High Sierra Topix

Here's what I ended up with - got a fantastic deal on it and even though it's not what I will take on a solo trip (still hoping to find a used MSR Twin Sisters for that), this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.

Zero condensation with two people in it, just a slight moist feel on the floor where it was touching the snow that night)

this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.

Glad it worked out! Wanna post a trip report? Please

Off topic more I guess. Sounds like it would be great to do, just the resupply issues, hopefully next year won't be like this year for you snow wise. I know some in our small NorthCA Hiking bunch have had condensation issues with the tepee style shelters, you may be ok for when you are going. I've had XC skiers slowly leave me beind when I have had snowshoes on, climbing hills. Those climbing skins sure do work, I had some trouble with traction on a packed trail. I want to go out some early Spring on skis or snowshoes for a week long trip to see more country beyond what I can see in two days. Our own Wandering Daisy has been out for a bit a couple years ago on skis over Piute Pass and into Bear Basin area if I remember correctly, amazing lady.

Duane

copeg wrote:

this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.

Glad it worked out! Wanna post a trip report? Please

it's over on the Whitney Portal store site, at least the Whitney MR part. Jim did the report, I added photos on this page

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum ... =2&fpart=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

also went to Telescope Peak and had to abandon skiing plans into Tuolumne Meadows due to the ridiculous March snows and avalanche risks staying high during the entire week I was in Owens Valley

hikerduane wrote: I've had XC skiers slowly leave me beind when I have had snowshoes on, climbing hills. Those climbing skins sure do work,

snow shoes are mostly useless ballast. Half of the climb to Telescope peak was too soft, then it was too hard (needed crampons for safety, the snow shoes failed to provide grip on some slopes, even with the gnarly metal base on the Tubbs Alps I used). On the soft stuff, it was probably a little better than now shoes, but only on our uphill runs. Going down, I took them off on the steeper slush runs, like the entire bypass of the Ebersbacher Ledges, where I either would slide without steering, or if I leaned more forward, the fronts of the shoes would dig in and I'd have to lift up several pounds of wet snow each step. It was ugly.

I just didn't use the ski on the MR, because that same stretch that was a real pain in snow shoes is a hill I would not want to ski anyway. Definitely not with a 50 pound pack. Looking back at it, though, I bet I could have skinned it down just as going up, very slowly, and without the moments when even the snow shoes didn't prevent postholing. All that while you hear the water running below the snow...

It's always a compromise what you use when you radically change elevation. I think once you are up in the backcountry over the crest that time of year, the snow will be much more predictable, as you aren't going up and down by 6000 feet every day.

Don't know if I'll do the JMT next year. I think I'll need another late winter/early spring test trip.