High Sierra Topix

With all that snow up there, the crossings may get even harder!

I have light weight flexible strap-on crampons. They are old- bought them in the late 1990's. I have even used them with regular tennis shoes. Hurts your feet like hell, but if you strap them on tight enough, it works for short distances. Used them with my Merrell low-hikers last summer crossing a glacier. Less pain. I now put a small square of foam under parts of the strap. Never used micro-spikes, so cannot compare. I also have serious Chouinard front point crampons and mountaineering boots- have not used that set up in over 10 years. Great gear but really heavy.

Hobbs, have you ever had to self-arrest with your Whippit?

Thanks for the report. I really like Taboose Pass, but will wait until the water goes down.

This is the only photo I have in the direction of Ruskin:
Vennacher Needle:
Twin Peak on the east side of Mather Pass:

Thanks

Kristine

Wandering Daisy wrote:Hobbes, have you ever had to self-arrest with your Whippit?

I'm not sure the whippet could provide much help in a real self-arrest situation. I would take an axe if I thought there might be a need. But Taboose, Pinchot & Sawmill should be ok with the whippet. That is, it's really good for a minor slip/fall without much/any exposure.

I have used my axe to self-arrest on Whitney where I slipped and was going down head first. As I started gaining speed, my axe held enough to rotate & turn me around, which then allowed me to apply more leverage. I really had to get up on top of the axe since the surface was so icy. I can still remember the tip just dragging/bouncing along the top before it finally gained purchase and I came to a halt. I must have traveled 100-150 feet.

I got back to my tent, packed up, walked out and drove home.

These photos were taken June 27, 2017, correct?

Yes, the ones I posted were taken June 27-28, 2017.

Thank you! Headed that way in two weeks. Pretty concerned about the stream crossing. Less so about the snow.

The bypass I did of the creek in order to stay on the north side of it and avoid both crossings was not horrific, just slow. Similar to cross country Sierra terrain up high. Old rockslide debris in places. Also appeared that the trail might have stayed on that side at one time before sections of it were wiped out - often found old bits of trail.

I did encounter a large rattlesnake at 8300 ft on the bypass that was courteous enough to warn me as I was about to step on it, curled up between the talus.

Bigmo61 wrote:Thank you! Headed that way in two weeks. Pretty concerned about the stream crossing. Less so about the snow.

The current trail conditions on the NPS Site says:

Water crossing on East approach before pass is exceedingly dangerous. From East to West beginning at 9,500 there are snowfields with patchy snow. Micro spikes/ crampons recommended.

Although, unlike all of the other updates on that site the Taboose Pass entry does not have a date for the entry and some of the others entries are from mid-June.

Thanks for the pic maverick.