Ned Tibbits on the fun part of snow hiking, etc.

[michaelzim]

Here is the full writeup by Ned Tibbits - was posted on Facebook June 30th. 2023 - so very much has to do with "slushy, crappy snow conditions" - and the upsides:

https://www.facebook.com/1213062513/pos ... l/?app=fbl

Snow-Hiking = Fun?

How is snow-hiking through mush and crossing dangerous creeks during the “bumper seasons” or time of the Sierra Thaw ever to be considered “Fun?”

After describing, this morning, in a Facebook post about the nasty, frustrating, and often dangerous environmental conditions of snow and creek flows found during the Sierra Thaw, a friend of mine asked,
“Where does “enjoyment” come into the experience of hiking in these conditions? I’m being genuine here, because the scenario seems more fraught with danger and anxiety than any enjoyment.”

The “bumper seasons” of Spring and Fall in the Sierra Nevada present to the casual summer hiker added environmental conditions that are risky and threatening, indeed, and you’d think, “Why the hell would I ever want to go backpacking then?” Concerns of below-freezing ambient temperatures, deep snow, potentially deadly creek crossing, and no visible trail in the Spring or little water and powder snowfall in the Fall, should cause the inexperienced sufficient alarm to stay away – unless you’re prepared for these conditions with general mountaineering skills and wise judgement.

Snow-hiking during the Thaw in the Sierra is an other-worldly experience, as everything around you is liquifying, melting, settling, consolidating, and moving. Snow is melting and moving downhill very slowly, so much water is running out of the snowpack that it fills the trails and cascades over everything in its path on its way to the nearest creek, trees are emerging from being bent over in their wintery tombs and attempting to stand upright, again, birds are returning to the mountains and flying about, exclaiming their excitement at being there, again, and the local, hibernating marmots are dancing about looking for food.

The Sierra under snow is a magical place because of all this change happening before your very eyes. To take it all in is the delight of being there, but you have to adhere to one big rule, the environment dictates what you can do and not you! All of the above evolving conditions affect how you might safely move over snow or where you can navigate to. You are on a completely different planet and must abide by its rules and disciplines or suffer from your lack of understanding, poor judgement, and hasty skills.

Summertime conditions of high-traction, dry surfaces to walk on, signposts and mileage markers directing your way, and ideal weather, allow you to stride with confidence, know where you are all the time, and accomplish ambitious mileage goals, but not so in the slippery world of snow.

When you're constantly pushing to get somewhere in these trying conditions, compared to easy, summer hiking, you lose the enjoyment of the moment, because it is felt between your steps, as you notice, survey, consider, and pause to think.
So, to enjoy being out there amongst the challenges of snow and creek, first, you have to have the talent and experience to face it with confidence, care, and safety, and second, you have to see it all as a wonderful opportunity to dance on the mountaintops of those challenges, overcoming as you go.

The focus of your presence, there, has to be taken off "getting more miles" and re-oriented to moving wisely and safely according to the understood hazards that your inner "radar" is picking up.
As in a conversation with a friend that you haven't seen in a long while, where it goes from this topic to that quickly, digs in and moves slowly where needed, then picks up and skims where able, so, too, must the wilderness traveller take their time to listen, observe, assess, adjust, all before moving on.

You don't go into the challenges of generalized mountaineering over snow and through whitewater creek crossings during the bumper seasons expecting progress to be like "summer."

Everything from intake to output must "flow," like watching the observations and movements of a Tai Chi Master, for out there, you are not the Captain and Commander of your destiny, able to do anything and go anywhere you want. The constantly changing environment of moving water in its various forms (snow, rain, creeks, etc.) tells you what you can do or not.
If you elect to move slowly through it, taking it all in, there is tremendous pleasure derived just from being able to do so and be there! Plus, the snowy views rarely seen are killer...

Ned Tibbits

[c9h13no3]

...you have to adhere to one big rule, the environment dictates what you can do and not you!

Yeah, it also changes how fast & far you can go. In December, with little daylight and hazardous conditions, you really have to pick your spots and keep it close to the road (or carry a lot of crap to be prepared for those challenges). That range gradually increases as you move towards summer. But if you only hike in summer, you're unaware of this gradual expansion & contraction of range.

I really enjoy the shoulder conditions. It demands using all your skills to thread the needle for a safe & enjoyable experience. And stashing a gatorade in the snow on your way out, to enjoy on the way back is always a treat

[SSSdave]

Well ok good speech for those looking for challenges.

Such thinking per NT would not change my own view of late spring and early summer snow hiking. What NT wrote is more about feeling accomplished about successfully enduring a difficult challenging environment. As for the snow scenes he raves about, those are IMO as a several decades winter snow skier and landscape photographer, much much less interesting or aesthetic versus winter landscapes after fresh fallen snow. Summer snow fields with gnarly rock peaks poking through in a bright and shadow black and white landscape, are probably visually interesting to those that don't visit during winters, if that is all they ever see. Better than visiting one's city park for sure. Beyond early and late during the day, the intense high altitude sun radiation is a most unpleasant experience for one's eyes, even with darkest sunglasses and liable to fry any section of one's skin unless fully covered by protective clothing. As for fun in snowy landscapes, there is a reason millions of enthusiasts enjoy playing their snow sports during winter...because it's immensely more fun.

In any case, most summers in the High Sierra, those that backpack between mid July and mid August, if they choose many locations above 11k, are going see plenty of snow on northern exposures if that is what they have interest in as destinations. Instead when people have a choice between such snow zones and slightly lower green, mostly dry areas, few outside of peak bagging mountaineers, end up plunking down about snow fields that says more about what they really think about those areas.



A single run on 3/6/2023 down from Dipper Express Quad ski lift at Heavenly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLvBOYeWU4