High Sierra Topix

I'm planning on taking just a whippet and thowing some spikes in my pack. Might be useful over pinchot. Looks like our resident baggers might need crampons+axe?

I'm bringing the ax and the more I see reports like this makes me want to bring the crampons. They weigh 2 ounces more than my micropsikes. And that's why you go aluminum... especially in the summer.

But that's the old conundrum: boots or runners? (Real) crampons need (semi) rigid boots - at least 1/2 shank. (I think your La Sportiva Trango & my Scarpa Charmoz are as light as you can go that can still handle classic full point crampons.) Mountaineering boots then require approach/crossing shoes, unless you don't mind getting the boots soaking wet.

It's an easy choice before the melt ie there's still ice bridges. But once you're dealing with perpetually wet trails & crossings (even so called 'seasonal' tributaries that are full on fire hoses), runners seem to make more sense. That is, unless you plan on bagging some peaks; so then you're carrying both.

Why isn't any of this stuff easy?

I bought the Lowa Tiago GTX specifically for this year's snow. They do not have a shank but I used my crampons with them on Cloud's Rest the first weekend of June and I felt very comfortable in them. Far more so than if I had brought my microspikes. They are exceptionally light... actually lighter than my Scarpa Approach Shoes! But naturally they feel harder on the feet since they're full goretex and above the ankle. I believe this year goretex and above the ankle is going to be very beneficial for the high country and especially cross country. The constant twisting of your foot via suncups is hard on the ankles and a little more suppport could prevent sprains. I bring a pair of 2 ounce water socks for water crossings so I never plan on submerging the boots.

I love my Trango's especially after I started wearing the right socks this year but I can't stand hiking in them when better more appropriate options exist. My crampons have a new classic binding which allows them to be put on anything from mountaineering boots with full shank to trail runners. Granted they are more suppprted on the boots but they work almost as well on the runners. And fortunately my boot is far stiffer than the runners or approach shoes.

alpinemike wrote:I bought the Lowa Tiago GTX specifically for this year's snow.

Nice - I'll have to keep those in mind. Yes, this year provided the case example of the 3rd option: non-shank boots + "hiking" crampons. More robust/secure than runners/spikes, but less rigid than mountaineering boots/crampons. I've seen photos of PCTers with this set-up. It's perfect when you're still trying to hike 10-15 mpd, but through deep, consolidated snow and steep passes.

I am bringing hiking crampons got the petzel fl nice and light and an ice axe figure went up shasta in something similar so should work fine if not... Well dont go that way, more worried about the rivers/creek than snow... I usually like snow!

Maverick, thanks for that photo. Was it early or late Aug or 2011?

Giantbrookie, thanks for the analysis. The satellite imagery doesn't go back that far. So when did melt-out happen in those years?

Will look for more peak pics when I get back to my laptop.

Maverick, thanks for that photo. Was it early or late Aug or 2011?

August 1

Thanks.

The road - I drive an Xterra but am somewhat conservative off-road. I think I'd be nervous driving a rental car on that section. It was pretty rocky. There was a small car at the TH but I couldn't see what it was since it was dark when I arrived and left. Not a whole lot of parking options just before that section.

Sounds like the usual road, have done in it my Honda Civic a few times, slowly and cautiously in spots.