, a cavity will exist beneath the surface. Heat from within the earth comes up from below and heat from the sun can also penetrate from above. When you step down on the snow above one of these pockets or soft places, you can crash through the snow. You may go 6 inches, or you may go 10 feet. I have plunged 8 feet down with a 70 pound pack before and I can assure you that it is severely jarring to the hips, knees, and ankles. You don't slowly sink, you drop like like someone on the gallows when the trap door opens. This could easily destroy your son's knee. The pants can get drenched in these conditions and the joint will be exposed to that severe temperature as well.

I am sorry to be so blunt with you, but you are talking about killing yourself and your son through an attempt to do something with which you simply do not have the required experience and equipment. If you knew what you were doing, you wouldn't need to ask what you are asking us. If you want to do something like this, you need to sign up for a winter NOLS trip. You would then be with knowledgable instructors who know how to teach you these skills, provide the necessary equipment, and place you with a group large enough to work together in survival situations. Even then, NOLS would not allow your son to go with the knee in its current condition. The different torquing and cambering that will occur on the snow will injure it and postholing could mame him forever. To put it to you squarely, this is something you really should not do!

Post Script: Think about the Coast Range. Most of it is snow free for most of the winter. Even Galen Rowel and his Bay-Area compatriots (all world class mountaineers) used to sneak over when they had just a day or two in the winter. Even though some consider them baby mountains, they still are an excellent alternative in the winter for those who are not seeking the difficulties of backcountry snow mountaineering in the Sierra.
Last edited by Tom_H on Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I thought Hetch Hetchy burned in last years fire. I so I do not think a trip to Rancheria Falls would be very scenic. I know nothing about knee surgery and healing times. I will assume you get the OK from the doctor. March is too early for the Sierra, even in this dry year. I would think that off-trail travel or snow (with post hole potential) would be hard on knees - sudden jerks. Walking on a well maintained trail or roads would be better.

IF we get some rains, you can do a 4-5 day trip at Henry Coe State Park. Without rain you will have trouble finding water. Although there are lots of ups and downs at Henry Coe, you can plan a trip to stay on roads and keep miles short.

The northern part of the Lost Coast is 25 miles on beach sand. If you walk the tidal zone at low tide, it is really easy walking. It makes a nice 3-day trip. You need 2 cars or have to pay for shuttle service.

BUT, if it were me, I would not take a chance on re-injuring a knee on a non-Sierra trip when you really want to go to the Sierra and simply by waiting until school's out, you can do the trip you want plus the knee will be in better shape.
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Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by Ross939 »

Thanks for the responses, guys. Tom, based on your post, I'm certain I have nowhere near the expertise and experience in the high Sierra as yourself, but thanks for your advice nonetheless. Thanks for sharing the link, very relevant info. Certainly had no plans to hike in the snow, and plans for High Sierras would have assumed continued drought conditions left decent conditions for hiking at the dates mentioned. As stated in my OP, any hike would be contingent upon his Dr.'s approval. So far, we are doing five-seven mile hikes now, no backpack and hiking sticks in the hills of Sonoma County.
Thanks Mav, Balzaccom, Daisy, for your info. I'll definitely play it by ear with his knee, and weather conditions, one possibility would be to load both our gear in a single pack for a 2-3 day costal trek, which I will carry, so he will not have the load on his knees. We will also look into Henry Coe, as I've had this recommended by others as well. As I said, this is all assuming his continued progress with his current condition.
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by Tom_H »

Ross, I wish you the absolute best wherever you go. I hope you have a terrific time with your son. I can't think of a better way for a father and son to spend time together. Again, I apologize for being so brutally honest, but during this past year there were discussions here on HST regarding 8 or so people who died in the Sierra due to not being prepared in some way. I would much rather accost you with words like this than to read in May that your bodies had been found in the high country. Again, have a great time with your son.
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by Mike M. »

Wandering Daisy wrote:
I thought Hetch Hetchy burned in last years fire.
I believe Hetch Hetchy escaped the big fire, just barely. That area is always a good early season choice and would offer a nice loop trip, free of significant snowpack this year, for this group -- provided the son's knee is up to it. I would think the doctor would have some say in this.

Mike
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Re: Sugestions for a Spring Break Highschool football Sierra Hik

Post by rlown »

as has been said many times.. rest the knee and test it. Plan your trip after that is done.
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