Time to Hike from Tram to Summit

[john m]

Speaking to the members of the Board with winter hiking experience to the summit of SJ from the Tram, my question is approximately how long do you think this hike would take given the current conditions, which I understand to be on the side of slushy? I would like to try it tomorrow. I am experienced on SJ from the Humber side but have only done the Tram side in the summer a few times and not direct as one would with a GPS in the snow. I am in excellent condition, 52, with all the needed items such as GPS, crampons, snowshoes, PLB, winter clothes etc. From Humber Park, it takes me about 4 hours up, 3 hours down. I have done C2C in 6 hours twice. The one thing I have never done is to summit with full snow coverage and no trail to follow, going more or less direct using GPS to stay on course.

That said, I am wondering if it is possible to summit starting at about 10:15am and get back reasonably close to darkness, which is around 5pm. I would prefer to not hike in the dark more than necessary although I've done a lot of predawn dark hiking before but never without a trail to follow and relying on GPS or compass.

Or should I just wait and do this on a weekend when there is an additional 2 hours due to the earlier Tram time up?

Thanks very much.

[Perry]

Taking a direct route (Miller Saddle or East Face or Jean Saddle) it takes me longer with snow than the main trail in summer. How much longer varies from a little to a lot depending on how soft it is. From your times (assuming by C2C you mean C2T), I'm guessing you'll be 2 to 2.5 hours up to the peak, and 1.5 to 2 hours back to the tram. Miller Saddle is less risky, especially if you aren't taking an ice axe. You still want to be careful.

[Norris]

It can be slow going when conditions are less than optimal. It has been so warm that my guess is one could break through in places even with snowshoes. Personally, I would figure 6 hours round trip. Be careful coming down, when its warm and slushy it is easy to slip and slide, which can lead to lower leg injuries.

[phydeux]

I was up there New Years Day when there was pretty good snow coverage. Did it by snowshoes from the Tram to the summit via Tamarak and Miller Saddle in about 3 hrs. Took about the same time coming down (I like to come down slow to "smell the roses" and enjoy the scenery). Usually takes me anywhere from 2 to 2.5 hrs from the tram to the summit during the summer.

As mentioned above, the warm weather has probably melted off a lot of the snow and whatever's left will be heavy slush. Under those conditions I'd expect you'd posthole through if a lot of snow on the east face, even wearing snowshoes. Compounding the problems would be the thick chapparrel shurbbery underneath the thin snow cover; it'll get tangled up in your snowshoes.

If you've never been up I'd still encourage you to go and explore the area to get a good idea of the surroundings in winter (consider it "recon" for the future). Get out to Round Valley, maybe up to Wellman's divide and/or over to Tamarak Valley, just for a look - its quite different covered in all that white stuff. We might get some more good snowstorms in late Jan or Feb, which would make for ideal snowshoe conditions, and a little recon now will pay off big in the future.

Cheers.

[Pup]

Phydeux, were you part of that battallion of human snowshoe'rs up through Tamarak, on New Years Day? There must have been 40-50 people all in a row chatting up a storm on the way up. I was coming down from the peak and other than the couple behind me I hadn't seen (or heard) anyone else until then. It was a bit unsettling, but that's just me...

[phydeux]

There were fresh tracks going up to the peak, thought it might be someone who overnighted in Tamarak or Round Valley, then got to the summit for the first sunrise of the new year. I've done that before (had a champagne breakfast on the summit! ). This would have been a great year to do that!

That was a noisy bunch, wasn't it? Typical if you get a late start on a holiday or weekend. I think they all came up on the tram just before me, but they were so disorganized at the ranger station I just got a permit then blazed past them. I think it was two groups going up at about the same speed. I took a quick jaunt over to Miller Peak on the way up (someone had posted on this BB there was plaque on its summit rocks - couldn't find it), then went up to San J's summit. Left about 1/2 hour later when they started showing up. Nice and quiet back in Tamarak Valley. Definately a nice day, and great way to start the new year.