Re: [Philmont]: Enough water?

Bad idea. Thunderstorms are much more likely in the late afternoon, and
the latter 2/3rd's of the trail from Tooth Ridge to Basecamp is
completely exposed. All the logistical services you need to hit (before
you leave Philmont the next day) close at 5:00 pm - the only times they
will stay open later is if many Crews are still out on the trail for
some reason, like the ToT fire in 2000 (they will not stay open for one
late Crew). So you'd have to stick around til 11:00 am or later the
following day in order to take care of all your departure sheet
checkoffs (starting at 9:00 am, so you'll already be mixing with the
next day's early arriving Crews). The Dining Hall is closed well before
sunset, so no dinner. You'd be real time-stressed to make the closing
campfire, which starts assembling around sunset. And so on, and so on.
  Not a good plan!

Robi Garcia wrote:
> We just did a 12-miler training hike (climbed the first 4 miles to Reyes
> Peak, ~7300 feet, then a long descent) and timed it so we were heading
> onto the exposed areas at sunset & got shade all the way down. I have
> never heard or seen messages about timing the Tooth descent the same
> way, even though it's situated perfectly (facing East). Is it bad to
> get into HQ around sunset?
> - r
>
> "Dr. Bob Klein" <drbob@troop111.org> wrote:
>
> You would not be carrying extra water from Cimarroncito, but water from
> Clark's Fork, which is on the way. You can also hope for water on the
> way to Shaefers Pass (Upper Clark's Fork, Ponderosa, Shaefers Pass
> itself), but that is a real risk unless it is a wet year. There is not
> a drop of water between SP and Basecamp, and the hike from TR to BC can
> be brutal if you don't get an early start, as you are exposed to the
> open sun for miles. It's hot and dusty even at 7:30 am, and a miserable
> PITA anytime after 9:00 am.
>
> You can also alleviate some of your water needs by eating dinner for
> lunch at CF, and eating lunch for dinner at TR or on top of the ToT.
> If you do this, you don't need tons of water, esp. if you commit to a
> dawn start out of TR to BC.
>
> By this point of your trek, you will have a pretty good sense of water
> nee ds per Crew member. Some guys need lots, others not so much. If
> it's real hot starting out of CF to SP, add even more. And camel up
> before you leave.
>
> I personally wouldn't take any less than 4 liters per man, using the
> above protocols, and 4.5 - 5.0 liters would be more prudent if the
> weather conditions weren't favorable. On carrying heavy jugs, one way
> to evade that is everyone uses their cups and drinks out of the main
> jugs on the way up to Shaefers Peak, and doesn't touch their personal 3
> liter supply til that reserve is used up. The jugs will likely be empty
> by the time you get to the top of the peak. Your gorillas can carry
> them in the meantime, or you can trade off down the line as you go.
> Another way is to have everyone carry a 2 liter platypus bladder the
> entire trip, and use it just for this purpose. Weighs very little,
> takes up very little space, til you need it on your next to last day.
>
> Hope this gives you some ideas.
>

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Received on Fri May 28 05:16:44 2004