TIL why the old PCT thru-hikers swear by starting before dawn in the Sierra

Last month at Kennedy Meadows I met a guy who'd done the trail 3 times and he showed me how crossing snow in the late morning sun turns it into slush that soaks your feet, and after postholing up to my waist for 2 hours I finally get why they leave camp at 4 AM.

4 comments

4 Comments

aliceharris2d ago

Ha, nothing says fun like crying in a snow hole with strangers.

milalewis2d ago

My friend Jenna tried the 10 AM start and ended up crying in waist deep slush near Forester Pass.

oliviabutler2d ago

Going early just means postholing in someone else's fresh tracks instead of your own.

shane_wilson2d ago

Yeah we tried that once and it was a disaster. What actually ended up working for us was leaving at 2 AM with headlamps and taking a nap in the tent around 11 AM when the sun really started hitting. The snow would firm up overnight and we'd cruise through the slushy sections before they got deep, then wait out the worst of it. Definitely feels weird waking up from a nap at 2 PM to pack up and keep hiking but beats crying in a snow hole.