good points - but you probably know that I won't listen
Essentially, I am bored with 3 season backpacking and always wanted to get out there in winter. This is a goal that gets me started.
I've done quite a bit outside in the cold over the years, but never in the Sierra. Ski or snow shoe - having tried both, I know the ski setup will move better across the primarily low incline slopes of the JMT. I don't plan to ski any area that may be potentially dangerous for a less than experienced backcountry skier (e.g. Mather, Glen), but for 95% of the trail, I should be alright on ski. There's just no way I will even try to do a downhill run with a 60 pound pack on slopes you find switchbacks on in summer.
I also won't head out on this trip until I feel that I am ready for it, and that does involve a few smaller trips prior to the full JMT. It may be 2013 or later before I am ready for it, but the goal is the JMT and therefore I am working on gear and logistic issues that are specific to that trip.
Avalanches - not enough first hand experience beyond 10 days of backcountry skiing in the Alps in the 80s, when I was up there with a military training course, sleeping in snow caves, skinning and skiing while carrying 80 pounds of weapons and pack while doing so. We did the block tests, learned about slope angles, weather patters, etc - but I know I will need to do some refresher course. I also know I won't travel after a snow storm for a day or two at least, unless I am in a wooded valley to begin with. All a matter of having enough food so you can wait for more settled conditions. Hiking out before the storm and waiting for better weather is another thing - Sat phone will be with me to get daily detailed weather forecasts; Spot as backup at best. Forget the cell coverage up there.
As for the dead guy in Evolution Lake - he drowned June 13, 2005 - not the time of year anyone should dare to walk on ice. Maybe he slipped off the rocks above the lake, but that's more a thing to worry about at Palisade Lake. Some folks think he may have been out there to get water because he was found with empty bottles on him. Darwin Canyon - fitting name. I don't plan on crossing any lakes, frozen or not, even if it is a tempting shortcut (Palisade being the only real temptation in that respect because the trail heads up on a rock ledge high above the lake)
http://www.backpacker.com/survival_guide_skills_a_dozen_ways_to_die/special_article/12228?page=3Stove - I will go with a winter-ready canister stove (inverted can), and a lightweight wood stove as backup and supplementary heater for water melt. I don't like the liquid gas stoves - complicated and not something I like to operate inside a tent - here's a very intersting read about winter use of canister stoves
http://www.fjaderlatt.se/2007/02/caffin-on-canister-stoves-in-deep-cold.htmlTent - currently I am leaning towards real tents with vestibule - Mountain Hardwear's EV2 or EV3, plenty of room and idea for winter use. Nemo Tenshi may be another option, but I can't find it for a reasonable price and it seems to have been discontinued. I've never liked tarp tents that require hiking poles, and somehow I don't really want to deal with that in snow when I may need the poles to anchor the tent.
resupply - it's not as bad as you say. If I can have somebody meet me at Reds, the same thing can be done at Muir Ranch, at Taboose Pass, at Tuolumne Meadows, etc - just gotta find the volunteer(s) who want to see some backcountry in early season.
since I first posted here, I've accumulated some new gear:
- Atomic Kailas ski with Dynafit bindings (still waiting for the skins - backordered at REI)
- Scarpa F1 boots, new Intuition liners, plus spare parts for field repair of the boots
- aluminum snow shovel
- Mountain Hardwear Wraith SL -20 degree sleeping bag (Conduit fabric to keep it dry)
- Acrteryx ski touring shell pants
- Mountain Hardwear FTX Ultra shell jacket
- Burton thermal underwear
all this was ebay stuff - paid a fraction of retail in most cases.
still need to decide on tent. Looking for a good price on a Gregory Denali pack. May get an Exped ground pad, get a wood stove (Bushbuddy or similar thing), need a down layer, sat phone can wait until next year. Also need some decent touring poles - my summer REI peak poles are ok, but I want to get something that is a lot easier to length-adjust, especially in cold conditions.
other items I still need: good gloves/mitten shells, gaiters that cover the entire boot (I may DIY what I need, as it only matters for the smaller stream crossings, the commercial products are all made for super cold climates), decent touring poles that are easily adjusted. My REI peak poles are nice, but near impossible to adjust sometimes. Need to get some CAMP XL390 ultralight crampons - my old Chouinard steep crampons are too heavy. My 1980s Stubai ice axe may also be a bit on the heavy side, but I like it since I have a custom camera mount on it.
