Snow conditions

[Bigwookie009]

Kathy: The climb actually went really good I started at 6:30 so I got a nice and early start it was very cold out though my thermometer said 28! I was glad I had lots of warm clothes with. I did not summit Spitler, some how lost the trail on the way to it and was climbing up some really steep sections that got pretty sketchy so I decided to give up and go for Apache. I was able to summit apache and it was beautiful up there except right when I got up some crazy fog started to roll in. Also the wind got crazy bad! I only stayed a few minutes on the summit and ate a quick lunch but once I left the fog was so bad I could only see about 15 feet in front of me and the wind was blowing so hard I felt like I was in a white out. I got scared for a while because I was no sure where I was heading, it only took me 5 minutes or so to find my foot prints to follow out but it defiantly felt longer then that lol. Once I got down past the cloud layer though the weather was beautiful! The views were AMAZING! The Jacintos are so much better then I ever thought they could be. All in all it was one of the best hikes I have ever been on one I will remember for ever!

I think Tahquitz was the main view I was looking at, that would of been a really fun climb I bet! Although I am guessing the snow would be pretty crazy up there? I am not too experienced with snow, well yesterday was my first real mountain with snow... lol and that was defiantly the max for me I probably was pushing my luck on there I am lucky god kept me safe through it all. How much snow is actually on Tahquitz? I am assuming you had snow shoes and crampons?

[Sally]

Hi Bigwookie, Congratulations on your summit of Apache. Cold, fog, wind, disappearing trail, all the ingredients of an adventure! The San J's are great for sure. Maybe I'll give Spitler a try too. Glad you made it back safe.

[Bigwookie009]

Thanks Sally, it was a great adventure! Next winter I plan on getting some snow shoes and crampons and tackling some bigger mountains in the snow! I didn't know snow could make things so much for fun!
Good luck on Spitler, I think if you know what your doing you should be able to make it lol.

[KathyW]

Bigwookie: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your climb and you made some good choices about changing your direction when the route to Spitler looked too sketchy and staying calm and taking the time to find your boot tracks in the white-out conditions. I like Apache better than Spitler, so I think you got the better deal by heading to Apache.

It's nice to hear that you liked the snow. I fell in love with hiking and climbing in the snow after a few trips. I actually wandered around way too much without the proper gear in the beginning, but then one day I saw a friend glissade down Baldy Bowl. I wanted to do it too, but another friend said I couldn't because I didn't have an ice axe. After that trip, I headed out and bought the axe and crampons. That was about nine years ago and I've been loving the snow ever since.

How far up the trail did you get before you hit snow? That section of the Desert Divide was covered in clouds when I looked down from up near Tahquitz, so I couldn't tell the snow level.

Except for a few small patches near the trailhead, the snow started at the Devils Slide Trailhead and was continuous all the way up to where I turned around. There's tons of snow up there, but it's pretty consolidated. I only used my snowshoes for one short section near the start of the ridge to Tahquitz, but I really felt like I needed the axe and sometimes the crampons part of the day. If you're going to start climbing in the winter, invest in the crampons and axe first - they're more important than snowshoes. You can always turn back if you're post-holing and don't have snowshoes, but you're in trouble if everything freezes up on the mountain while you're out there and you don't have the axe and crampons.

Another great tool for winter is a GPS and they have some pretty inexpensive models out there now that work very well - the GPS is really nice to have in white-out conditions. You can also bring wands with you to mark your path as you go up.

[Bigwookie009]

Kathy: There really was not much snow except for some patches until 200 or maybe 300 feet below the PCT I am not sure exactly where that is elevation wise but once one the PCT there was a lot of snow and once at 7000 feet it had to of been at least 3 feet deep everywhere probably more at points. When I would fall through at points it would be right by my waist and I think there was even more room for me to sink down and I am tall at 6'5.
I really want to get a ice axe and crampons right now but its just not affordable for me the way things are, but next winter for sure I plan on getting them and doing tons of winter attempts! I though snow shoes would of been almost more important but that makes sense the way you say it crampons and ice axe would be the life savers!
Too bad it wouldn't be doable without the crampons I would love to do Tahquitz. Do you know of any other pretty tall mountains that are doable right now with the now or do you think most of them would be to dangerous right now for my shoes and trekking poles?

[Bigwookie009]

I was just looked up crampons and ice axes out of curiosity and found Crampons start for a cheap pair around 30 bucks... not as bad as I thought and ice axes at 50 but I think I could get a good deal on ebay I found a few on there too...

How much more time this winter do you think I could actually use crampons and a ice axe?

[Sally]

Hi Bigwookie, I went at it backwards and got my snowshoes first, but realized what Kathy said was true about crampons & ice axe being indispensible. I bit the bullet and got myself crampons and an ice axe last week. I did a little research and heard that getting equipment on ebay isn't recommended because you don't know what stresses the equipment has been put through. Although I didn't get the most expensive stuff I don't think it pays to go overboard being frugal when your life is on the line!

The next thing I would mention is that the equipment is useless unless you know how to use it properly - which I don't.

I hope someone out there might be willing to give me a lesson in using crampons and ice axe. Anyone with experience got any free time this Wednesday? I was hoping to go up from Idyllwild or the tram Wednesday.

[Bigwookie009]

Sally: Thats true I probably should be careful not to get something to cheap, I was wrong about the crampons though the cheapest I can find is 100
If you don't mind me asking how much did you end up spending?
I think I might just end up buying them from REI new because I didn't think about how much stress its been through.

Yes the experience is also going to be my biggest problem too, I plan on doing to same exact thing you are doing right now and hoping someone will help me out and show me what to do

[KathyW]

A good book to pick up when you're learning is: "Freedom of the Hills"

It looks like you can get it at Amazon used for pretty cheap - even if it's the older edition it should be fine:

http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-Society/dp/0898864275

We all could use some self-arrest practice. I know I don't practice enough.

[climberslacker]

hey guys anyone wanna have a nice little self arrest party? We could all use a little practice, and those that need to learn could find people to teach them! Ill volunteer to teach someone, if people are ok with learning from a 15 year old?

-CS