A Close Call on the Pacific Crest Trail
A PCT hiker recounts his experience with a potentially hazardous snow traverse on Tahquitz Peak, highlighting the importance of caution and preparedness in the face of uncertain terrain.
The Pacific Crest Trail hiker Josh Sanders recently encountered a potentially hazardous snow traverse on Tahquitz Peak, a detour from the main trail that he had initially thought would be a simple and safe excursion.
Josh Sanders, a lifelong skier but inexperienced in backcountry travel, had been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for two weeks when he decided to take a detour to the fire lookout on Tahquitz Peak. He was alone and had not yet encountered significant snow on the trail.
Josh Sanders had picked up microspikes and an ice axe at Paradise Valley Cafe through the Trevor Spikes Program, which provides discounts to PCT hikers on traction and safety equipment in hopes of preventing accidents like Trevor Laher's, who tragically lost his life in a fall on Apache Peak in the San Jacinto Mountains.
As he traversed the snowfield, Josh Sanders' mind wandered to the spikes and axe in his pack, but there wasn't a good place to stop and get them out. He tried to convince himself that it would be fine, but the bootpack began to feel less stable, and he started to feel uneasy.
A Turning Point
Josh Sanders eventually decided to turn back, citing the potential risks of the traverse and the uncertainty of his own abilities. He realized that he had been putting himself in a precarious situation and that it was time to pack it in.
Before he started back towards the PCT, Josh Sanders retrieved his ice axe and stashed a trekking pole. He used the axe to self-belay, finding it to be a more secure option than his trekking poles.
A Valuable Lesson
The experience on Tahquitz Peak taught Josh Sanders a valuable lesson about the importance of caution and preparedness in the face of uncertain terrain. He learned to know what he's getting himself into and to utilize any information available to him, regardless of how inconsequential it seems.
As he continued on his hike, Josh Sanders felt a sense of relief that he had made the right decision to turn back. He realized that he had been one misstep away from disaster and that his inexperience had put him in a precarious situation.
The incident on Tahquitz Peak stuck with Josh Sanders through the rest of his hike, serving as a reminder of the importance of caution and preparedness in the face of uncertain terrain.
As sunset approached, Josh Sanders scrambled up a rocky outcropping to get a better look at Tahquitz Peak, where he was greeted by a gorgeous view. He could make out a thin white horizontal line just below the ridge at the top, which was the snowy traverse he had come from. It didn't look so bad from here.
That night in his tent, Josh Sanders studied the San Jacinto Trail Report, where he found a paragraph that reinforced his decision to turn back. The report warned of a single postholing boot track to follow through the steeply angled snow, which had considerable underlying ice. Josh Sanders felt a mix of emotions, but ultimately, he was glad that he had made the right call.
The experience on Tahquitz Peak was a close call, but it taught Josh Sanders a valuable lesson about the importance of caution and preparedness in the face of uncertain terrain.
