How Three Petite Women Dealt with the 2017 PCT High Snow Year

2019 has been an extremely high snow year in the Sierra Nevada mountains (the fourth highest on record). This has translated to dangerous conditions for PCT thru-hikers (mainly the NOBO pack), including difficulty navigating, excessive postholing, and dangerous river crossings. The last time PCT thru-hikers faced these conditions was in 2017. Tragically, that year two young women—Rika “Strawberry” Morita and Chaocui “Tree” Wang—lost their lives attempting to solo cross swollen rivers. Not only is it dangerous to attempt river crossings on your own, but it can be much more so when you are on the shorter (and/or lighter) end of the spectrum. Being short means that you have different concerns when thru-hiking and need to plan to do things a little differently.

Of course, there are myriad ways to address these severe conditions. If it’s looking like a high snow year, pick a later start date. Do a flip-flop (jump north and start hiking south until you meet back up with your own footpath). Make a strict plan with your hiking group to ensure no one hikes alone. Take some time off and return when conditions improve. Go home. HYOH. Whatever you do, go into the mountains with the utmost respect for the seriousness of what you are undertaking.

Making these decisions is not easy. It often means that you have to leave your trail family, spend extra money traveling up and down the trail, abandon some of your resupply boxes. If you do skip around, there is no guarantee that the conditions you’ll find farther north will be much better than where you were. And perhaps the most difficult part of these drastic choices is that you have to abandon your plans and dreams of what your thru-hike was going to be. Breaking your footpath can be devastating. People who go home often don’t return to the trail.

So I went out and talked to two other petite women who dealt with this dilemma on the PCT in the 2017 high snow year to see what they decided to do upon entering the Sierra, and what went into their decision-making. Since I hiked the PCT that year too and measure in at a lovely 5’4″ (OK, 5’3.5″), I decided to interview myself as well.

Toni (Sphagnum P.I.)
Height: 5’2″

Can you give a quick overview of your hiking resume?

I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2016, 2,235 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017, and about 220 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail in 2018.

Did you hike mostly solo or in a group?

On the AT, I hiked about half solo, and half with hiking partners I met on trail. On the PCT I hiked almost all of it with hiking partners I met on trail. For the SHT, I hiked with a partner who I went to the trail with. So I guess I tend to hike in a pair!

Do you consider yourself a fast or slow hiker (or neither)?

I guess I would consider myself an average hiker? I hiked the AT in 5.5 months, and the PCT in five. I’ve never cared too much about huge miles, and I love to experience the trail and the wonders along with it. I will stop for birds or plants or snakes or cool bugs or a beautiful view. That’s what it’s about for me. However, I do keep in mind my end goal of finishing the whole trail.

What do you remember about working toward the Sierra in the 2017 high-snow year?

What I remember about working toward the Sierra in the 2017 high snow year: I was anxious. It was on all of our minds before we even set foot on the PCT. As I hiked from Campo to Kennedy Meadows, I tried to tell myself that worrying about it now would not make the snow melt or the rivers lower. I planned to discuss it with my trail family and make my decision when I got there.

Were you especially concerned about the water levels as a short woman?

Yes! The snowy passes and river crossings were a new experience for me, and I knew that water levels on my frame would have more of an impact than on a taller and/or heavier person.

Did you hike straight through the Sierra? 

No.

When did you enter the Sierra?

I entered the Sierra in late June (around the 27th, I think). I took some time (about a week) off to think it through and visit San Francisco with some hiker friends before entering. I decided to try it since there were reports of many hikers going at least through to Lone Pine.

How were the water crossings? 

The water crossings were intense. I grouped up with two hikers I was very close with, and many others who I didn’t know prior to the Sierra. We would all cross in a group and scout out the best spot before attempting it. If there were spots up or downstream that had log crossings, or a more braided channel (aka multiple, lower-level crossings where the water is spread out over a wider area) we would cross there. I would face upstream so that the water was hitting me straight on with my pack unbuckled and my trekking pole straps not around my wrists. I would step sideways with one foot or trekking pole at a time while the others were planted so that I had three points of contact at all times. The worst crossing that I did was the White Fork, which had a very strong flow and water above my hips.

