Tram to Round Valley Sat 4/4-4/5

[kevolator]

Our plan is to take 10 or 12 Boy Scouts on Tram up and then hike into Round Valley on Saturday, spend the night and then hike out on Sunday. I have done this hike in summer and know that 2 mile hike in has (c) 500-600' elevation gain, but no exposure to outside ridges as trail winds its way up to Round Valley

New snow is expected Wed/Thurs this week so I know that even with GPS, map and compass, trail will likely be obscured. Who/where is best source for current weather conditions and forecasts?

We will all have cable-style crampons and will also rent snow shoes and poles if someone does not bring their own when we get to the top. We will have at least 2 ice axes (with hammer on other end for stakes), 100' of climbing rope along with winter backpacking gear.

Is there any other winter gear that you would recommend?

I am also thinking that we may need additional stakes for tents. Any recommendations?

[Perry]

By most hiking standards, going to Round Valley is just a walk in the snow, but recent snowfall can make navigation and footing difficult. It can also be very icy. There is a short section called the "BSA traverse" where boy scouts have fallen into the creek. You can avoid this with foot traction and paying attention Here's an approximate forecast:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapCli ... &map.y=108

If it snows more than 6" at the tram (~1 foot in RV), I would postpone the trip unless they are all in high school.

[simonov]

4/4 is Friday. I guess you mean you are heading up on the 5th and coming back on the 6th.

Which is a pity, as I and some friends will be heading up Saturday on the first tram and I was hoping you folks would have broken trail for us to Round Valley.

[kevolator]

Simonov--Thanks for the calendar notes. Working at home has its risks But the benefits sometimes (at least when the checks clear) outweigh the liabilities. It has been decades since I was not aware of the exact coordination of days of the month with days of the week.

Saturday 4/5 is indeed our in-bound date.

Also, thanks to Perry for the weather link. We are only going since it is a "walk in the snow" in an effort to give participants a bit of a sense of how to camp in snow. I have the number that the SJSP folks gave to me for weather conditions the previous day (not sure how that helps for the NEXT day) and have been watching forecasts.

Do you have gps coordinates (and any map notes) of the ill-fated "BSA Traverse?" We are not bringing any of the younger guys and will have only those who are on track to get their Eagle rank award next Fall.

thanks.

[Perry]

It's really not that tricky, the beaten path usually gives you at least a foot of width, maybe 2 feet. Probably it was younger scouts who were laughing, chatting, and not watching where they were stepping. It's only about a 30-foot section where you have a decent drop-off to your right.

[kevolator]

thanks for the heads-up