Tucks Rescue

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Some of us who have been here 20 plus years probably had 10 and 12 point crampons before we picked up Micro's. Many people now only carry Micro's and on many trails they are enough. Personally, I'd avoid headwalls like Tucks, Great Gully in King Ravine, Jefferson, the Great Gulf, 6H and Madison Gulf trails or North Tri.

With conditions changing week to week and season to season, what trails would you prefer your crampons over microspikes on? Ammo -check, Winter Lion's Head -check Flume Slide? (I'd avoid it but have read winter reports of people surviving but regretting going down) How many are carrying ice axes? (If you don't know how to use it, better not having it)
 
So chalk this up to being partially prepared. Not prepared for the conditions you can easily find in Tux nor to hike in the dark. But prepared enough to stay warm. I've found conditions on many trails at different times that crampons are definitely the way to go. Last March the KRT up to Canon from the tram lot was extremely icy. Long stretches of blue ice under an inch of powder. Could it have been done in spikes, yes. But heading down I passed many struggling wearing spikes. And they were heading up. Where crampons are really worth every penny and good to have, is on the descent. Like night and day.
 
Modern hikers think Microspikes are it, they are not. On certain routes crampons are required, many modern hikers probably don't even own crampons.
 
Modern hikers think Microspikes are it, they are not. On certain routes crampons are required, many modern hikers probably don't even own crampons.
I find it interesting all the questions about whether folks need to bring micro spikes, crampons, Ice axe and snowshoes. Lots of disdain towards being potentially over equipped. In other words I don’t want to have to carry all or some of the above if I don’t have too. When I first started Winter hiking I was very much aware of the limitations of where I could hike based upon the gear I did not have. Being on a teenage dirtbag budget it took time to acquire the right gear to do the things I wanted to do. But I was patient and it all came together eventually with much anticipation. In other words I was excited to use these new toys. IMO social media and the almost too available info on The Web has fed this behavior of do I really need to carry this or that. What ever happen to better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it?
 
I find it interesting all the questions about whether folks need to bring micro spikes, crampons, Ice axe and snowshoes. Lots of disdain towards being potentially over equipped. In other words I don’t want to have to carry all or some of the above if I don’t have too. When I first started Winter hiking I was very much aware of the limitations of where I could hike based upon the gear I did not have. Being on a teenage dirtbag budget it took time to acquire the right gear to do the things I wanted to do. But I was patient and it all came together eventually with much anticipation. In other words I was excited to use these new toys. IMO social media and the almost too available info on The Web has fed this behavior of do I really need to carry this or that. What ever happen to better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it?
WE come from the same school of thought. My gear is the same for every hike, depending on the time of year.
 
WE come from the same school of thought. My gear is the same for every hike, depending on the time of year.

Amen to that, sierra and skiguy. Although my gear will vary slightly depending on the hike, I pack more than I think I'll need, just in case, and always enough for an overnight. Except for one fine dunking on the N. Twin bypass in winter where JustJoe fortunately had a spare shirt (this is a guy who knows how to bring everything under the sun). Then again, I would have just dumped that layer and boogied out at that point without it and would have been fine. Common sense.

And likewise agreed with skiguy on how social media (and I'll throw in trail conditions sites) are unhelpful at times. While it's "nice" to know what other's used or if it's packed out, that doesn't excuse taking into account the unexpected (Carter Dome from Zeta Pass is my go to for "expect the unexpected" - those drifts seemingly appear out of nowhere :D ).

While I'm on the subject, I'll throw in my curmudgeonly annoyance that people won't do a hike if they don't know the trail is broken out. How about not expecting everyone else to break it out for you, and do what you can to help others, and maybe even have the chance of the height of self-satisfaction that you made it the whole way?

I'm thinking of changing my signature line to "Hey! You kids get off my mountain!" ;)
 
Hey kids, don't assume your hike will be just like the experience someone described on AllTrails.

Why, it might have snowed or rained since that dude's bare-boot stroll.
 
Hey kids, don't assume your hike will be just like the experience someone described on AllTrails.

Why, it might have snowed or rained since that dude's bare-boot stroll.

And the other one everyone seems to be in love with. I personally have no use for trail condition reports. But that's a whole other argument.
 
And the other one everyone seems to be in love with. I personally have no use for trail condition reports. But that's a whole other argument.

Ditto. I think the only time I look at them now is in Winter and after storms where I can get a sense of what the blowdown situation might be like. I forget if it was last year or two years ago that the Airline Trail had a ton of blowdowns and was a total mess. Saved me a 4 hour drive to go on an awful hike.
 
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