What did you do to get around the Sierra?

I hiked as far as Bishop Pass, where I took the side trail to go into Bishop and skip up to Lake Tahoe.

Could you tell me a bit about what went into your decision-making process?

One particular crossing (White Fork) was eye-opening to me. One of my fellow group members and I had crossed, and we were looking back to the rest of our group across the river. It was rushing so loudly that we were shouting back to them. One group member was a fellow short woman, about the same height and weight as me (5’2″ and 125 pounds at the time). She was trying to psych herself up to cross. I looked back at her face, and I saw mortal fear in her eyes. I started to wonder what the heck we were doing out there. What are we trying to prove? I had come to the PCT for me, and I didn’t have to do it the way everyone else did. I was clinging onto this idea of walking from one end straight to the other, but that whole concept is pretty arbitrary to begin with. This wasn’t hiking anymore. This was a dangerous expedition with mountaineering. The calculated risk had changed, and it didn’t feel worth it to me anymore. I decided to skip ahead and come back when I could enjoy the miles without the terrible stress and fear. The trail would be there. This was before I heard about Strawberry, the first of two (small female) thru-hikers to drown in Sierra rivers in 2017. She had been one day behind me. I didn’t know her personally, but the news really hit home.

How did you feel about your decision, both then and now?

It was truly difficult to make the decision to skip. I grappled with it for weeks. I vacillated back and forth multiple times. In the end, I felt that skipping ahead was the best decision for me. I could get more miles under my belt before the fire season began in earnest. The miles on end of snow and stressful river crossings were wearing on my psyche, and my nerves were shot. For a long time, I felt like I couldn’t call it a thru-hike because I had decided to skip: “Other people went all the way through. It’s not like the miles were closed!” However, I got in more miles (due to multiple fire closures) than some hikers I know who went straight through the Sierra. Now, I stand by my decision. It was the right one for me. I had an amazing experience, and I met wonderful people on my PCT hike. I wouldn’t go back and change anything. I’m planning on going back this year in September and trying again for the miles I left behind in the Sierra, but even if that doesn’t pan out, I know those miles will be there for whenever the time is right for me. And hey, at 2,235 miles, I thru-hiked the PCT in 2017.

Alexa “Bonsai” Shapiro
Height: 5’4″

Can you give a quick overview of your hiking resume?

In 2016 I began backpacking, complete short stints along the Ozark Trail in Missouri and Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. In 2017, I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail with my now-husband, Bighorn, and the following year I completed a solo thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail in Northern Minnesota. I intend to hike a trail a year, with this year’s trail being the Greenstone Ridge Trail in Isle Royale NP.

Did you hike mostly solo or in a group?

On the PCT, I hiked entirely with others. From the very start, my husband and I joined a group of 15 that hiked most of the desert together. We proceeded to hike the next 700 miles alone, and then joined our final trail family up in Oregon and finished the trail alongside them.

Do you consider yourself a fast or slow hiker (or neither)?

My hiking speed varied a lot through my trek, but I definitely started off pretty slow compared to my hiking partner. All throughout the desert, Bighorn was pretty consistently in camp well before me, and then in the Sierra and Northern California, it only got worse. There was one day where Bighorn was a good two hours ahead of me, due mostly to snowpack and me being a lot less capable of maneuvering through snow quickly.

What do you remember about working toward the Sierra in the 2017 high-snow year?

I remember being pretty apprehensive about the Sierra, but also very flexible with what decision would be made. I was never committed to a continuous footpath from south to north; if we had to flip, we had to flip. As we entered into the Sierra, I was with a group of about nine hikers. I vaguely remember morale being a bit of an issue for hiking through the Sierra so when we reached Lone Pine, we really easily made a decision to flip up to Ashland and hike south through California. For me, the decision to flip was to quell anxiety I had about snow travel in the first place. I grew up in Southern California, and my exposure to snow until that point had been pretty minimal. I wasn’t incredibly comfortable with the idea of traveling through snow, and because my hiking partner was a lot faster than me at that point, I really worried I would slow him down a lot.

Were you especially concerned about the water levels as a short woman?

