Skyline on Saturday, February 18

[TectorGorch]

Planning a return trip and first for my wife...can anybody hazard a projection for trail conditions after this upcoming storm?? Thanks

[wb]

I ascended Skyline on Friday morning and was very glad that I had my microspikes, which were very useful for much of the trail past Flat Rock. Lots of solid ice on the last stint of trail makes for highly dangerous hiking without the microspikes. One slip in the wrong place and you get a free helicopter ride to the morgue.

[TectorGorch]

Will Kahtoola crampons and running/trail shoes do?

[hawkbill666]

I too am very interested in conditions over the next 10 days. I 'might' have a chance to come down to PS, and would love to make a run at the tram.

And on the subject of crampons (as that last comment confused me anyways), WB, did you consider your microspikes to be good enough, or would you have preferred crampons? Obviously there is a point where ice becomes hard enough that microspikes become skates...

Thanks

Scott

[TectorGorch]

Crampons on running/trail shoes

[hawkbill666]

Yes, I understood what you said.
Maybe I am still all new at this, just was confused as I dont know when crampons would not be a better option than Microspikes.

[wb]

Will Kahtoola crampons and running/trail shoes do?

I used Kahtoola Microspikes on running shoes, which performed well. I have zero experience with Kahtoola crampons and trail running shoes, but will venture this opinion: Microspikes have a heavy duty rubber collar that fits over the shoe and steel chain-link meshing beneath the shoe, which is well attached to the rubber collar and provides solid support for the microspikes on the shoe. In other words, no movement of the microspike while on the shoe. Crampons appear to be constructed for boots, and may not attached with the same reliability as microspikes onto a running shoe. Due to the gradient of Skyline, I cannot envision a senario where crampons would be a better choice than microspikes. Microspikes will always meet the minimum safety threshold for me. Again, just an opinion.

Not that this needs to be stated, but testing crampons on Skyline probably isn't the best idea.

Best success out there!

[bluerail]

....it snowed !!!.....it really snowed !!!! down to 3000' or so...

unless youre really good with snow travel, skyline will be tough..

[hawkbill666]

But crampons are just so cool
Thanks wb and bluerail for keeping me safe.

[Sally]

Ellen and I did Skyline yesterday (Wednesday). A thin snow covering began right after Flatrock. Up on the traverse there were a couple of inches of sticky new snow on hard ice. Microspikes highly recommended, but we were knocking balled snow and dirt off the bottoms of our boots constantly. Microspikes don't work as well when there's gunk stuck to them! It would be nice to have crampons for the final leg up the hill, but not necessary.

By the way, we had a nice trip, but both of us were draggin' our butts. It started snowing on us right after Flatrock and continued all the way to the top. It was coming down pretty good, so maybe the conditions have changed since yesterday AM.