I think my ignorance of what lay before me in the Sierra and Northern California was a big part of why I didn’t have a lot of direct concerns about water levels or snowpack. I couldn’t even envision what that would look like before we entered, so I kept telling myself just to let go of the fear-mongering mentality and trust that I would be OK. As we started to get into the Sierra and I saw how much water there truly was, that’s when it really started to hit me how dangerous this could be. My hiking partner is a lot taller me and has a pretty standard strong Minnesota build. When it came to water crossings, it never seemed like much of a problem for him. For me, the water at times would go well above my waist, and there were a few times where I struggled to dig in deep enough to keep myself upright. At those times, I was pretty fortunate to be hiking with Bighorn. There were a few crossings where he had to go across with his pack, come back for mine, and then hope that I could just get across on my own. Having someone willing to do that for me made a world of difference, and I felt like I could just focus on trudging forward rather than fearing getting pulled under and wrestling to get my pack off in time to get back up for air.

Did you hike straight through the Sierra? 

I did not hike straight through the Sierra.

What did you do instead?

We ended at Lone Pine, getting off in Horseshoe Meadows as we were heading north. From there, we got up to Ashland, OR, and headed south straight through the remainder of California. We were still up north a little early so, even though we missed a huge chunk of the wintry Sierra, we did run into quite a bit of snow and high water crossings in Northern California.

Could you tell me a bit about what went into your decision-making process?

Our decision to flip was a group decision, and it felt like it was made because people’s hearts weren’t truly in for going straight north. As we were approaching Lone Pine, we made the decision to go into town out of frustration with how long the stretch from Kennedy Meadows to Horseshoe Meadows took. We averaged a much slower pace because of the snowpack, and we even got snowed on our first night out. We thought we would regroup in town and make a decision from there, but when we got into town it was pretty clear that most of the group didn’t really feel dedicated to going forward. A lot of groups around us were flipping, and because we weren’t rocking the “it’s not a true thru unless you keep going” mentality, it was pretty easy for us to jump on board and do it too. For our group, I think it was the best decision. For one, I was a fairly slow snow traveler due to my inexperience with winter weather. Our group was fairly split with abilities, and it seemed like a risk for some of us to be holding back the others when our paces didn’t align (sometimes fairly significantly). Another main reason for some people in my group was the fear of river crossings and sheer cliff sides. There were several people in my group that were shorter than others and generally moved a little slower. Knowing that they would be in the back of the pack most of the time and potentially fighting river crossings alone (or requiring the group to wait for them longer than they might want to) seemed to be a big reason why some people in our group were ready to flip.

How did you feel about your decision, both then and now?

Then, I felt really good about our decision. I still think it was the right decision for us, especially for my husband and me. Even through Northern California, we had quite a few arguments sprout up about hiking abilities in the snow and I know I tested his patience quite a bit. As we were entering into the Sierra and starting to run into trail friends who had gone through, that’s when I started to regret the decision. Even though it was a difficult experience for those who went straight through, they all had this energy about them that said: “We f-ing did that.” I felt really energized by them and their experiences the last few weeks, and kind of regretted not having challenged myself further either. To this day, though, I really do know that our decision was the best one for us. We were able to finish the trail a little quicker, which helped with some post-trail logistics for jobs and general life, and we were also able to land in Oregon at the time of the eclipse and connect with our final trail family. The group I finished hiking with are some of my closest friends and the people I turn to the most when life is getting hard. I would never trade those relationships and our time together for the experience of hiking through the Sierra.

Samantha “Samwise” Olthof
Height: 5’3.5″

View this post on Instagram

Hey folks, so I haven't updated here or my blog in a while. The truth is that I got off trail a couple of weeks ago. A lot of things tied into that decision, but what it boiled down to was that I felt like I'd lost the joy in hiking. I still loved being outside, the views, and the wonderful people on trail, but hiking itself became a drag. I decided to come home for a little while. Since then I've spent time with my friends and family, and drove most of the way across Canada and back. I may head back to the PCT in a few weeks, or I may undertake another adventure for the remainder of my sabattical. Thanks for all your support so far, I'll try to keep you updated. Happy hiking! #pacificcresttrail #pctclassof2017 #sierranevada #jubilantblue

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So I, the author of this piece, also hiked the PCT in 2017 and dealt with these conditions, so I decided to interview myself.

Can you give a quick overview of your hiking resume?

I attempted a 2017 NOBO thru of the PCT but ended up doing more of a SLASH (Super Long-Ass Section Hike) which was comprised of the desert, Oregon, and a very short section of the Sierra (KM South to Lone Pine). I’ve also hiked the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland, sections of the Bruce Trail, and a handful of other short trails in Ontario, Canada.

Did you hike mostly solo or in a group?

Although I hiked with a couple of great trail families on the PCT, I tend to spend most of my time hiking on my own.

Do you consider yourself a fast or slow hiker (or neither)?

Definitely a slow hiker. Not so much because I can’t hike quickly, but rather because I love taking breaks, napping, and sleeping in. One of my hiking partners and I on the PCT called ourselves “Team Lollygag.”

What do you remember about working toward the Sierra in the 2017 high snow year?

The fear-mongering was pretty intense. Everyone was talking about the high snowpack and the river crossing conditions. Some people were underplaying it, while others were blowing it wildly out of proportion.

Were you especially concerned about the water levels as a short woman?

Absolutely. I remember asking people how deep some of the upcoming river crossings were and they would say things like, “Oh, I heard it was knee/hip/navel high,” and being rather frustrated by it. Hip high for a tall man can mean chest high for me. I had no experience with river crossings back then, so I was very concerned about whether I’d be able to ford them, especially if I ended up hiking alone.

Did you hike straight through the Sierra? 

No, I got off trail at Lone Pine, CA.

What did you do instead?

I went home for about five weeks. One of the reasons that I got off trail (aside from the trail conditions) was that I’d been having some health problems, so I got some medical care and rested before coming back to the PCT. I returned and hiked the Oregon section later in the summer.

Could you tell me a bit about what went into your decision-making process?

It was an incredibly difficult decision to make. A lot of things went into it.

I had left the trail for about a week to go home for a wedding. When I got back, I immediately got really sick; I was feverish and unable to eat. I took about three days off in Lake Isabella, got back on trail and realized I was still sick. I took another three days off in KM South. I hardly ate anything for almost two weeks; I remember watching weight dropping off my body. I was more dismayed than pleased, though; I knew I was losing muscle tone that I would need in the mountains. By the time I was ready to leave KM South, although I’d reunited with some of my trail family and planned to meet up with the rest in Lone Pine, I was in pretty rough shape. I felt weak and slow. And I knew that the conditions coming up were unlike anything I’d faced in my life. If I’d been more confident that I could keep up with a group, I might have given the Sierra a try anyway, but I was terrified of ending up in a bad situation where I’d have to try fording high rivers on my own. I spent weeks agonizing over how I wanted to proceed once I left the desert. I remember looking up at the beautiful snow-capped peaks when I first entered the Sierra; it was one of the most beautiful things I’d seen in my entire life, but all I felt was a pit of despair in my gut. Although I didn’t understand all of the reasons why at the time, I decided that what I was doing wasn’t working and that I needed to make a change.

How did you feel about your decision, both then and now?

At the time I got off trail, I was ashamed of myself. I felt like a quitter, a failure. It wasn’t until I heard about the deaths of Tree and Strawberry that I realized how valid my fears had been. I’d known Tree on trail, only briefly, and hearing about her death drove home how dangerous things could really be. Now, I am completely happy with how I went about my PCT hike. When I went back to hike Oregon later that summer, I was so happy to be back on trail and that I was doing it on my own terms. If I came across the same conditions now, I would probably make a different choice, but that is because I have a lot more experience now and a better grasp of my abilities.

Despite the prevalence of the HYOH mantra, there is still a lot of pressure on-trail to do a “true thru.”  However, there is no single correct way to do a thru-hike. It can mean a lot of different things to different people. Some skip ahead and flip. Others push through. Some leave the trail entirely and don’t come back. At the end of the day, the responsibility lies with you to make the right decision for yourself.

Huge thanks to Sphagnum and Bonsai for talking to me about their PCT journeys. To everyone out on trail now, remember what Frodo says: Have fun. Make wise decisions.

Feature image by Walter Beauchamp.

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